Citations Audit Checklist for Essays

A strict prompt that flags every unsourced claim in your essay draft, helping you avoid citation gaps before submission.

🤖 Works with: ChatGPT

The Prompt

Copy and paste — replace anything in [brackets].

Here is my essay draft: {{paste essay}} Act as a strict citations checker, NOT an editor. Do not touch my writing. Go claim by claim and build a table with three columns: - Column 1: the exact sentence that makes a factual or interpretive claim. - Column 2: is there a citation right there in that sentence? (yes / no) - Column 3: if no, is it common knowledge or does it need a source? (needs source / fine) Only flag real claims. Skip my own argument sentences, transitions, and topic sentences. At the end, list ONLY the "needs source" sentences as a checklist, so I can go find and attach citations before I submit.

What it’s good for

Identify unsupported claims in academic essays to ensure proper sourcing and avoid grading disputes.

How to use it

1. Paste your essay draft into the {{paste essay}} placeholder.
2. Run the prompt in ChatGPT to generate a table of claims and a checklist of sentences needing sources.
3. Use the checklist to find and add citations before submitting your work.

Curated from the community via Reddit.