Sourcebound

Sourcebound is a term used in information science to describe data, artifacts, or digital objects that retain a verifiable connection to their origin. A sourcebound item carries intrinsic provenance, such that its origin, authorship, timestamp, and chain of custody can be traced and verified independently of where or how the item is stored or distributed. The concept emphasizes the binding of an artifact to a specific source, preventing reuse that cannot be traced back to its origin.

The term has appeared in discussions of data provenance, reproducible research, and digital media licensing, and it has been used since the 2010s to distinguish strictly sourced data from loosely attributed materials. In practice, sourcebound design relies on a combination of metadata and cryptographic techniques to ensure verifiability. Core features include structured provenance records, cryptographic hashes or content-addressable identifiers, digital signatures from trusted authorities, and immutable identifiers that persist across copies and migrations. Sourcebound items are typically accompanied by verifiable lineage information that travels with the artifact.

Applications include scientific datasets with complete sourcebound provenance, supply chain traceability, software build artifacts with linked source control commitments, and journalistic or legal evidence where origin and custody must be demonstrable. Challenges include the overhead of maintaining rich provenance metadata, reliance on trusted authorities, privacy concerns, and interoperability across diverse systems. Critics argue that excessive provenance can hinder workflows or obscure information if not standardized.

See also: provenance, data lineage, cryptographic hash, digital signature.