Check that each source supports the exact claim, scope and date rather than counting the number of links.
A citation is a relationship
A source link tells the reader where to inspect evidence; it does not automatically validate the surrounding statement. The important relationship is between a specific claim and a specific passage or dataset. Provenance models such as W3C PROV help describe how information derives from entities and activities, but a well-described derivation can still contain an unsupported inference. Evaluate the reasoning as well as the trail.
Test a realistic mismatch
Imagine an AI summary says that a protocol has no security risks and links to a genuine audit report. The report might only describe tests of one contract version, exclude economic assumptions and list unresolved issues. The link is real, but the summary has widened its scope. A better statement identifies the audited version, review period and limitations. The same problem occurs when a proposal is cited as evidence that a feature is already deployed.
Build a compact evidence table
For each consequential sentence, record the claim, source, relevant passage, observation date and your interpretation. Mark whether the source directly supports the statement, supports only part of it or conflicts with it. Keep direct observation separate from calculation and inference. For an on-chain claim, record the network and block context; for a policy claim, record the applicable entity and document version. These details make later review possible without trusting the original summary.
Handle gaps honestly
If a source is inaccessible, say that its contents were not checked instead of borrowing confidence from its title. If two sources disagree, explain the discrepancy and narrow the conclusion where necessary. Avoid treating several websites repeating one announcement as independent confirmation. A useful AI research workflow can leave a question unresolved. The quality measure is whether another reader can retrace and challenge the reasoning, not whether every paragraph ends with an impressive cluster of citations.
Sources & context
Sources checked 7 October 2026. This is explanatory coverage, not personalised investment advice. Our corrections policy.
