open-notebook/docs/3-USER-GUIDE/citations.md

Citations - Verify and Trust AI Responses

Citations connect AI responses to your source materials. This guide covers how to use and verify them.

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Why Citations Matter

Every AI-generated response in Open Notebook includes citations to your sources. This lets you:

• Verify claims - Check that AI actually read what it claims
• Find original context - See the full passage around a quote
• Catch hallucinations - Spot when AI makes things up
• Build credibility - Your notes have traceable sources

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Quick Start: Using Citations

Reading Citations

AI Response:
"The study found a 95% accuracy rate [1] using the proposed method."

[1] = Click to see source

What happens when you click:
→ Opens the source document
→ Highlights the relevant section
→ You can verify the claim

Requesting Better Citations

If a response lacks citations, ask:

"Please cite the specific page or section for that claim."
"Where in the document does it say that?"
"Can you quote the exact text?"

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How Citations Work

Automatic Generation

When AI references your sources, citations are generated automatically:

1. AI analyzes your question
2. Retrieves relevant source chunks
3. Generates response with inline citations
4. Links citations to original source locations

Citation Format

Inline format:
"The researchers concluded X [1] and Y [2]."

Reference list:
[1] Paper Title - Section 3.2
[2] Report Name - Page 15

Clickable: Each [number] links to the source

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Verifying Citations

The Verification Workflow

Step 1: Read AI response
        "The model achieved 95% accuracy [1]"

Step 2: Click citation [1]
        → Opens source document
        → Shows relevant passage

Step 3: Verify the claim
        Does source actually say 95%?
        Is context correct?
        Any nuance missed?

Step 4: Trust or correct
        ✓ Accurate → Use the insight
        ✗ Wrong → Ask AI to correct

What to Check

Check	Why
Exact numbers	AI sometimes rounds or misremembers
Context	Quote might mean something different in context
Attribution	Is this the source's claim or someone they cited?
Completeness	Did AI miss important caveats?

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Citations in Different Features

Chat Citations

Context: Sources you selected
Citations: Reference chunks used in response
Verification: Click to see original text
Save: Citations preserved when saving as note

Ask Feature Citations

Context: Auto-searched across all sources
Citations: Multiple sources synthesized
Verification: Each source linked separately
Quality: Often more comprehensive than Chat

Transformation Citations

Context: Single source being transformed
Citations: Points back to original document
Verification: Compare output to source
Use: When you need structured extraction

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Saving Citations

In Notes

When you save an AI response as a note, citations are preserved:

Original response:
"According to the paper [1], the method works by..."

Saved note includes:
- The text
- The citation link
- Reference to source document

Exporting

Citations work in exports:

Format	Citation Behavior
Markdown	Links preserved as [text](link)
Copy/Paste	Plain text with reference numbers
PDF	Clickable references (if supported)

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Citation Quality Tips

Get Better Citations

Be specific in questions:

Poor: "What does it say about X?"
Good: "What does page 15 say about X? Please quote directly."

Request citation format:

"Include page numbers for each claim."
"Cite specific sections, not just document names."

Use Full Content context:

Summary Only → Less precise citations
Full Content → Exact quotes possible

When Citations Are Missing

Situation	Cause	Solution
No citations	AI used general knowledge	Ask: "Base your answer only on my sources"
Vague citations	Source not in Full Content	Change context level
Wrong citations	AI confused sources	Ask to verify with quotes

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Common Issues

"Citation doesn't match claim"

Problem: AI says X, but source says Y

What happened:
- AI paraphrased incorrectly
- AI combined multiple sources confusingly
- Source was taken out of context

Solution:
1. Click citation to see original
2. Note the discrepancy
3. Ask AI: "The source says Y, not X. Please correct."

"Can't find cited section"

Problem: Citation link doesn't show relevant text

What happened:
- Source was chunked differently than expected
- Information spread across multiple sections
- Processing missed some content

Solution:
1. Search within source for key terms
2. Ask AI for more specific location
3. Re-process source if needed

"No citations at all"

Problem: AI response has no source references

What happened:
- Sources not in context
- Question asked for opinion/general knowledge
- Model didn't find relevant content

Solution:
1. Check context settings
2. Rephrase: "Based on my sources, what..."
3. Add more relevant sources

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Best Practices

For Research Integrity

1. Always verify important claims - Don't trust AI blindly
2. Check context - Quotes can be misleading out of context
3. Note limitations - AI might miss nuance
4. Keep source access - Don't delete sources you cite

For Academic Work

1. Use Full Content for documents you'll cite
2. Request specific page numbers
3. Cross-check with original sources
4. Document your verification process

For Professional Use

1. Verify before sharing - Check claims clients will see
2. Keep citation trail - Save notes with sources linked
3. Be transparent - Note when insights are AI-assisted

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Summary

Citations = Your verification system

How to use:
1. Read AI response
2. Note citation markers [1], [2], etc.
3. Click to see original source
4. Verify claim matches source
5. Trust verified insights

When citations fail:
- Ask for specific quotes
- Change to Full Content
- Request page numbers
- Verify manually

Why it matters:
- AI can hallucinate
- Context can change meaning
- Trust requires verification
- Good research needs sources

Citations aren't just references — they're your quality control. Use them to build research you can trust.