Foundmust

Foundmust is a neologism used in discussions of evidence and justification to denote the minimum set of elements that must be found or established for a claim to be considered warranted. The term blends “found” and “must” to emphasize the necessity of discovery, validation, or demonstration at the foundational level.

Etymology and scope: The term emerged in interdisciplinary debates in the mid-2010s, particularly among scholars working in epistemology, archaeology, and information science. It describes a criterion rather than a fixed standard, varying by domain but intended to be explicit about what must be demonstrated to move from hypothesis to accepted conclusion.

Applications: In archaeology, a foundmust could specify the essential contextual data (stratigraphy, dating, association with unequivocal artifacts) needed to attribute an artifact to a culture. In data science, it may refer to the minimum data quality, documentation, and reproducible methods required to validate a result. In policy analysis, it can denote the core pieces of evidence that a claim must rest on to be considered credible.

Criticism and limitations: Critics note that foundmust can be context-sensitive and may discourage exploration of unconventional evidence when applied too rigidly. Proponents argue that specifying foundmust improves transparency and reduces selective confirmation.

See also: evidentiary standard, justification, validity, reproducibility, burden of proof.