Grounded Answers, Citations, and Abstention

A grounded answer should distinguish retrieved evidence from inference. Include stable source identifiers and, where possible, page, heading, or URL references. Validate that cited sources were actually retrieved and that citation spans support the associated claim. Do not ask the model to fabricate page numbers or URLs; supply citation metadata in the context.

Define an abstention policy: if retrieval returns no adequate evidence, the answer should say so or route the user to a human. A fluent answer without supporting evidence is not a successful RAG result. Measure citation correctness and answer support separately from readability.

Note

Citations are not decoration. A citation must support the specific claim it accompanies.

Context with provenance

[
  {
    "sourceId": "returns-policy",
    "section": "Opened products",
    "text": "Opened items may be returned within 14 days...",
    "url": "https://internal.example/policies/returns"
  }
]

💡 Use actual internal source metadata in production. The example URL is illustrative; do not treat it as a real policy reference. The answer renderer should link only to sources the current user may access.

Key Takeaways

Preserve source IDs through retrieval and generation.
Validate that citations refer to retrieved authorized sources.
Evaluate citation support and abstention behavior.

Knowledge Check

What should a RAG assistant do when the retrieved evidence does not support an answer?

Grounded Answers, Citations, and Abstention

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