paper-trail

Noun

paper trail (plural paper trails)

1. (idiomatic) A written record, history, or collection of evidence.
   • Keep a good paper trail in case anyone asks you why you arrived at that conclusion.
2. (idiomatic) Records left by a person or organization in the course of activities.
   • With a good paperwork system in place, including a working paper trail, it becomes much easier to manage the flow of relevant information regarding your plants and orders.2003, Tony Avent, So You Want to Start a Nursery, page 265
3. (broadly) Physical evidence of something that occurred in the past.
   • Beginning in the late 20th century, researchers were able to analyze the mtDNA and Y chromosomes of multiple races around the world, revealing a DNA paper trail that led back to eastern Africa around 200,000 years ago.2012, Paul Parsons, Science in 100 Key Breakthroughs