Source Verification

SkillDev tools

Source reputation tiers, cross-referencing methodology, bias detection, and citation format requirements

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the Source Verification skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by nwave-ai/nwave in nWave/skills/nw-source-verification/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Source Reputation Tiers

Validate every source against the trusted source domains provided via prompt context.

TierScoreExamplesVerification
High1.0Academic (.edu, arxiv.org, ieee.org), Official (.gov, w3.org, ietf.org), Tech docs (developer.mozilla.org), OSS foundations (apache.org, cncf.io)Standard citation
Medium-High0.8Industry leaders (martinfowler.com, stackoverflow.com, infoq.com)Cross-ref with 1+ high-tier
Medium0.6Community (medium.com verified experts, dev.to, hashnode.com)Author verification + 3-source cross-ref
Excluded0.0Unverified blogs (*.blogspot.com, wordpress.com), quora.com, pastebin.comReject, log warning, find alternative

Cross-Referencing Methodology

  1. Identify the specific assertion to verify
  2. Find 2+ independent sources not citing each other (avoid circular refs)
  3. Verify independence: different authors, publishers, organizations
  4. Compare: agree on substance (minor wording differences OK)
  5. Document: verified / partially verified / unverified per finding

Circular Reference Detection

  • Source B cites Source A = one source, not two
  • Multiple sources referencing single study = cite the original
  • Prefer primary over secondary sources

Bias Detection Checklist

Evaluate before citing:

  1. Commercial interest: selling related product/service?
  2. Sponsorship: sponsored/funded content?
  3. Conflict of interest: author benefits from conclusion?
  4. Geographic/cultural bias: limited to single region?
  5. Temporal bias: publication dates skewed to specific era?
  6. Cherry-picking: contradictory evidence acknowledged?
  7. Logical fallacies: correlation as causation, authority without evidence

When bias detected: note in Source Analysis, reduce confidence.

Citation Format

[1] {Author/Organization}. "{Title}". {Publication/Website}. {Date}. {Full URL}. Accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}.

Required Metadata Per Source

Source URL | Domain | Access date | Reputation score (from tiers) | Verification status

Paywalled or Restricted Sources

Mark "[Paywalled]"/"[Restricted Access]" | Provide URL | Find open-access alternative | Note in Knowledge Gaps

Signals

GitHub stars
610
Forks
64
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
nw-source-verification
Source
github.com/nwave-ai/nwave