The Theory
Standard
The Theory Standard is a set of four rules that Theory Intelligence applies to every piece of work and publishes so that clients can hold us, and any other supplier, to them. It exists because the failures of 2025 and 2026 were failures of verification, not of intelligence.
Every source is real
Every person is identity and role verified before the conversation. Every document is opened and read by a person before it is cited. Every figure is traced to its origin and method before it is used. No synthetic respondents. No unverified panels. No citation we have not seen with our own eyes. If a source cannot be verified, it does not appear in the work, however useful it would have been.
Every claim is traceable
Every deliverable includes a provenance appendix. For each person: role, organisation type, verification method, date and duration, and where the record is held. For each dataset: origin, method and date. For each document: full citation, the passage relied on, who checked it and when. A client can pick any sentence in the report and follow it to its source.
AI use is disclosed
We state in every deliverable exactly where AI was used: scheduling, transcription, coding of notes, first drafts, formatting. We never use AI to generate a claim, a figure, a quotation or a citation, and we never use it in place of a human respondent. The disclosure is specific to the engagement, not boilerplate.
A named person signs it
The recommendation is written and signed by the researcher who gathered the evidence and did the analysis. It takes a position, states its confidence, and names what would change it. If it later proves wrong, there is a person who will explain why, and who did the work to be able to.
Contract language you can copy
The four rules are written to be pasted into a brief or a statement of work. Any research or advisory supplier who can meet them will agree quickly. One who cannot will explain why they are unnecessary, which is its own answer.
"The supplier will (1) verify the identity and role of every interview participant and open every cited document before use; (2) deliver a provenance appendix linking every claim to its source; (3) disclose in writing every use of AI in the engagement and confirm that no factual claim, figure, quotation or citation was AI generated; and (4) deliver a recommendation signed by the individual responsible for the work."The Theory Standard, contract form, 2026
Why publish it
Trust in advisory work fell in 2025 and 2026 because clients discovered after the fact that reports they had paid for contained sources that did not exist. Seventy percent of companies now say they would not trust a report prepared with AI. The cure is not to hide the tools. It is to make the verification visible. A standard that is published can be checked, and a standard that can be checked is worth something.
The standard governs all three of our services: the Signal Brief, the Decision Study and the Intelligence Retainer. It is also described in plain terms in our glossary.
Questions about the standard
What is The Theory Standard?
The Theory Standard is the published set of four rules Theory Intelligence applies to every deliverable: every source is real, every claim is traceable, AI use is disclosed, and a named person signs the recommendation.
Can I hold other suppliers to it?
Yes. The four rules are written so they can be pasted into any research or consulting brief as contract terms. We publish them for that reason.
What happens if a claim fails the standard?
It is removed before delivery. If a failure is found after delivery, we correct the report, notify you in writing and, where the correction changes the recommendation, redo the affected work at no charge.
Is the standard audited?
Every deliverable includes the provenance appendix that lets you audit it yourself. We also welcome clients checking any source directly, and we will facilitate contact with participants who have consented.
Hold us to it
Every engagement is delivered under The Theory Standard, at a published price. Write to info@theoryintel.com or start a brief.
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