Project SEAL Golden Trajectory Workflow

A golden trajectory is a transparent, reproducible path from a prompt to a supported conclusion. It shows not only the final response but also why the selected evidence is relevant. This article is written by the TTA Academy Editorial & Training Team, with expertise in fact checking, AI evaluation, research workflows and qualification preparation.

What a golden trajectory is

The trajectory should let another reviewer reproduce the research and understand each decision. Strong work defines the claim, searches deliberately, selects authoritative sources, locates the exact supporting passage and verifies that the evidence answers the prompt without overreach.

The four-stage framework

Search: convert the prompt into focused queries and identify ambiguities. Source: prioritise primary, authoritative and recent material. Location: record the specific section, table or passage that supports the claim. Verification: compare the claim with the evidence, resolve contradictions and state any limitation.

Analyse model failure

A useful evaluation distinguishes retrieval failure, reasoning failure and writing failure. The model may miss the correct source, misread a reliable source or produce a claim stronger than the evidence. Separating these causes leads to a clearer and more actionable assessment.

Quality checklist

Confirm prompt clarity, source authority, evidence location, claim-to-source alignment, date relevance and reproducibility. A concise trajectory with strong evidence is better than a long trail of weak links.