Conjecture records were first [described by Hugh Reid from Infer Systems Ltd.](https://blog.infer.systems/2020/07/lightweight-conjecture-records-for.html) as an approach to improve research teamwork by making it explicit how to track obstacles and experiments. Conjecture records are very similar in concept to [Architectural Decision Records (ADRs)](Architectural%20Decision%20Records.md). Like an ADR, a conjecture record captures a single conjecture and its rationale. The collection of conjecture records created and maintained in a project constitutes its _decision log_. They are created from the moment you start [exploring the data](5.%20Explore%20the%20data.md) while working through your [Data Science project](0.%20An%20Overview.md). A conjecture record is a short document (e.g., in markdown format). Each record describes a step of thinking that puts forward a conjecture based on the forces involved in the research domain. Although each conjecture may be a single vector of thinking, many conjectures may tackle the same problem space and conjectures may apply to different areas of the problem domain. Conjecture records should track the indicators that support or refute it and link to experimental records. They should account for both positive and negative outcomes. If you need to connect your data scientist's work to business impact, it might be helpful to consider having an [Experiment Log](Experiment%20Log.md) that is part of the [Improvement Kata](Improvement%20Kata.md) as an alternative. The Experiment Log is an even more light-weight alternative to Conjecture Records. And the Improvement Kata ensures that you have a direct connection between every experiment you run and the company's business goals (through cascading Challenges and Target Conditions). See the [Conjecture Record Template](Conjecture%20Record.md) describing the structure of such records: 1. Metadata 2. Context (provenance, problem space, idea/background) 3. Conjecture (or hypothesis) 4. Findings and learnings Ref: https://blog.infer.systems/2023/08/conjecture-cards-agile-research-project.html