Verification, Citations, and Abstention
Verification, Citations, and Abstention
Key jargon
| Term | Plain-language meaning |
|---|---|
| Verification | Checking a claim against evidence or an executable test. |
| Citation | A pointer to the source supporting a specific claim. |
| Abstention | Explicitly declining to assert an answer when evidence is insufficient. |
| Calibration | How well expressed confidence matches actual correctness. |
Key concepts
- A citation is useful only when the cited source directly supports the nearby claim.
- A reliable workflow permits uncertainty and abstention instead of rewarding confident guesses.
Concept map
flowchart LR
A["Identify important claims"] --> B["Trace each to evidence"]
B --> C["Test where possible"]
C --> D["Accept correct or abstain"]Verification ladder
| Risk | Appropriate check |
|---|---|
| Low-stakes wording | Human read-through |
| Structured extraction | Schema and sample comparison |
| Factual research | Open cited sources and verify claim support |
| Calculation | Recompute with deterministic code or calculator |
| Code | Review, tests, lint, and isolated execution |
| High-stakes advice | Qualified human and current authoritative guidance |
| External action | Preview, permission check, confirmation, and audit record |
A citation is useful only if it exists, is authoritative enough, is current enough, and directly supports the nearby claim. Citation quantity is not evidence quality.
Abstention contract
Tell the system when to say:
- “The supplied evidence does not establish this.”
- “These sources conflict.”
- “This changed recently and needs verification.”
- “I cannot safely perform that action without approval.”
Exercise
Ask for five claims about a topic you know. Require claim-level citations, then open each source and label it supported, partially supported, or unsupported.