---
id: "entity-icm-paper"
type: "entity"
entityType: "other"
canonicalName: "ICM Paper (arXiv:2603.16021v2)"
canonicalUrl: "https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16021"
source_timestamps: ["whole"]
tags: ["paper", "primary-source", "arxiv"]
related: ["entity-jake-van-clief", "entity-david-mcdermott", "concept-icm"]
aliases: ["Interpretable Context Methodology: Folder Structure as Agent Architecture"]
sources: ["paper"]
sourceVaultSlug: "icm-paper-folder-architecture-2026Jun02"
originDay: 2
---
# ICM Paper (arXiv:2603.16021v2)

## Citation

**Van Clief, J. & McDermott, D.** "Interpretable Context Methodology: Folder Structure as Agent Architecture." arXiv:2603.16021v2 (18 Mar 2026). Eduba / University of Edinburgh.

- **HTML**: https://arxiv.org/html/2603.16021v2
- **Abstract**: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16021
- **Reference implementation**: github.com/RinDig/Interpretable-Context-Methodology-ICM-

## Structure

Seven sections, 54 references, 5 figures, 2 tables.

## What it contains

The formal academic backing for the methodology presented in the companion video. Articulates:

- The methodology — [[concept-icm-d2]].
- The context model — [[concept-five-layer-hierarchy]].
- The on-disk architecture — [[framework-icm-architecture]].
- Stage contracts and review gates — [[concept-stage-contracts]].
- The token-efficiency argument — [[claim-token-efficiency]].
- Practitioner data on intervention patterns — [[claim-ushaped-intervention]].
- External adoption — [[claim-external-adoption]].
- Theoretical lineage — [[prereq-unix-pipelines]], [[prereq-llm-context-windows]].
- Limitations and threats to validity — [[question-cross-model]], [[question-controlled-comparison]], [[question-semantic-debugging]].


## Related across days
- [[entity-icm-paper-arxiv]]
- [[exhibit-icm-paper-figures]]
- [[arc-talk-vs-paper-altitude]]