Epistemicide Diagnostics: A Foundational SR Framework

Epistemicide Diagnostics: A Foundational SR Framework formalizes the SignalRupture methodology for identifying, mapping, and measuring the destruction of knowledge systems in post‑web environments. Extending de Sousa Santos’ concept of epistemicide into digital, infrastructural, and governance domains, the framework defines epistemicide as a structural governance failure rather than an isolated event. It introduces five diagnostic indicators—access failure, custodial collapse, provenance disruption, algorithmic suppression, and documentary harm—to evaluate when institutions can no longer protect the epistemic rights of the communities they serve. The essay establishes a systematic method for tracing custodial chains, assessing archival integrity, detecting adversarial systems, and measuring community impact, positioning epistemicide diagnostics as a foundational tool for understanding institutional strain, archival corruption, and the emergence of custodial burden in high‑velocity governance environments.