fix(reasoning): clean proposition question formulation

lib/graph/question-formulator.js

@@ -84,10 +84,15 @@ function hasAudienceIdentityQuestion(text) {
 
 function extractMeaning(node) {
   const raw = `${node?.label || ""} ${node?.description || ""}`.trim();
+  const rawLabel = stripTrailingPunctuation(String(node?.label || "")).trim();
   let meaning = stripTrailingPunctuation(
     String(node?.label || node?.description || "this uncertainty"),
   ).trim();
 
+  if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(rawLabel)) {
+    return rawLabel;
+  }
+
   const lowered = normaliseText(raw);
   if (hasAudienceIdentityQuestion(lowered)) {
     return "the relevant customer, user, or value recipient";
@@ -99,13 +104,23 @@ function extractMeaning(node) {
     .replace(/^uncertainty about\s+/i, "")
     .trim();
 
+  const extractWhetherProposition = (text) => {
+    const match = String(text || "")
+      .trim()
+      .match(
+        /^(whether\b[\s\S]*?)(?:;\s+|,\s*(?:so\s+that|because)\b|\s+matters\s+because\b|$)/i,
+      );
+
+    return match?.[1]?.trim() || String(text || "").trim();
+  };
+
   if (
     /\b(status|likelihood|probability|chance|risk|uncertainty)\b/i.test(
       String(node?.label || ""),
     ) &&
     /^whether\s+/i.test(strippedDescription)
   ) {
-    return sentenceCase(strippedDescription);
+    return sentenceCase(extractWhetherProposition(strippedDescription));
   }
 
   meaning = meaning
@@ -185,12 +200,13 @@ function isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning) {
     return true;
   }
 
-  // "whether" clauses — also already question-shaped
-  if (/^whether\b/i.test(trimmed)) return true;
-
   return false;
 }
 
+function isWhetherPropositionMeaning(meaning) {
+  return /^whether\b/i.test(String(meaning || "").trim());
+}
+
 function wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning) {
   const stripped = stripTrailingPunctuation(meaning).trim();
 
@@ -209,7 +225,7 @@ function wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning) {
 function buildNeutralClarificationQuestion(meaning) {
   const content = wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning);
   // If content is already interrogative (wh-), use it as-is with trailing context
-  if (isInterrogativeMeaning(content)) {
+  if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(content)) {
     return `${content}?`;
   }
   return `What would clarify ${content} in this situation?`;
@@ -217,12 +233,18 @@ function buildNeutralClarificationQuestion(meaning) {
 
 function buildEvidenceFallbackQuestion(meaning) {
   const content = wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning);
-  if (isInterrogativeMeaning(content)) {
+  if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(content)) {
     return `${content}?`;
   }
   return `What evidence would confirm or rule out ${content}?`;
 }
 
+function isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(meaning) {
+  return (
+    isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning) && !isWhetherPropositionMeaning(meaning)
+  );
+}
+
 function extractConstraintClarificationSubject(node) {
   const label = stripTrailingPunctuation(node?.label || "");
   const description = String(node?.description || "");
@@ -1269,7 +1291,7 @@ function buildQuestionFromFamily({
       );
     }
     // If meaning is already interrogative, use it directly instead of wrapping
-    if (isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
+    if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
       return `${wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning)}?`;
     }
     return `What evidence would clarify ${stripTrailingPunctuation(meaning)}?`;
@@ -1277,7 +1299,7 @@ function buildQuestionFromFamily({
 
   if (questionFamily === "definition") {
     // If meaning is already interrogative, use it directly
-    if (isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
+    if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
       return `${wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning)}?`;
     }
     return `What does ${meaning} mean in this situation?`;
@@ -1286,20 +1308,20 @@ function buildQuestionFromFamily({
   if (reasoningPattern === "comparison") {
     if (selectedQuestionTemplate === "comparison_timing_basis") {
       const cmpContent = wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning);
-      if (isInterrogativeMeaning(cmpContent)) {
+      if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(cmpContent)) {
         return `${cmpContent}?`;
       }
       return `What evidence would clarify whether ${stripTrailingPunctuation(cmpContent)}?`;
     }
     if (selectedQuestionTemplate === "comparison_measurement_basis") {
       const cmpContent = wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning);
-      if (isInterrogativeMeaning(cmpContent)) {
+      if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(cmpContent)) {
         return `${cmpContent}?`;
       }
       return `What evidence would clarify ${stripTrailingPunctuation(cmpContent)}?`;
     }
     // Default comparison — handle interrogative meaning
-    if (isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
+    if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
       return `${wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning)}?`;
     }
     return `What evidence would clarify ${stripTrailingPunctuation(meaning)}?`;
@@ -1310,7 +1332,7 @@ function buildQuestionFromFamily({
       return buildQuestionFromStrategy(investigationStrategy);
     }
     // If meaning is interrogative, use it directly
-    if (isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
+    if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
       return `${wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning)}?`;
     }
     return `What fact would resolve the contradiction about ${stripTrailingPunctuation(meaning)}?`;
@@ -1328,7 +1350,10 @@ function buildQuestionFromFamily({
   if (investigationStrategy) {
     return buildQuestionFromStrategy(investigationStrategy);
   }
-  if (isInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
+  if (isWhetherPropositionMeaning(meaning)) {
+    return `What evidence would clarify ${stripTrailingPunctuation(meaning)}?`;
+  }
+  if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(meaning)) {
     return `${wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(meaning)}?`;
   }
   return buildNeutralClarificationQuestion(meaning);
@@ -1649,7 +1674,11 @@ export function selectInvestigationStrategy({ node, graph, context = {} }) {
     });
   }
 
-  if (!selectedStrategy && (hasDecisionValueLanguage || hasCriteriaLanguage)) {
+  if (
+    !selectedStrategy &&
+    (hasCriteriaLanguage ||
+      (hasDecisionValueLanguage && !isWhetherPropositionMeaning(meaning)))
+  ) {
     selectedStrategy = buildInvestigationStrategy({
       key: "decision_threshold",
       reason:
@@ -1718,7 +1747,7 @@ export function selectInvestigationStrategy({ node, graph, context = {} }) {
 function buildQuestionFromStrategy(strategy) {
   // If meaning is interrogative, use it directly instead of embedding in a template
   const m = strategy.meaning;
-  if (isInterrogativeMeaning(m)) {
+  if (isDirectInterrogativeMeaning(m)) {
     return `${wrapInterrogativeForTemplate(m)}?`;
   }
 

tests/graph/question-formulator.test.js

@@ -442,6 +442,100 @@ describe("formulateQuestion", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("60B.24 regression strips whether-rationale and uses evidence framing without mutating the source node", () => {
+    const description =
+      "Whether one prospective enterprise customer will sign if we launch this year; they account for ~£700k of the £1.2M expected annual revenue, so that resolving their intent is needed to assess the financial impact of launching now.";
+    const unknown = makeNode({
+      id: "n-60b24-signing-status",
+      label: "Prospective enterprise customer signing status",
+      description,
+      kind: "unknown",
+      status: "unknown",
+      confidence: "medium",
+    });
+
+    const graph = makeGraphFor(unknown, {
+      centralStatement:
+        "We need to decide which launch timing option provides superior net value.",
+    });
+
+    const result = formulateQuestion({ node: unknown, graph });
+
+    expect(result.question).toContain(
+      "whether one prospective enterprise customer will sign if we launch this year",
+    );
+    expect(result.question).toContain("What evidence would clarify");
+    expect(result.question).not.toContain("£700k");
+    expect(result.question).not.toContain("£1.2M");
+    expect(result.question).not.toContain("resolving their intent");
+    expect(result.question).not.toContain("financial impact");
+    expect(unknown.description).toBe(description);
+  });
+
+  it("clean whether proposition uses evidence framing rather than a direct whether-question", () => {
+    const unknown = makeNode({
+      id: "n-supplier-renewal",
+      label: "Supplier renewal likelihood",
+      description: "Whether the supplier will renew the contract.",
+      kind: "unknown",
+      status: "unknown",
+      confidence: "medium",
+    });
+
+    const result = formulateQuestion({
+      node: unknown,
+      graph: makeGraphFor(unknown),
+    });
+
+    expect(result.question).toBe(
+      "What evidence would clarify whether the supplier will renew the contract?",
+    );
+    expect(result.question).not.toBe(
+      "Whether the supplier will renew the contract?",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("wh-question remains unchanged", () => {
+    const unknown = makeNode({
+      id: "n-wh-question",
+      label: "What would change the preferred option?",
+      description: "What would change the preferred option?",
+      kind: "unknown",
+      status: "unknown",
+      confidence: "medium",
+    });
+
+    const result = formulateQuestion({
+      node: unknown,
+      graph: makeGraphFor(unknown),
+    });
+
+    expect(result.question).toBe("What would change the preferred option?");
+  });
+
+  it("non-whether semicolon content is not globally truncated", () => {
+    const unknown = makeNode({
+      id: "n-semicolon-baseline",
+      label:
+        "Unknown baseline measurement basis; current and previous figures were prepared differently.",
+      description:
+        "Baseline measurement basis; current and previous figures were prepared differently.",
+      kind: "unknown",
+      status: "unknown",
+      confidence: "medium",
+    });
+
+    const result = formulateQuestion({
+      node: unknown,
+      graph: makeGraphFor(unknown),
+    });
+
+    expect(result.question).toContain(
+      "baseline measurement basis; current and previous figures were prepared differently",
+    );
+    expect(result.question).not.toContain("What would clarify whether");
+  });
+
   it("evidence-resolvable competing-cause unknown stays on an evidence route rather than neutral clarification", () => {
     const unknown = makeNode({
       id: "n-delivery-cause",