ROYAL ALFIES CONSULT — SOURCE-CHECKING CHECKLIST
Version 1.0 | 8 October 2026 | Free learning resource

Use this worksheet to review a source before citing it. It supports your own
judgement; it does not certify a source, replace your institution's rules, or
provide evidence of a client's outcome.

1. Identify the source
   Author / organisation: _________________________________
   Title and publication year: _____________________________
   Journal / publisher / official website: _________________
   DOI or stable URL: ______________________________________
   Accessed on: ____________________________________________

2. Read the original
   [ ] I opened the original paper or official document.
   [ ] I checked that its title, authors, year and DOI agree.
   [ ] I checked for corrections, retractions or a later version.
   [ ] I can distinguish its findings from a summary of someone else's work.

3. Check the claim
   Claim I want to support: _________________________________
   Page / section / table: _________________________________
   What the source actually establishes: ____________________
   [ ] The evidence addresses my population, context and question.
   [ ] I recorded design, sample, measurement and limitations when relevant.
   [ ] I have not treated association as proof of cause.
   [ ] I have not used a source only because it agrees with my argument.

4. Keep a traceable record
   [ ] Direct quotations are marked, with page numbers where available.
   [ ] Paraphrases preserve the meaning and have a citation.
   [ ] Every in-text citation appears in the reference list, and vice versa.
   [ ] The reference follows the style required by my institution.
   [ ] AI-suggested references were independently opened and verified.

Illustrative example (created for this guide, not a client case)
A draft says: 'Online lessons improve every learner's performance.'
Feedback: Identify the learners, setting and outcome. Read the study and state
what was measured. Avoid a universal claim if the study tested one sample.
Revision pattern: 'In [specified setting], [verified source] reported [measured
outcome] among [sample]. The design and context limit generalisation.'
Insert only facts verified from the source; do not copy the brackets as claims.

Licence: You may use and print this checklist for your own study. Do not resell
or present it as an official institutional standard.
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