Validation Capabilities
Market Proof Lab produces five types of validation outputs, each designed for a specific proof question. This page defines what each output type covers, how it is structured, and what it can and cannot establish. All output types are governed by the same seven-class proof framework and the same three-state claim classification system.
Proof Reports
A structured assessment of whether a specific vendor's capability claims are supported by independently verifiable public evidence. Proof Reports are the Lab's primary output type. Each report covers a defined set of vendor capability claims, applies the proof framework to classify each claim as verified proof, unverified assertion, or proof gap, and documents the evidence record with source citations and proof class assignments.
Proof Reports do not rate or rank vendors. They document what is and is not supported by independent public evidence for the specific claims assessed. Every Proof Report includes the proof framework applied, the evidence record, the claim classifications, and a correction pathway for submitting new public evidence.
Validation Frameworks
Standalone proof criteria documents that define what constitutes verifiable evidence for a specific category evaluation question. Validation Frameworks are published before any vendor-specific assessment is conducted in a new category. They establish the criteria that will be applied to all vendors in the category, allowing readers to inspect and apply the standards independently.
Validation Frameworks are also published as standalone outputs for organizations that want to apply the Lab's proof standards to their own vendor evaluation processes. See Validation Primers for the practitioner-oriented version of this output type.
Signal Analysis
Structured comparison of documented proof signals across vendor options in a category. Signal Analysis outputs document what the public evidence record shows about each vendor's capability claims, trust signals, and market position — side by side, within the same proof framework. See Signal Analysis for the full description of this output type.
Signal Analysis does not recommend vendors or produce rankings. It documents comparative evidence and documents where the evidence record is asymmetric across vendors in the comparison set.
Evidence Audits
A structured review of all publicly available evidence for a specific vendor claim or market assertion, classified by evidence class and proof weight. Evidence Audits are used when a specific claim requires a comprehensive inventory of the public evidence record — not just a classification of what supports or refutes the claim, but a complete account of what evidence exists, what class it belongs to, and what the aggregate evidence record establishes.
Evidence Audits also document what was not found — where evidence was expected but absent, and where the absence itself is a notable finding about the claim's verifiability.
Category Definitions
Documented scope definitions for each category Market Proof Lab covers, including what claim types are most frequently assessed, what the characteristic proof gap patterns are, and what proof standards apply to common vendor claims. Category Definitions are published before coverage begins and updated as coverage matures. See marketprooflab.com/categories/ for all active category definitions.
Every Market Proof Lab output type applies the seven-class proof framework and the three-state claim classification system. The methodology governing all output types is at marketprooflab.com/methodology/. Term definitions are in the Glossary.