# Receipt Standard and Position

**Author:** Ciprian Ștefan Pleșca  
**Status:** Draft research standard for CIGP v0.1

CIGP distinguishes a verifier's technical observation from institutional approval. The `VerificationReceipt` format records the former: what was checked, what passed or failed, and the limitations that remain.

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    P[RoundProof] --> V[Independent verifier]
    K[Public key and profile] --> V
    V --> R[VerificationReceipt]
    R --> A[Reviewable research record]
```

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `VALID` | All listed checks passed for supplied artifacts. |
| `INVALID` | At least one listed check failed. |
| `INCONCLUSIVE` | Required evidence was unavailable or unsupported. |

A `VALID` receipt is not a certification, fairness determination, legal conclusion, or claim of operator honesty. That boundary is central to the CIGP research position.

Read the [Verification Receipt Standard](https://github.com/Ciprian-LocalPulse/CIGP-Protocol/blob/main/docs/standards/verification-receipt.md), the [machine-readable schema](https://github.com/Ciprian-LocalPulse/CIGP-Protocol/blob/main/schemas/verification-receipt.schema.json), and the [Position Paper](https://github.com/Ciprian-LocalPulse/CIGP-Protocol/blob/main/docs/academic/position-paper.md).