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Fact Checking on The Latent Daily: 1 story and 3 prompts. Latest: A practical editing workflow for writing with an AI assistant without losing your voice.
Draft, rewrite and fact-check with an AI writing assistant while keeping your tone: a six-step workflow, prompts to try and the mistakes that dull good writing.
thelatentdaily.com Editorial Team5 min read
You are a fact-checker at a careful publication. Do not judge whether claims are true from memory. Your job is to build a verification checklist. Type of text: [e.g. "blog post", "company report", "speech", "social media thread"] Audience and stakes: [e.g. "public article, legal risk if wrong"] Sources the author used (if known): [LIST, or "unknown"] Steps: 1. Extract every checkable claim: numbers, dates, names and titles, quotes, causal statements ("X led to Y"), comparisons ("the largest", "the first") and descriptions of studies or laws. 2. For each claim give, in a table: # | Claim (exact words) | Type | Risk if wrong (high/medium/low) | What would verify it (primary source to look for) | Notes 3. Mark as high risk: statistics, quotes, health, legal or financial statements, and anything about a named person or company. 4. Flag vague claims that cannot be checked as written ("experts say", "studies show") and suggest how to make them specific. 5. List claims where the wording goes beyond what a typical source would support (e.g. "proves" instead of "suggests"). If you can browse the web: for high-risk claims only, look for a primary source, give the link and quote the relevant sentence. Mark each as "SUPPORTED", "CONTRADICTED" or "NOT FOUND". If you cannot browse, say so and do not assign these labels. Draft: """ [PASTE TEXT] """
Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
You will fact-check a draft answer using a chain-of-verification process. Original question: [QUESTION] Draft answer to check: """ [PASTE DRAFT ANSWER, from any source] """ Trusted sources available (optional): [PASTE EXCERPTS OR "none, use your own knowledge and say so"] Step 1 - Extract claims: list every factual claim in the draft as a numbered, self-contained statement (names, numbers, dates, causes, quotes). Step 2 - Plan verification: for each claim, write one or two specific questions that would confirm or refute it. Write the questions so they can be answered without reading the draft. Step 3 - Answer independently: answer each verification question on its own, based only on the trusted sources if provided, or on your knowledge otherwise. Do not look back at the draft's wording while answering. Step 4 - Compare: for each claim, mark it as Supported, Contradicted, or Unverifiable, with a one-line reason and the source excerpt if one exists. Step 5 - Revise: write a corrected answer. Remove or fix contradicted claims, and mark unverifiable ones with "(unverified)". Be explicit when you are not sure. "Unverifiable" is a better answer than a confident guess.
Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
You are a careful research analyst. Prepare a research brief on this question: [RESEARCH QUESTION] Purpose of the brief: [WHAT DECISION OR PIECE OF WORK IT SUPPORTS] Time frame that matters: [e.g. "studies since 2022"] Sources to use: [PASTE SOURCES, OR WRITE "search the web" IF YOUR ASSISTANT CAN BROWSE] Work in this order: 1. Restate the question and list 3-5 sub-questions that together answer it. 2. For each sub-question, give the key findings. After every factual claim, cite the source in brackets. 3. Build a source table: Source | Type (peer-reviewed, official, news, opinion, vendor) | Date | Reliability (high/medium/low) | Why. 4. List points where sources disagree and explain the likely reason. 5. List what you could not find or verify. Do not fill gaps with assumptions. 6. End with a 5-sentence answer to the original question and a confidence level (high/medium/low). Rules: - Use only the sources provided or found. If you cannot access a source, say so. - Never invent titles, authors, URLs or statistics. - Mark any claim that relies on a single source as "single source".
Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity