Checking what you are given.
WHAT ALWAYS NEEDS CHECKING
Specific figures Names, dates and places Quotations Citations and references Legal or regulatory statements Medical information Technical specifications and versions Anything you will publish
WHAT NEEDS LESS CHECKING
Structure and organisation Phrasing of ideas you supplied Explanations of well-established concepts you can judge Brainstormed options you will evaluate anyway
HOW TO VERIFY
Search for the specific claim independently Check citations actually exist and say what is claimed Confirm figures against a primary source Ask someone who knows
WHAT NOT TO DO
Ask the model whether it is sure. It will assert confidence regardless. Ask it to check its own work, which is weakly useful at best. Assume fluency indicates accuracy.
THE PROPORTIONATE APPROACH
Verify in proportion to consequence.
A brainstorm needs no verification. A statement in a customer contract needs full verification.
THE RULE
You are responsible for what you send or publish, whatever produced it.
