Audit a source list before publishing

A source list can look impressive while containing dead links, repeated citations, and pages that support only part of a claim. A pre-publication audit is a reading task as much as a link check. The goal is to make the path from conclusion to evidence short and inspectable. 1. Extract the claims that matter. List dates, origin statements, numerical assertions, quotations, and descriptions of technical behavior. Assign each a short identifier. Ordinary transitions may need no separate entry, but any claim that could change the reader's understanding deserves a clear source relationship. 2. Open the cited page. Confirm its title, publisher, relevant passage, and current accessibility. A successful HTTP response or a loaded homepage is not enough: a page may have moved, become a login screen, or changed content while keeping the same URL. 3. Match the source to the claim. Record which sentence or section provides support. If the source establishes an announcement, do not cite it as proof that a rollout was complete. If it is a retrospective account, identify that perspective. If it only repeats another source, follow the chain where possible. 4. Check independent coverage. Mark sources that share a press release, copied description, or common interview. Independence is a relationship between sources, not a property created by different website domains. For a disputed claim, seek relevant counterevidence as well as repetition of the favored account. 5. Repair access without hiding history. Keep the original citation and add an archived copy or replacement when appropriate. Record the access problem and the date you encountered it. A replacement source may support a narrower claim; revise the wording if necessary rather than treating any working link as equivalent. 6. Review rights and privacy separately. A source can be publicly readable while containing material you should not reproduce wholesale. Check image credits, quotation lengths, and whether exact details unnecessarily expose ordinary individuals. Link to context and quote only what your explanation needs. Finish with three lists: supported claims, claims revised during the audit, and unresolved claims removed or explicitly qualified. Keep the audit date with the document. For a frequently updated collection, prioritize volatile sources such as product pages and live statistics, then revisit stable historical documents on a less frequent schedule. An honest note saying a source could not be rechecked is more useful than a blanket claim that every citation has been permanently verified.

Editorial review: 2026-09-23. New evidence may change this account.

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