Prepare a reliable source set
Use material the organisation permits you to process in the chosen tool. Check version dates, ownership and whether important context is missing. Several documents may disagree because they apply to different periods or situations. Record which source should take precedence and keep sensitive information within approved working arrangements.
Ask a question the material can answer
Specify the business question and the type of evidence needed. Ask the tool to distinguish supported statements from gaps or uncertainty. A request to compare procedures should identify the relevant versions and criteria. If the sources do not establish an answer, the useful result may be a list of questions for the document owner.
Check citations at the passage level
Open the cited source and read the relevant passage in context. Does it support the whole statement, or only part of it? Has a condition or exception disappeared? Check important figures and dates directly. Grounding an answer in documents can make verification easier, but it does not remove the need for a knowledgeable reviewer.
Turn the findings into a usable deliverable
Choose a format suited to the task: a briefing, comparison table, question list or draft presentation outline. Keep source references available for the reviewer. Explain unresolved issues instead of smoothing them into confident prose. The final document should help someone act responsibly, with clear ownership for approval and any further checking.
Worked example: Two procedures appear to contradict each other
In an illustrative exercise, an employee compares two approved process documents. An AI summary suggests a single rule, but a source check shows that one document covers a different operating unit. The employee revises the comparison and asks the process owner to confirm applicability. The useful skill is tracing the answer back to context, not accepting a citation as proof.
Put it into practice
- Confirm permission, version and applicability.
- Ask a specific evidence-based question.
- Read cited passages in context.
- Keep gaps visible in the final output.