Grounded Answers
A grounded answer stays inside retrieved evidence and makes unsupported gaps visible instead of filling them with guesses.
A grounded answer stays inside retrieved evidence and makes unsupported gaps visible instead of filling them with guesses.
Use retrieved passages.
Show where claims came from.
Say when evidence is insufficient.
Understand the working model
Grounding is a contract: the answer model should use the supplied evidence, cite it and refuse to invent missing details. This turns “I think” into “the provided source says.”
For high-stakes use, citations should identify the exact document and chunk or section. Users need a path back to the source, not just a decorative “[1]”.
Practice
Apply the pattern above to one real task you already do. Keep the first version small enough that you can inspect every input and output.
Do not let the model use its general memory to silently fill gaps in a grounded workflow.
A trustworthy RAG answer shows its evidence and admits when the retrieved evidence is not enough.