Align source clocks before reconstructing an exercise timeline

A telephone log records a call at 10:14, while an observer notes the related situation update at 10:16. In this fictional example, the call appears anticipatory. If the observer’s clock is three minutes fast, however, the reconstructed sequence changes. Reviewers must therefore establish whether the timestamps are directly comparable.

A shared time reference allows events from different sources to be placed on the same timeline. It also requires attention to precision and the difference between an event occurring and a note being entered later. A note recorded to the nearest minute cannot support a claim about seconds.

In my revised submitted manuscript “Prototype-Based Evaluation of Communication Dynamics in Simulated Crisis Exercises (Germany): A DSR Approach” (revision 2, submission dated 12 May 2026), I examine a prototype for recording communication activity during crisis exercises. Design Science Research means developing and testing an artifact to address a practical problem. The prototype records call start and end times and participating devices. Technical capture and scenario-based interpretation remain distinct tasks.

I therefore recommend documenting which clock the technical system uses and which reference observers follow. A jointly recorded test event before the exercise can help identify visible offsets. The preparation should also establish how observations entered retrospectively will remain recognizable.

For existing records, the review lead examines suitable events shared across sources. Any established offset is accounted for transparently, retaining the original entries. Without a reliable reference, a suspected discrepancy must not be adjusted merely to produce the expected sequence.

The consequence for the exercise debrief is limited but important. Where event order is established, reviewers can discuss its significance. Where it remains unresolved, they may still examine whether an action addressed the problem, but a claim about anticipatory timing would lack sufficient support. The temporal precision of the evidence therefore determines the precision of the judgement, rather than the apparent exactness of a combined chart.