Playbook: QA for cited answers

In this article

Define what the citation must prove

The citation is not decorative. It should back the main claim, point to the correct document, and enable quick verification. If the citation only looks related, the user gets false confidence.

Evaluate accuracy, relevance, and readability

Good QA separates three layers: whether the answer makes a correct claim, whether the citation truly supports it, and whether the user can read and follow that reference without friction. Failing any of the three degrades trust.

Check that the citation contains evidence, not just the topic.
Confirm the source is current and authorized.
Validate that the reference is visible and navigable.

Sample easy cases and edge cases

Easy answers inflate quality perception. Include ambiguous questions, similar documents, and cases with partial evidence. That is where you see whether the system cites with judgment or only by semantic proximity.

Log failures in actionable language

Do not label everything as 'bad answer'. Distinguish irrelevant citation, insufficient citation, incomplete retrieval, outdated source, or overstated phrasing. That granularity is what lets the team fix the system without vague debate.

Turn QA into a release gate

The rubric becomes real when it conditions deployments, corpus changes, and prompt updates. If QA exists only as an occasional review document, it will not change the system's behavior.

Unlock QA rubric

Playbook: QA for cited answers

Define what the citation must prove

Evaluate accuracy, relevance, and readability

Sample easy cases and edge cases

Log failures in actionable language

Turn QA into a release gate

Unlock the full article

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