Prerequisites
- You’ve asked the archive a question and received an answer — see Ask the archive a question.
- The cited document is still present in your archive.
Steps
- Look below the answer for its source references. Each one carries a number, such as [1], and names the document; in the Ask archive window it also shows the page or pages and a short excerpt of the passage.
- Select a source reference to open the document it points to.
- Go to the page named in the reference, where one is shown, to find the passage behind the answer directly, without searching the whole document yourself.
- Compare that passage with the answer to confirm it actually supports what was said.
- If the answer drew on more than one document, open each source reference in turn.
- Return to the answer to continue your original question or ask a follow-up.
Expected result
The cited document opens, and the page named in the reference tells you where to look. Every source reference genuinely points to a real passage that Paperplane actually retrieved from your archive — answers that cite anything else are rejected before you ever see them, so you can trust that what’s linked is real and check it in context.
Common problems
- The document opens, but I can’t immediately see the exact wording. Use the page named in the reference and the excerpt shown with it as your starting point rather than searching the whole document again.
- A reference won’t open. The source document may have been deleted from your archive since the answer was given. Deleted documents stay in the trash for 30 days, where you can restore them; otherwise ask the question again so Paperplane can retrieve current sources.
- The answer cites several documents. Open each source reference separately — each one links to its own document and location.
- I want to keep or share the source document. Use Paperplane’s normal document view to download or share it once you’ve opened it from the reference.