Two distinct questions arise when reasoning from a source. Establishment (thubūt): is the wording sufficiently established? Indication (dalālah): what ruling does the established wording express in the case under consideration?
A report's transmission concerns establishment. Whether an imperative in that report implies obligation or recommendation concerns its indication. A report may be authentic while still requiring analysis of specification, abrogation, contextual qualifications or alternative readings.
Example: Two students can accept the authenticity of the same hadith yet differ over whether it applies to all cases or only to a specified circumstance. Their dispute need not concern the report's transmission; it may concern interpretation and application. Keeping these questions separate makes argument more precise.