Find which sentences in your draft need a citation

About this exercise

Before you add citations, find which claims need one. Get a checklist of exactly 3 lines, each starting '- [ ]' and quoting the first 5 words of a sentence that states a fact needing a source. Skip opinions, common knowledge and sentences already cited. Don't add any sources. Plain text, under 50 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Flagging everything. The AI marks opinions and cited sentences as needing sources. Try: Say: "Skip opinions, common knowledge and already-cited sentences."
• Inventing sources. The AI adds fake author names and years. Try: Add: "Don't suggest or add any sources."
• No quote shape. Without the first 5 words you can't find the sentence fast. Try: Say: "Quote the first 5 words after - [ ]."
• Too many bullets. The AI loves long bullet lists. Try: Say: "At most 3 bullets."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 12 words."
• Forgetting where it's going. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Says how many claims
• Asks for the first words
• Gives the skip list
• Bans inventing sources
• Gives the checkbox shape

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