> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.medcrypt.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.medcrypt.com/msi/review-and-correct-device-knowledge/trace-an-ai-claim-to-its-source.md).

# Trace an AI claim to its source

Every claim MSI makes about your documents is labeled by how well it's supported: a quote found word for word in your document, a reasoned inference, or a quote that couldn't be found. Use these labels to decide what you can rely on and what to check before it goes into a submission.

## Before you begin

* Upload your documents to a collection attached to the device. See [Review and correct device knowledge](/msi/review-and-correct-device-knowledge.md#add-documents-to-the-device).
* Have an analysis or conversation to check, such as an Ask MSI chat, an audit report or a device's architecture.

## Understand the labels

MSI checks each quote against your document's own text with an exact text match, not with another AI model, so anyone re-running the check gets the same result.

| Label                  | Meaning                                                                                           | What to do                                                               |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Verified**           | The quote was found word for word in the source document.                                         | Rely on it, after a quick read of the passage.                           |
| **Corroborated**       | Matches a reviewer-approved or closely matching claim. A strong signal, but not a verbatim quote. | Check the source if the claim matters.                                   |
| **Figure description** | Matches MSI's description of a figure or diagram, not the document's own words.                   | Open the figure and confirm it.                                          |
| **Justified**          | A model inference with its reasoning recorded. Honest, but not traceable to a quote.              | Judge the reasoning. Add evidence if you need the claim to be traceable. |
| **Unverified**         | A quote was claimed but couldn't be found in the source.                                          | Treat as suspect until you confirm it.                                   |

**Justified** and **Unverified** are deliberately different. A justified claim says "this is reasoning, not a quote". An unverified claim says "a quote was given but isn't there".

Some claims also carry a note instead of a label: **Not verified yet** (the quote hasn't been checked), **Rejected by a reviewer**, or **Retracted** (the source document was removed or no longer contains the quote).

## Open the source of a quote

Wherever a verbatim quote appears, select the quote or **Show in document**. The document viewer opens with the quote highlighted and the **Cited passage** pinned above the document.

## Check an Ask MSI answer

1. In an Ask MSI chat, select **Traceability** at the top of the chat.
2. The **Claim Traceability** panel opens. Its header counts the claims by label: verified, corroborated, figure description, justified and unverified.
3. Review each claim and its source quote. Start with unverified claims.

To see what Ask MSI actually did, expand **Sources & Actions** under an answer. It lists **Actions taken**, with each tool's **Arguments** and **Response**, the activity of each specialist step, and **Documents referenced**.

## Check an audit finding

In an audit report, select **Traceability** to open the same **Claim Traceability** panel for the whole audit.

Each finding also has an **Evidence integrity** section. Expand it to see the finding's evidence by label. Findings add one more label:

* **Missing — expected but not found in the submission**: evidence the auditor looked for and didn't find. This is a gap to close, not a claim.

Excerpts shown as **claimed (ungrounded)** haven't been checked against the source, so don't treat them as verified.

See [Run a regulatory audit](/msi/check-estar-readiness/run-a-regulatory-audit.md).

## Check where device knowledge came from

On the **Device Knowledge** page, each architecture element and profile value shows where it came from.

1. Select **Device Knowledge** in the sidebar, then the **Architecture** tab.
2. Look at the **Provenance** column in the register:

| Provenance            | Meaning                                              |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **From documents**    | Traced to a verbatim quote in a named document.      |
| **From a figure**     | Matches MSI's description of a figure in a document. |
| **Inferred**          | MSI concluded it, with reasoning but no quote.       |
| **Unverified**        | A source was claimed but couldn't be found.          |
| **Added by a person** | Someone on your team created it.                     |
| **Imported**          | Stated in an imported workbook.                      |
| **You set this**      | You set the value yourself.                          |
| **Not established**   | Nothing supports it yet.                             |

3. Select an element to see its **Evidence** (the documents and quotes behind it) and its **History**. Select **View history** to open its full timeline on the **Change tracking** tab.

## Follow a fact through the knowledge base

The **Explore** tab shows what MSI knows about any part of your device.

1. On **Device Knowledge**, select the **Explore** tab.
2. Search for a component, data type or interface.
3. Review the entity's facts. **Not sure about** lists the facts to check first, such as those that are **Not a verified quote** or **Matched by name only**.
4. Select a fact to see its **Source**, its **Review** state, and what it's **Relied on by** (threats, requirements and other records).
5. Open a trace to follow the chain in either direction: **Rests on** shows what a claim depends on, down to the document, and **Used by** shows what depends on it.

**Used in** shows where the entity appears in the architecture, threats, controls and requirements.

## Fix a weak claim

* If the source is right but MSI got it wrong, correct the element or value. See [Review and correct device knowledge](/msi/review-and-correct-device-knowledge.md).
* If the evidence is missing, add the document to a collection. MSI reads it automatically.
* If two documents disagree, settle it on the **Contradictions** tab.

## Next steps

* [Ask MSI a question](/msi/get-started/ask-msi.md): use traceability as you chat.
* [Run a regulatory audit](/msi/check-estar-readiness/run-a-regulatory-audit.md): check the evidence behind each finding.
* [Review and correct device knowledge](/msi/review-and-correct-device-knowledge.md): fix what you find.