Practical verification.
WHAT ALWAYS NEEDS CHECKING
Statistics and figures Dates Names and titles Quotations Citations and references Legal and regulatory statements Technical specifications Prices Anything about a named organisation or person
HOW TO CHECK
Search for the specific claim independently Go to the primary source Confirm a citation exists and says what is claimed Ask someone who knows
THE CITATION PROCEDURE
Not "does this reference exist" but "does this reference say what was claimed".
Both failures occur.
WHAT DOES NOT COUNT AS VERIFICATION
Asking the model whether it is sure Asking it to check its own work Checking only the claims that look doubtful
THAT LAST POINT
Incorrect claims do not look incorrect. That is why they get through.
A PRACTICAL METHOD
Highlight every specific fact in a draft. Check each one.
Tedious, and it is the work.
THE PROPORTIONATE APPROACH
A brainstorm needs no verification. A published claim needs all of it.
