A focused research exercise
Choose a recent fact, request its primary source and date, then match each claim to its supporting passage. Separate direct citations from links offered for further reading.
AI assistant or interface
ChatGPT
Assisted research, writing, analysis, code and multimodal work in a conversational interface.
Service publisher : OpenAI
What the documentation explains
The help distinguishes web search from searching conversations. The Sources panel can contain cited references and other relevant links: these do not all play the same role in the answer.
OpenAI · Searching the web with ChatGPT
Documentation consultation :
Readable reference
This consultation covers public documentation, not a service trial with an account. Features, modes and access conditions evolve; check those displayed when you conduct your research.
The decisive check
Open cited links and distinguish a web-supported answer from one with no explicit source.
Observe and distinguish the results
- Define the object, period, country and need for a primary source. Record the model or bot, mode and files or connectors used.
- Identify searches actually performed, documents analysed and links associated with each claim. Open the pages rather than judging the answer by its wording.
- Retain discrepancies: inaccessible source, contradictory passage, missing date or unsupported detail. Check the fact with its original issuer.
What to retain
- Exact query or prompt; date, time and time zone.
- Service, mode, model or bot if indicated; language, region and settings.
- Final source URL; title, author, date and relevant passage.
- Claim checked; supporting evidence, contradiction or lack of evidence.
- Accessible scope and files; conditions needed to repeat the observation.
Method questions
Are two agreeing services two pieces of evidence?
Not when they trace back to the same document or reuse the same data. Count independent issuers and evidence, and retain the provenance chain.
Does a citation validate a fact?
The inspected passage must support the precise claim with the correct object, date and scope. A related page or topic mention is insufficient.
How can platforms be compared fairly?
Use the same question, recorded settings and several dated observations. Assess discovery, accuracy, provenance and usefulness separately; one example cannot rank a service.