6.3 How to Verify Important Information

Verification does not mean asking AI to repeat itself. Return to reliable sources. Prefer a primary source close to where a fact originated: a policy on the issuing organization's site, an event on the organizer's notice, or a research claim in the original paper or formal report.

A three-step verification method

First, identify specific claims such as dates, numbers, names, and quotations. Second, open the original source and check wording, scope, and publication date. Third, for important or disputed matters, cross-check with another independent reliable source.

Two pages repeating one sentence may not be independent evidence; one may copy the other. An old page may once have been correct but no longer apply. Record what you checked, the source, its date, and your conclusion so the process can be reviewed.