On this page
Your claim-to-source record
Use one record for one claim. Keep the original source open alongside it.
Notes stay in this tab and are not saved automatically. Download or print them before closing this page.
Copy the sentence you need to check.
Author, title, date, venue, DOI or URL.
Which publisher or library record did you check, and when?
Page, section or paragraph.
Include the words that limit the finding.
Who or what was studied? What was actually measured?
Describe any change in certainty, scope or meaning.
Write wording that the evidence can support.
Use the record in three passes
First, establish the reference’s identity. Match the author, title, date and identifier against an independent library or publisher record. A working DOI is useful only if it identifies the intended publication. A formatted bibliography entry alone does not establish that the work exists.
Next, recover the relevant passage and read around it. Compare the population or context, method, actual outcome, certainty and timeframe with the exact sentence in your draft. A genuine source can still fail to support that wording. Keep the passage locator so you can repeat the check.
Finally, record the decision and your reason. Narrow a sentence when the evidence supports a smaller claim; replace or remove it when support is missing. If you cannot access the text or find a record, mark the question unresolved and ask a librarian. A failed search alone does not prove that a reference was fabricated.
Practise with a constructed source
Entirely fictional practice text constructed for this worksheet. No real study, participants, data, publication or AI output is being reported. Do not search for Source A as a publication.
Constructed Source A — practice paragraph: During one practice session, a voluntary after-school reading group used a glossary alongside a difficult passage. Participants said the glossary made the passage feel easier to read. The tutor did not test comprehension or compare the group with learners using another method. There was no follow-up assessment. The account describes perceived ease in that session; it does not establish changes in understanding or later performance.
Sentence to inspect: Glossaries cause better comprehension for all students and improve their long-term exam performance.
Underline each claim expansion. Copy the source words that establish the actual outcome and limits, then write a narrower sentence.
Compare your analysis with a possible answer
The sentence changes perceived ease into tested comprehension, adds a causal claim without a comparison, generalizes a voluntary group to all students and adds long-term exam results without a follow-up assessment. Those are four separate expansions beyond this constructed passage.
One possible revision: In Constructed Source A, participants reported that the glossary made the passage feel easier during one session; comprehension and later performance were not assessed.
For this exercise, identify the source as the constructed practice paragraph above; it is not a publication to include as research evidence in an essay. For your own work, replace it with a recoverable original source and the citation your course requires.
Keep evidence checking separate from formatting and disclosure
Use the revised sentence only if it serves your own argument. A narrower claim may be accurate but irrelevant to the question you are answering. If you need a broader conclusion, find suitable evidence rather than broadening the wording again.
Keep the completed record beside your reading notes. Citation formatting and required AI acknowledgment are separate tasks: neither turns an unsupported sentence into a supported one. Follow your assignment policy and never claim to have read a source or completed a check that you did not perform.
Questions about this topic
Does the worksheet check my claim automatically?
No. You locate the source, inspect the passage and make the decision. The worksheet records your reasoning; it does not call an AI service or assign an accuracy score.
Are my notes saved when I close the page?
No automatic saving is provided. Download the text file or print the worksheet before closing or reloading this tab. The worksheet does not send the entered notes to a server.
Can I print a blank copy?
Yes. Leave the fields empty and choose Print worksheet. The print layout leaves room for handwritten notes and omits the surrounding guide.
Is a source fabricated if I cannot find it?
Not necessarily. Record the search and mark it unresolved. Check the reference details and ask a librarian before deciding that a publication does not exist.
Sources and editorial notes
The supporting reading below informs our editorial guidance. Exercises and scenarios illustrate a method; they do not report a completed product test or measured learning outcome. Read our editorial policy or send a correction with a supporting source to info@ai-essay.com.