Research and sources
Build a source log you can check later
A source log pairs every claim with the place that supports it. Capture the author, date, the specific passage and how you reached the material at the moment you read it. A link alone often fails later, because pages change and long documents bury the relevant line.
A text to start with
I am researching [question]. Here are the sources I have read so far: [titles, links or file names]. For each one, help me fill in author, publication date, the claim I plan to use, the exact location such as page, section or timestamp, and an access note. List anything missing and tell me what to look up.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Source log entry
Source title: [ ] Author or organization: [ ] Publication or revision date: [ ] Date I accessed it: [ ] Link or file location: [ ] Claim I plan to use: [ ] Exact passage location (page, section, timestamp): [ ] Quote or paraphrase: [ ] Search phrase that finds it: [ ] Access note (paywall, login, local file): [ ] Saved copy at: [ ] Open question about this source: [ ] Entry complete: [yes / no, missing: ]
Entries that cannot be rechecked
Read each entry as if someone else had to find the passage tomorrow. A claim with only a site name, a missing date or a location like "somewhere in the report" fails that test. Check that the date is the publication or revision date, not the day you visited. Confirm that the paraphrase matches the passage, and mark quotes separately from summaries. Note paywalls, logins or files kept only on your device, since they change who can verify the entry. Merge duplicate entries for the same source and passage, while keeping separate evidence from different pages or sources.
Ask another agent to check the result
Review each log entry and reject any that lacks enough information to find the exact passage again. Name what is missing, such as location, revision date or access route. Check that paraphrases and quotes are labeled. Do not fill gaps with guesses. List the entries I must reopen.
Fix gaps while the sources are close
Go back to every incomplete entry and add the missing author, date or location while the source is still open. Where no page number exists, record a section heading or a search phrase that finds the passage. Keep the log and any saved copies in one place you can name. Before using a claim in a summary, confirm its entry is complete.