By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Identify every fact-checkable claim in a professional document
Verify statistics, quotes, and factual assertions against primary sources
Apply the "original source standard" before professional publication
Flag and acknowledge genuine uncertainty rather than overstating confidence
Lesson Content
The original source standard.
For professional publication, the standard is: every specific factual claim – statistics, findings, quotes attributed to sources – must be verified against the original source, not against a summary or a secondary source's characterization of the original.
Perplexity helps you find sources. You must read those sources.
Types of claims requiring verification.
Verify before publishing:
Statistics: Exact figures, percentages, percentile rankings. Verify the specific number, the source, the date, and the sample.
Attributed quotes: Verify the exact wording and that the quote is in the right context.
Research findings: Verify what the research actually concluded, including its limitations.
Regulatory or legal claims: Verify current status – regulations change.
Any "always," "never," "all," "none": Verify that the universal claim is actually supported.
The pre-publication check process.
Highlight every fact-checkable claim in your document
For each highlighted claim, note the source
Access the primary source directly
Confirm: Does the source say this? Is this the current version? Does context change the meaning?
If a claim cannot be verified, qualify or remove it
Handling uncertainty honestly.
When you cannot verify a claim with confidence:
Qualify: "According to [source], approximately…"
Acknowledge uncertainty: "Evidence on this point is mixed…"
Remove the claim if it cannot be supported
Never overstate certainty to make a document stronger
Professional credibility is built on accuracy over time – one publication with an unverified claim that turns out to be wrong can cost more credibility than the entire document was worth.
