Citation Design and Validation
Citations should point to stable source IDs and meaningful locations such as page, section, paragraph, URL, or record ID. Preserve citation metadata through retrieval and generation. Never allow the model to fabricate URLs or source IDs. Validate that each citation exists in the authorized retrieved set and supports the claim.
Citation style may be inline markers, footnotes, or source cards. The reference must be real, accessible, and relevant.
Implementation example
{
"sourceId":"security-guide",
"chunkId":"security-guide:v2:chunk-8",
"title":"Security Guide",
"section":"Token rotation",
"page":14
}💡 This metadata supports traceable citations and version-aware source resolution.
Key Takeaways
- Inspect the relevant pipeline stage instead of guessing.
- Preserve source provenance, versions, and access scope.
- Measure quality on representative queries.
Knowledge Check
What is a reliable citation validation rule?