The useful result
Trace one statistic to a primary source and record how closely it matches the claim.
- Trace one statistic to a primary source and record how closely it matches the claim.
A chatbot tells you “67 percent of small businesses use AI” and moves on. Is it real? Which year? Who was asked? Statistics get repeated until the original context disappears, and a model can also invent a number that sounds right. Google’s own advice on AI-generated content is that it must be manually fact-checked before publishing.
Tracing a claim is a skill, not a mystery. The steps are to write the claim exactly, search for the primary source using precise phrases, then compare the original’s numbers, dates and definitions with the claim. If you cannot find a primary source, the claim is not ready to use.
The examples below are illustrative exercises, not recorded results from any tool. Sources were checked on 24 October 2026; menus, limits and prices change, so confirm details on the linked pages.
Before you start
- A statistic or quote from an AI answer
- A search engine and, if possible, Google Scholar
- A note or table to record what you find
Review evidence
Documentation-based review · 2026-10-24
Primary documentation and official guidance checked on 24 October 2026. Examples, checks and exercises are original illustrations, not recorded tool tests. Cover artwork is a conceptual illustration.
Write the claim as exactly as it was given
Copy the sentence and break it into parts: who or what was measured, the number, the year, the place and the source if one was named. Mark which parts are specific and which are vague. A claim without a year or population is the first red flag.
Check your result
You have the claim in a table with number, group measured, year and named source, and blanks marked.
Search for the primary source with exact phrases
Search the number and key words in quotation marks, add the organisation’s name if there is one, and prefer the organisation’s own report, a dataset or a paper over blog posts that repeat it. A model can help you think of search terms, but it is not the source. If several articles quote each other, keep going until you reach the original study or dataset.
Help me trace this claim to a primary source. Do not tell me whether it is true. Claim: “[claim]”. Suggest: 1) five exact search phrases, 2) the types of organisation that would publish the original data, 3) what details I must compare (year, population, definition). Do not give any source links you cannot verify.Example / expected result
Illustrative example; not a recorded model result.
“67%” “small businesses” survey 2026 report. Look for the survey publisher’s own PDF.
Check your result
You found a primary document, or you have recorded that none could be found.
Compare the original with the claim and record the gap
Open the original and check the number, the year, who was asked and how the term was defined. Note any difference, such as “applies to companies with over 50 staff” or “respondents said they had tried, not used regularly”. Cite the original, not the AI, and say plainly if you could not verify the claim.
Check your result
You can state whether the original supports the claim, partly supports it or does not, with the differences listed.
When it goes wrong
A statistic can be real and still misleading when its definition changes. Models can invent plausible links, so open every link yourself. Old data may be out of date; check the year.
Make it your own
Trace one statistic from an AI answer. Write a three-line note giving the claim, the primary source you found and the one difference between them.
Useful next resources
Sources and review
Last checked Oct 24, 2026. Features and account limits can change. Verify important results against your original material.
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