Build Verifiable Research with Grounded Citations

A polished answer is not necessarily an auditable answer. The Grounded Citations skill uses a deterministic source ledger so source numbers remain stable, citations can be checked mechanically, and important quotations can be tied to saved evidence.

Official skill reference: Grounded Citations

Build the ledger first

Start a clean ledger for the assignment, then add each source with its canonical URL and useful title. Cite claims in the draft with the ledger's stable bracketed numbers. Save verbatim evidence for consequential claims rather than relying on a search snippet or memory.

Use fact-checking markers for unresolved statements instead of forcing certainty. Before delivery, run the verifier to catch missing, unknown, or malformed citations. Coverage thresholds can reveal a report whose factual sentences outrun its evidence even when every existing citation is formatted correctly.

Evidence checklist

• Define which claims require citation before drafting.
• Add canonical sources once and keep numbering deterministic.
• Prefer primary or official sources for operational facts.
• Save exact quotations with source and local evidence location.
• Mark unresolved claims as unverified or remove them.
• Run citation and evidence verification on the final file.
• Render a complete Sources section and test every link.

Common pitfalls

• Adding citations after the prose is finished. This encourages weak source-to-claim matching.
• Citing a source that mentions the topic but does not support the sentence. Verify the exact claim.
• Using one citation to cover a paragraph of unrelated facts. Place citations close to the supported statement.
• Renumbering by hand. A ledger prevents accidental source drift.
• Mistaking citation coverage for truth. Verification checks structure and evidence linkage; human judgment still evaluates source quality and interpretation.

Verification

Run the citation verifier in strict mode when the assignment requires complete support. Check any reported unknown sources, missing evidence, or low coverage. Then sample the highest-impact claims manually: open the source, locate the saved quote or passage, and confirm the final wording does not overstate it. Deliver the source ledger with the report when reproducibility matters.