chatgpt-check-facts-and-sources

Learning Objectives

What you will learn

Apply a simple risk-based checking process to a ChatGPT response.
Check names, dates, numbers, calculations, quotations and links.
Judge whether a source is relevant, authoritative, current and independent.
Ask ChatGPT to expose uncertainty and assumptions without treating that self-assessment as proof.
Correct deliberate errors and record the reliable source used.
Recognise when qualified professional advice is needed.

Risk Before Effort

Match the checking depth to the consequences

Not every answer needs the same investigation. Ask: what could happen if this is wrong?

Green · Low risk

Light review

Brainstorms, informal drafts and low-consequence ideas.

Do: read for sense, confirm obvious facts and edit before using.

Amber · Important

Careful verification

Public content, business decisions, study work, prices, policies and recommendations.

Do: check each material claim against current authoritative sources.

Red · High stakes

Authoritative check plus expert

Medical, legal, financial, safety or other consequential decisions.

Do: use official evidence and qualified professional advice. Do not rely on ChatGPT alone.

Confidence is not evidence

A polished, detailed or confident answer can still be incorrect. Treat presentation quality and factual reliability as separate questions.

Five-step Routine

From plausible answer to checked answer

1

Classify the risk

Decide what harm an error could cause.

2

Mark the claims

Highlight facts, figures, quotes and advice.

3

Expose assumptions

Ask what is uncertain, estimated or inferred.

4

Verify independently

Open reliable sources and redo calculations.

5

Record and escalate

Correct errors and seek expertise if needed.

Ask ChatGPT, then check outside ChatGPT

“List your assumptions and uncertain claims” is a useful review prompt, but it does not validate the answer. Independent evidence is the final check.

What to Inspect

Six details that deserve deliberate checking

NNames and identitiesSpelling, role, organisation and whether two similar people were confused.

DDates and current statusPublication date, event date, update date and whether the information still applies.

#Numbers and calculationsInputs, formula, units, rounding, totals, filters and estimate versus exact value.

“”QuotationsExact wording, speaker, surrounding context and original source.

↗Links and citationsThe page exists and directly supports the nearby claim—not merely the broad topic.

NZScope and jurisdictionCountry, audience, timeframe, exceptions and whether advice applies to your situation.

Source Quality

A link is a starting point, not proof

Open every important citation and assess who produced it, when, why and whether it supports the precise claim.

Best starting point

Primary and official

Legislation, regulator guidance, original research, official statistics, policies and the organisation responsible for the information.

Useful expert context

Qualified authoritative

Recognised professional bodies, universities, clinical guidance and named specialists working within their expertise.

Corroborate carefully

Strong secondary

Reputable reporting or analysis that identifies evidence, authors, dates and correction practices.

Do not rely on alone

Weak or unverified

Anonymous posts, copied summaries, promotional claims, missing dates or pages that cite one another without reaching original evidence.

For calculations

Ask for the method, inputs and units; reproduce the arithmetic independently; inspect any generated code, outputs and assumptions; and use structured source data when exact values matter.

Fact-check Lab

Audit a response containing deliberate errors

Compare the AI response with the supplied official event record. Tick every category you verify, write a short correction note and then reveal the answer guide.

Supplied official event record

Event: Harbour Light Photography Walk
Date: Saturday 23 August 2026
Time: 9.30–11.30 am (2 hours)
Meeting point: Nelson Library front entrance
Price: $15 per person
Age rule: Under-16s must attend with an adult
Contact: [email protected]

This fictional record is provided solely for the lesson exercise.

Deliberately flawed AI response

“The free Harbour Lights Photo Walk is on Sunday 24 August 2026 from 10 am until 1 pm. Meet inside Queen’s Gardens. Photographers aged 12 and over may attend alone. Register by phoning the organiser.”

Your fact-check worksheet

Event nameI compared the exact title.Date and dayI checked both parts together.Time and durationI recalculated the duration.Meeting pointI checked the precise location.PriceI checked free versus paid.Age ruleI checked the restriction and exception.Contact methodI checked that the method is supported.

Correction and source note

Reusable Prompts

Six prompts that support verification

Copy, adapt and use these to inspect an answer. Remember to verify important claims independently.

1. Claim inventory

List every factual claim in your previous response. For each one, label it as stable, time-sensitive, inferred or uncertain. Do not add new evidence.

2. Primary sources

Search for current primary or official sources for these claims. Cite each claim beside its source. State when no reliable source is found.

3. Calculation trail

Show the inputs, formula, units, intermediate steps and rounding used for this calculation. Identify any estimated or missing value.

4. Quote check

For each quotation, provide the original speaker or author, exact source, date and surrounding context. If you cannot verify the wording, say so.

5. Scope and currency

Review this answer for outdated information, wrong jurisdiction, hidden assumptions and exceptions. Use New Zealand context unless I specify otherwise.

6. Red-team review

Act as a sceptical fact-checker. Identify the three claims most likely to be wrong or misleading, explain why, and tell me exactly how to verify them independently.

Practical Activity

Complete and record your audit

Your progress is saved in this browser.

1. Classify the riskI decided what the consequences of an error would be.2. Mark checkable claimsI identified names, dates, numbers, quotes and links.3. Note assumptionsI separated stated facts from estimates and inferences.4. Audit the flawed responseI checked all seven categories against the supplied record.5. Record correctionsI described the errors without introducing new claims.6. Record the sourceI named the supplied official event record as my evidence.7. Apply the method elsewhereI checked one important real response against independent evidence.8. Set an escalation boundaryI know when to seek current official information or qualified advice.

Complete the Lesson

Record your progress

Mark Lesson 20 complete

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Official References

Current OpenAI guidance

Does ChatGPT tell the truth? — limitations, confidence and verification.
ChatGPT Search — web search, inline citations and the Sources panel.
Data analysis with ChatGPT — reviewing code, outputs, methods and assumptions.

Check Facts, Calculations and Sources