How do you know if a paper is worth citing?
Short answer
A paper is worth citing when it clearly supports the claim you want to make, is strong enough for the role you are giving it, and does not carry obvious warning signs that should send you back to search for a better source. LancetClaw helps you judge all three faster.
Execution Steps
- 1Check whether the paper actually answers the claim you want to support.
- 2Review the study design, sample, endpoints, and limitations.
- 3Ask whether the paper is the best available source or only a convenient source.
- 4Look for caveats, corrections, or reasons the paper should be treated cautiously.
- 5Use LancetClaw to decide whether to keep the source, replace it, or continue searching.
Prompt Template
Help me decide whether this paper is worth citing for my claim. Explain the fit, the strength of support, the caveats, and whether I should keep searching.
Common Failure Points
- Citing a paper because it is topically related but not actually supportive
- Ignoring a stronger or newer source that fits better
- Treating relevance as proof of citation quality
FAQ
Composite User Feedback
Medical Student
"The answer pages helped me move from not understanding a paper to knowing which part I should read next."
Clinician
"These guides work because they answer the practical question first, then point me to the workflow I should use."
Medical Librarian
"The strongest pages are the ones that can stand alone as answers and still route people into the right LancetClaw skill."