AI Engineering · 3 MIN READ
Evidence and retrieval: check the source
Understand where retrieval helps, and what still needs human checking.
On this pageFinding evidence is a separate stepCheck the connection to the claimMake missing evidence visible
Finding evidence is a separate step
Retrieval-augmented generation supplies selected external material to an AI task. Finding a passage and generating an answer are different operations; a retrieved passage can still be incomplete or irrelevant.
Check the connection to the claim
Use this review checklist before relying on a source-based answer.
- Can you open the original source?
- Does the passage actually support the claim?
- Is the date, version, organisation and scope correct?
- Is there an exception or conflicting source?
- Does the answer acknowledge what the evidence does not establish?
Make missing evidence visible
Require a clear distinction between source statements, interpretation and unanswered questions.
Practical example
For each recommendation, identify the supporting passage. If the supplied material does not support a claim, label it unsupported. Do not invent references or treat a citation alone as proof.
Sources & further reading
Put the ideas into practice.
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