Verify an AI answer with a claim and source worksheet
To verify an AI answer, separate its factual claims and check each against an appropriate source. Record what the source actually supports, its date and any remaining uncertainty. This exercise is for learners using AI in research or writing who want to preserve their own judgement rather than treating confident wording as evidence.
To verify an AI answer, separate its factual claims and check each against an appropriate source. Record what the source actually supports, its date and any remaining uncertainty. This exercise is for learners using AI in research or writing who want to preserve their own judgement rather than treating confident wording as evidence.
Key ideas
- Factual claims are separated from recommendations.
- The actual primary page was opened.
- Each claim maps to a relevant passage.
- Dates and the population described are recorded.
Extract claims before deciding whether you agree
Take a short answer about a tool, event or study and underline statements that could be true or false. Separate a feature claim from a recommendation and a numerical result from an explanation. ‘This tool is useful’ depends on the task; ‘this feature is available in the free plan’ needs current evidence. Keeping these statements apart stops a plausible recommendation from lending unearned credibility to a factual detail.
Open the actual primary source
A source title inside an AI response is not enough. Open the document or official page and find the relevant passage. Record the organisation, page address and checked date. If the page does not say what the answer claims, leave the claim unverified. Google’s helpful-content guidance discusses reliability and source transparency; the claim worksheet here is an original exercise, not a Google certification process.
Check scope, timing and the denominator
A result for one sample is not automatically a result for every business. A future event is not a completed event. A percentage needs to identify what was counted. Write these limits beside the claim. If two pages disagree, compare their dates and definitions before choosing a conclusion. Do not average conflicting statements or silently replace an unavailable document with a search snippet presented as a full reading.
Write the conclusion at the strength of the evidence
Use confirmed, contradicted or unresolved labels in your worksheet. Explain why the unresolved item matters to your decision. Then rewrite the answer so it separates sourced facts from your interpretation and avoids unsupported certainty. Keep the original wording for comparison. The aim is not to catch every AI mistake in the world, but to make one answer more dependable for its stated use.
Your evidence checklist
Mark only what you have checked. This records your own progress, not an independent audit or a predicted result. There is no automatic saving; download the note if you want to keep it.
0 / 6 checked
In everyday language
A reliable answer makes its facts, interpretation and unresolved questions easy to distinguish.
Try it yourself
Choose an AI answer containing three factual claims. Create a row for each claim, verify the source and rewrite the conclusion. Use public information and avoid personal or workplace confidential data.
Expected result
Three labelled claim rows, working source links and a revised answer that preserves uncertainty. A checked source supports only the claim you matched to it.
Check your answer: Is a search snippet enough to verify a claim?
It can help find a source, but it may omit conditions or come from an earlier version. Open the original whenever possible. If only an indexed excerpt is available, say so and limit the conclusion to what that excerpt actually supports.
Questions
Is a search snippet enough to verify a claim?
It can help find a source, but it may omit conditions or come from an earlier version. Open the original whenever possible. If only an indexed excerpt is available, say so and limit the conclusion to what that excerpt actually supports.
What if the source does not resolve the question?
Keep the claim unresolved and explain what additional evidence would answer it. You can still make a limited decision using confirmed facts. Inventing a missing detail or choosing the most confident wording creates false certainty rather than a better answer.
A reliable answer makes its facts, interpretation and unresolved questions easy to distinguish.
Sources and further reading
- Google Search Central — Helpful, reliable content ↗Sources checked:
- GOV.UK — In-depth research interviews ↗Sources checked: