What to verify and how.
WHAT ALWAYS NEEDS CHECKING
Statistics and figures Dates Names and titles Quotations Citations and sources Legal and regulatory statements Technical specifications and versions Prices Anything about a named organisation
HOW TO CHECK
Search for the specific claim independently Go to the primary source Confirm citations exist and say what is claimed Ask someone who knows
THE CITATION PROBLEM
Invented references look entirely real. Plausible author, plausible title, plausible publication.
Never cite anything without confirming it exists.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Ask the model to verify itself Assume fluency indicates accuracy Check only the claims that look doubtful
That last one fails because incorrect claims do not look incorrect.
A PRACTICAL METHOD
Highlight every specific fact in the draft. Check each.
Tedious, and it is the work.
THE PROPORTIONATE APPROACH
Verify in proportion to consequence. A brainstorm needs none. A published claim needs all.
