Research and Source Management

Citation Capture Sheet

Preserve citation details, relevant passages, supported claims, access dates, editions, locations, archive status, permissions, and source limitations.

Free editable Markdown · Researchers, writers, and fact-checkers · Updated July 30, 2026

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Source identity

Source ID: [Stable project identifier]
Creator or author: [Names or responsible organization]
Title: [Exact title]
Publisher or container: [Journal, site, agency, archive, or interview]
Publication date: [YYYY-MM-DD or available precision]
Updated date: [If separately stated]
Edition or version: [Release, revision, or dataset version]
Stable identifier: [DOI, ISBN, report number, or other]
Original URL or location: [Authorized location]
Access date: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Evidence and use

Relevant passage or value: [Short excerpt or data point]
Exact location: [Page, section, table, figure, row, or timestamp]
Supported claim: [Precise wording]
Important context: [Qualifier, population, method, or surrounding statement]
Your note type: [Quote, paraphrase, calculation input, or interpretation]
Planned citation style: [Required format]
Draft locations: [Sections or claim IDs using this source]

Access and verification checks

Author, title, dates, and version were checked in the source.
The evidence location is precise enough for another reviewer.
Quoted wording and punctuation match the original.
The planned claim stays within source scope.
Access and storage follow applicable permission.
Reproduction rights for tables, images, or long excerpts are recorded.
A permitted stable copy or archive reference exists when appropriate.
A source change will trigger claim re-verification.

How to use this template

Assign a stable source ID and capture full creator, title, publisher, date, version, identifier, and location.
Record the exact passage, table, figure, or timestamp relevant to the planned claim.
Explain what the source supports and the qualifications it does not remove.
Document access conditions, storage location, reproduction permission, and archive or version status.
Link the record to draft claims and update it whenever the source or wording changes.

Capture identity beyond a pasted URL

Record the creator, title, publisher or container, publication date, edition or version, stable identifier, and access date. For webpages, identify the responsible organization and visible update date rather than relying only on a browser title. For datasets, record release and methodology documentation. For interviews, preserve speaker, role, date, consent, and timestamp. URLs move and files get renamed; complete identity details let a fact-checker locate or distinguish the source later.

Connect evidence to exact wording

Copy only the short passage or data location needed for verification, keeping enough surrounding context to understand qualifications. Record page, section, table, figure, row, or timestamp. Then write the precise draft claim the material can support in your own notes. Do not make a source carry a broader population, period, or causal meaning than it states. Label a quotation separately from your paraphrase and a source's conclusion separately from your interpretation.

Preserve access, rights, and changes

Note whether the source is public, licensed, paywalled, internally restricted, or supplied under agreed terms. Store permitted copies in the approved location and link to them without duplicating restricted material. Record archive status or content fingerprints according to your workflow, especially for volatile pages. If a source changes, do not silently update the citation while retaining old wording; compare versions and recheck the claim. Include permission status for images, tables, and extended quotations.

See the fields in context

Fictional example: community hall energy report

The South Fen Energy Office and report details are invented for this citation exercise.

Source ID: SF-07; fictional “Community Hall Energy Review,” revision 1.2, published by the invented office.
Location: Page 18, Table 4, row labeled “weekday heating hours.”
Supported claim: The fictional report records 46 heating hours for the observed hall during its stated winter week.
Qualification: One hall and one week cannot establish a regional average or a typical annual pattern.
Permission: Link and short factual citation are marked for editorial review; the table image will not be reproduced.

Frequently asked questions

Should I save a copy of every webpage?

Follow permission and editorial policy. For volatile public evidence, a permitted archive or dated capture can aid verification; restricted material needs appropriate controls.

How much text should be copied into notes?

Only enough to preserve the exact evidence and its qualifications. Record the location so a reviewer can read the full context rather than creating a shadow copy.

Can one citation support a whole paragraph?

Only if it genuinely supports every material claim in that paragraph and placement is unambiguous. Claim-level citations are often clearer when evidence differs.

What if a webpage has no publication date?

Record the access date and any stated update information. Do not invent a date; consider whether a more stable or versioned source is needed.