RSQS: A Methodological Framework for Structured Evaluation and Evidence-Based Reasoning

This article introduces RSQS (Relevance, Sufficiency, Quality, Structure) as a general-purpose methodological framework for structured evaluation, evidence synthesis, and decision support across research, education, public policy, engineering, artificial intelligence, and organisational governance. The framework proposes that robust evaluation cannot be reduced to a single score or criterion. Instead, evidence should be examined through four interacting dimensions: Relevance – Does the evidence address the stated question or objective? Sufficiency – Is the available evidence adequate to support the proposed conclusion? Quality – How reliable, credible, valid, and reproducible is the evidence? Structure – How coherently are claims, evidence, assumptions, and conclusions organised? Rather than functioning as a simple checklist, RSQS is presented as a reasoning architecture that supports transparent judgement, explicit evidence documentation, reproducible assessment, and interdisciplinary evaluation. Using conceptual analysis and worked examples, the paper develops operational definitions, structured evaluation questions, evidence-ledger methodologies, threshold-based decision models, interaction analysis between evaluation dimensions, and reporting standards suitable for both qualitative and quantitative investigations. The framework is intentionally domain independent and may be applied to: academic research curriculum design artificial intelligence governance systems engineering scientific evaluation public policy organisational decision-making risk assessment strategic planning interdisciplinary research The paper distinguishes RSQS from traditional checklists, weighted scoring systems, multi-criteria decision analysis, peer review, and program evaluation frameworks by emphasising explicit reasoning, transparent evidence pathways, and interaction between evaluation dimensions. The article concludes by proposing a future empirical validation programme designed to evaluate inter-rater reliability, predictive validity, educational usefulness, and domain generalisability. This publication establishes RSQS as the foundational methodological framework supporting the broader Adamson Research Institute research programme.