Source Citations

DataQI automatically provides source citations when assistants quote text directly from your documents. This feature ensures transparency and allows users to verify information by tracing it back to the original source material.

How Source Citations Work

Automatic Citation Generation

When a DataQI assistant quotes text from your documents:

1. Quotes are identified - The system recognizes when text is being quoted directly from source material
2. Sources are tracked - Each quote is linked back to its original document
3. Citations are displayed - Source information appears at the end of responses
4. Files are listed - Specific filenames and documents are referenced

What Triggers Citations

Source citations appear when assistants:

• Quote sentences or paragraphs directly from your documents
• Reference specific passages from uploaded files
• Cite exact text from connected data sources

Citation Format

When citations are generated, you’ll see:

**Sources:**
- Employee Handbook 2024.pdf
- Safety Manual v3.2.docx
- Company Policy Document.pdf

When Citations Appear

✅ Citations Will Show

Example Response with Citations:

According to your employee handbook: “All employees are entitled to 15 days of paid vacation annually, increasing to 20 days after 5 years of service.”

Sources:

• Employee Handbook 2024.pdf

When this happens:

• Assistant quotes specific text from documents
• Exact passages are referenced
• Policy language is cited directly

❌ Citations Won’t Show

Example Response without Citations:

Based on your documentation, the company offers competitive vacation benefits that increase with tenure. The policy includes paid time off and follows industry standards for employee benefits.

When this happens:

• Information is synthesized from multiple sources
• General summaries are provided instead of quotes
• No specific text passages are referenced

Benefits of Source Citations

Trust and Transparency

• Verify information by checking the original source
• Build confidence in assistant responses
• Maintain accountability for information provided

Compliance and Documentation

• Meet regulatory requirements for information tracking
• Provide audit trails for important decisions
• Support compliance with industry standards

Quality Assurance

• Catch potential errors by reviewing source material
• Ensure accuracy of quoted information
• Identify outdated or incorrect documents

Encouraging More Citations

Modify Your Questions

To get more source citations in responses:

Instead of asking:

• “What are our vacation policies?”
• “Tell me about safety requirements”

Try asking:

• “What does the employee handbook say about vacation policies?”
• “Quote the safety requirements from our manual”
• “What specific language does the policy use for…”

Customize Assistant Prompts

Add instructions to your assistant configuration:

When answering questions, please quote relevant passages from the source documents and include the filename you're referencing.

Use Direct Quote Requests

• “Quote the section about…”
• “What does [document name] say about…”
• “Show me the exact wording for…”

Working with Citations

Verifying Information

When you see source citations:

1. Review the cited documents to confirm accuracy
2. Check for context that might affect interpretation
3. Verify the information is current and applicable

Understanding Limitations

Remember that citations only appear when:

• Direct quotes are used in responses
• Specific text is referenced from documents
• The assistant cites exact passages

Best Practices

• Encourage quoting through your question phrasing
• Review cited sources for accuracy and relevance
• Update documents regularly to ensure current information
• Use specific questions to get more targeted quotes

Integration with Other Features

Hallucination Guardrail

Source citations work together with the Hallucination Guardrail to:

• Check quoted text for accuracy
• Flag potential alterations in citations
• Ensure quote fidelity to source material

Knowledge Mode

Citations are affected by your Knowledge Mode setting:

• Private Data Only: Citations only reference your uploaded documents
• Global Knowledge: May mix citations with general knowledge

Data Sources

All connected data sources can generate citations:

• File uploads - Direct document references
• Cloud storage - Google Drive, SharePoint files
• SQL databases - Query results and data sources
• Web scraping - Referenced web content

Troubleshooting Citations

No Citations Appearing

Problem: Responses don’t include source citations

Solutions:

• Ask for specific quotes instead of general information
• Use phrases like “What does [document] say about…”
• Request filename references in responses
• Modify assistant prompts to encourage quoting

Incomplete Citations

Problem: Some quotes don’t show source information

Possible causes:

• Document indexing is still in progress
• File names are unclear or generic
• Multiple versions of the same document exist

Solutions:

• Wait for indexing to complete
• Use descriptive, unique file names
• Remove duplicate or outdated documents

Wrong Documents Cited

Problem: Citations reference unexpected documents

Solutions:

• Review document contents to ensure the references aren’t present
• Check for similar content across multiple files
• Remove irrelevant or outdated documents