CiteCheck

Reading the table

CiteCheck reads a report, lists its quotations and the sources they cite, then searches each source for the quotation. You decide what each result means.

Before you upload

You need a report as a PDF or a Word (.docx) file.
The file must contain readable text. A scan with no text layer is refused.
The report's links must be in the file. The tool checks addresses the report contains, and addresses you paste yourself. It does not invent an address.

Upload a report

Sign in and open CiteCheck.
Choose the file and select Upload and read it.
The reading starts. The table appears when it finishes. Leave the page open; it updates itself.

A model reads the report to find quotations and their sources. The model can be wrong. Its reading is never the verdict.

The table

Each row has four parts: the source, the address, the quote, and the result.

Quote: text cut from your report. The tool does not retype it.
Address: a link from your report, or one you pasted. A model cannot write an address.
Source: the name or location the report gives for the link.
Result: what the check found.

Badges you may see

from page 12 / you edited this: Where the address came from.
no quotation marks: The model chose where this passage starts and ends. The words are still your report's.
this wording is not in your report: A model proposed a quotation that does not match your report. Check the row before using it.
changed since last check: You edited the row after its last check. Check again.

If a row has no address, the table says No source found. Paste the address to check against. The tool will not guess one.

If the cited page is short, the tool may read the document it links to. The row says when it did, and links that document.

Results

A Not found result is a finding about the citation. The retrieval failures in this table are about whether this server could reach or read the source, so they say nothing about the quote.

Result	What it means	What to do
Found	The quote appears in the source.	The row names the match type: exact, ignoring punctuation, fuzzy, or matched passage by passage. A fuzzy match is close, not identical. Read the passage.
Partial match	The closest passage is shown.	Check the differences. A typo is fine; a changed claim is not.
Not found	No passage in the source resembles the quote.	Open the link before striking the citation. The address may serve a page about the document rather than the document itself.
Quote too short to check	The fragment is too short to prove anything.	Use the full sentence.
No source text	There is nothing to search.	A scanned PDF needs its text extracted first.
Link not reachable	Nothing was served at this address.	Check the link. The page may not exist, or the address may have a typo.
Blocked by the source	Bot protection, a login wall or a paywall refused the request.	This says nothing about the quote. Open the source yourself.
Request refused	The request was refused before the page was read.	This says nothing about the citation. The page will likely open for you.
Source could not be read	The page was fetched but its text could not be read.	The quote was not searched for. This says nothing about the citation.
Source could not be verified	The site's certificate did not check out.	The quote was not searched for. Open the source yourself.
Link not checked	The address was not fetched.	It is almost always a typo.
No link	The row has no address.	Paste the address to check against.
Not checked	The row has not been checked yet.	Select Check.

Archived copies

When the live page cannot be read, the tool may search a dated archived copy. The row shows the date.

A quote found in a copy is real, even if the live page has changed.
A quote missing from a copy may still have been on the page when it was cited. Open the copy before treating that as a finding.

Translations

A report may print a translation of a passage whose source is in another language. The row says Translation, and the source's own words are shown in the reading. Check the translation against them.

Model readings

On some rows you can select Ask the model. A model reads the closest passages and says whether it thinks the quote is supported. This is a second opinion, not a verdict. It can be wrong. The row says which of these happened:

The model reads this as supported: It says the source makes the claim in different words. Read the passage and decide.
The model reads this as a translation of the source: It says the passage is in another language and the quote is its translation.
The model reads this as a loose paraphrase: It says the source says something close but not the same: a figure, a hedge or the strength of the claim has moved.
The model does not find this in the source either: It says none of the closest passages support the claim, in agreement with the search.
The readings disagreed and nothing settled it: The readings reached different answers. All are shown. Your judgement is needed.
The model was not able to answer: The result above stands. Only the second opinion is missing.

None of these is a verdict. A model's reading can be wrong. The tool's result and your own reading are what decide.

What differs

On found and partial rows, the row may show the words that differ between the quote and the passage. A model may say whether the difference changes the claim. That note can be wrong, and it does not change the result on the row.

What to do with a result

Open the source and read the passage yourself.
If the quote or address is wrong, edit it. The row saves as you type.
Select Check or Check again to search the source again.
If you have read the source, record your own finding under Validate manually. Your finding is shown beside the tool's result; it does not replace it.
Delete a row that should not be in the table.

Editing an address clears where that address came from.

A made-up example

These sentences are made up for this guide.

Report: “The pilot recorded 42 cases in the sample district.”

Source: “The pilot recorded 47 cases in the sample district.”

The words are close, so the row is a Partial match. The figure changed, so read the source before using the quote.

Export and finish

Download the table as a spreadsheet or a written report. Both carry the method, the thresholds and the model that read your document. Review the table by hand before you rely on it.