How much checking is enough.
THE PRINCIPLE
Verify in proportion to consequence.
WHAT ALWAYS REQUIRES FULL VERIFICATION
Anything filed, submitted or published Anything a client, patient or customer will rely on Every citation, reference and authority Every figure and calculation Every statement of law, regulation or standard
WHAT REQUIRES LESS
Internal drafts Structuring your own thinking Explanations you can evaluate from your own expertise
THE CITATION RULE
Across law, medicine, academia and engineering: do not cite what you have not read.
Fabricated references are the most common serious failure.
WHAT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE VERIFICATION
Asking the model whether it is sure Checking that a reference exists without reading it Checking only the parts that look doubtful
THAT LAST POINT
Incorrect output does not look incorrect. That is the whole problem.
WHAT TO RECORD
What you verified and how, where the matter is significant.
THE STANDARD
The same as for work produced any other way: you are certifying it.
