2.3 Self-Containment

Study Time: 2 hours Prerequisites: Module 2.2 (Instance-Specific Mastery) Learning Objectives:

• Define self-containment in evaluation criteria
• Recognize cross-referencing violations
• Write criteria that stand alone
• Eliminate dependencies between criteria
• Ensure each criterion is independently understandable

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Introduction

After atomicity and instance-specificity, the third critical property is self-containment.

Self-Contained Criterion: Can be understood and applied without reading any other criteria.

Cross-Referencing Criterion: References or depends on other criteria, creating dependencies.

Why It Matters

Cross-referencing criteria create problems:

• Confusion: Evaluators must jump between criteria to understand one
• Inefficiency: Can't evaluate criteria in any order
• Errors: Easy to misunderstand if reference is missed
• Unusable: Platform tools often present criteria individually

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2.3.1 Self-Containment vs Cross-Referencing

The Core Principle

Each criterion must include ALL information needed to evaluate it.

Cross-Referencing: "Similar to criterion 3, check audio quality."

• Problem: Must read criterion 3 to understand this one

Self-Contained: "Is the audio free from background noise and distortion?"

• Success: Completely understandable alone

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Common Cross-Reference Patterns

Pattern 1: Direct Reference ❌ "As mentioned in criterion 2, verify pronunciation." ❌ "Use the same standard as criterion 1." ❌ "See above for examples."

Pattern 2: Comparative Reference ❌ "Like the previous criterion, but for video." ❌ "Apply criterion 3's logic here." ❌ "Similar approach to the last criterion."

Pattern 3: Assumed Knowledge ❌ "Using the definition above, check accuracy." ❌ "Based on the requirements mentioned earlier..." ❌ "As established in the first criterion..."

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