ADR-0102 — Lean the artifact surface: intake is an optional pointer; reference material single-sources to docs

Context

Two leanness wins from the session deliberation (RFC-lean-artifact-set) that stand on their own, independent of the larger spec-as-living-form change (which stays an open proposal — see that RFC):

• Intake is presented as a station with a file, but a spec's source is often a Jira issue or any provider with no middleman file, and no notation belongs around it. The spec template already allows sources: self or a ticket id — the loop docs just over-imply an intake/ step.
• The kit duplicates reference material (advanced/checks-reference.md, advanced/sol-reference.md) that restates the canonical docs/reference/checks.md + structured-requirements.md — and it has been caught drifting (stale at C014 in a prior pass). Duplicated reference content is a standing drift liability (the anti-duplication concern of ADR-0096 §3.5).

Decision

1. Intake is an optional source pointer, not a required station. A spec names its origin in sources: — a Jira URL/id, an intake/ file, or self. The loop is Spec → Review; capturing a raw request in intake/ is available but never implied as a step, and no notation surrounds it. Level: convention.

2. Reference material single-sources to docs. The kit's advanced/checks-reference.md and advanced/sol-reference.md no longer duplicate the canon — their bodies become a one-line pointer to docs/reference/checks.md (+ checks/checks.yaml) and docs/reference/structured-requirements.md respectively. The templates in advanced/ (adr/prd/rfc/audit/bug/research/threat-model) stay — they are blanks nothing else ships. This resolves RFC-lean-artifact-set's offline-self-containment open question in favour of single-sourcing: a drifting copy is worse than a pointer, and the canon is one fetch away. Level: convention. Full removal of the card files (with inbound-pointer surgery) is a tracked follow-up, not required by this ADR.

Consequences

• No checks.yaml rule, no contract bump — conventions, consistent with the honesty framework (ADR-0063).
• The kit stops carrying a drift liability; spec-check (which used the checks card as its reference) points at the canonical docs/reference/checks.md.
• Scope note: the larger spec-as-living-form / task-on-demand change (RFC-lean-artifact-set D1) is not decided here — it amends the frozen spec format (ADR-0058) and touches the parser, C006, and ~50 specs, so it awaits ratification rather than autonomous execution (keeping the tree coherent and pristine).

Propagation

docs/02-basic-workflow.md, docs/03-where-files-live.md, docs/ADOPTING.md (intake optional), and the kit cards advanced/checks-reference.md + advanced/sol-reference.md (→ pointers) + the spec-check guide (→ canonical checks doc). suspec-works vendored copies re-sync from the kit.

Affected obligations / constraints

• Reaffirms: ADR-0096 (anti-duplication), the spec template's sources field (already allowed self).
• Does NOT change: the spec format, the verdict model, the checks contract, or the advanced/ templates.