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+# Why visible CI evidence matters
+
+Our repository already runs GitHub Actions and uploads coverage to Codecov. Those badges are useful because they point to the
+latest pipeline results, but they do not replace in-repo evidence of how the project is validated. Having local documentation of
+our automation brings several benefits:
+
+1. **Discoverability for contributors.** Newcomers who clone the repository often work offline or from mirrors where external
+   dashboards are unavailable. A local reference helps them understand how to reproduce the checks without chasing links or
+   needing network access.
+2. **Reproducible workflows.** When the CI definition files live only in external systems, it is impossible to guarantee that the
+   codebase can be validated independently. Keeping the workflow files, scripts, and configuration versioned in the repo makes
+   the project self-contained and allows reviewers to audit the exact commands that gate merges.
+3. **Traceability over time.** Badges surface only the most recent status. If the external pipelines change behaviour—or the
+   external service goes away—we lose the historical context. Documenting the CI entry points (e.g. workflow YAML, coverage
+   commands) in the repository ensures the validation story survives platform migrations.
+4. **Security and trust.** Reviewers and users can inspect in-repo CI definitions to verify that the advertised checks are the
+   ones actually executed. This transparency is a core expectation for open-source projects; otherwise, the project depends on a
+   third-party configuration that might drift without review.
+5. **Onboarding automation.** A repository-local description of the CI makes it trivial to run the same checks locally (for
+   example via `make` targets or scripts). This keeps feedback fast and reduces breakages that only surface after pushing to the
+   remote pipelines.
+
+In short: keeping CI evidence—workflow YAML, scripts, and documentation—inside the repository is not redundant with using
+GitHub Actions or Codecov. It is the foundation that makes those services trustworthy, reproducible, and accessible to every
+contributor.