/smart-sourcing

name: smart-sourcing
description: Selects optimal sources for tool calls, balancing accuracy with token cost. Use before research tasks or when deciding whether a claim needs verification.
alwaysApply: false
usage_patterns:
- "research"
- "source"
- "citation"
- "verify claim"
- "web search"
- "fetch"
category: optimization
tags:
- sourcing
- citations
- accuracy
- efficiency
tools: []
complexity: low
model_hint: fast
estimated_tokens: 400

Smart Sourcing

Intelligent sourcing that requires citations only when the cost is justified by the value of verification.

Philosophy

**Full sourcing is prohibitively expensive** (10-16x token increase). Smart sourcing targets high-value claims where verification materially improves accuracy.

When to Source

REQUIRE Sources

| Claim Type | Example | Why Source | |------------|---------|------------| | **Version numbers** | "Python 3.12 added..." | Versions change, easy to verify | | **Performance claims** | "30% faster than..." | Quantitative claims need evidence | | **Security recommendations** | "Use bcrypt for..." | Security advice must be current | | **API specifications** | "The function accepts..." | APIs change between versions | | **Release dates** | "Released in Q4 2025" | Factual, verifiable | | **Pricing/limits** | "Free tier allows 1000 requests" | Business terms change | | **Deprecated features** | "X was removed in version Y" | Breaking changes need verification |

DO NOT Require Sources

| Claim Type | Example | Why No Source | |------------|---------|---------------| | **General concepts** | "Async improves concurrency" | Foundational knowledge | | **Code examples** | Demonstrative snippets | Illustrative, not factual claims | | **Opinion/preference** | "Consider using..." | Clearly framed as suggestion | | **Common knowledge** | "Git tracks changes" | Universal understanding | | **Logical derivations** | "Therefore, X implies Y" | Reasoning, not factual claim | | **Syntax** | "Use `def` for functions" | Language documentation is stable |

Decision Framework

Is this a factual claim?
├── No → No source needed
└── Yes → Would being wrong cause harm?
    ├── No (minor inconvenience) → No source needed
    └── Yes → Is verification cost-effective?
        ├── No (>5k tokens for low-value claim) → State uncertainty
        └── Yes → Perform web search, cite source

Implementation

Inline Citations

When sourcing is warranted:

Python 3.12 introduced `type` statement for type aliases[1].

Sources:
1. [PEP 695](https://peps.python.org/pep-0695/)

Uncertainty Markers

When sourcing isn't cost-effective but uncertainty exists:

Python 3.12 introduced the `type` statement (verify in release notes for your version).

Confidence Levels

| Confidence | Action | |------------|--------| | High (stable facts) | State directly | | Medium (may have changed) | Add verification note | | Low (uncertain) | Source or acknowledge uncertainty |

Token Cost Analysis

| Approach | Token Cost | Use Case | |----------|------------|----------| | No sourcing | Baseline | General knowledge | | Uncertainty marker | +5-10 tokens | Medium confidence | | Single source | +2-5k tokens | High-value claim | | Multiple sources | +10-20k tokens | Research tasks |

Examples

Good: Source Version-Specific Claim

User: What's new in FastAPI 0.109?

Response: FastAPI 0.109 added Pydantic v2 support as default[1] and
improved OpenAPI schema generation[2].

Sources:
1. [FastAPI Release Notes](https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/release-notes/)
2. [GitHub Release 0.109.0](https://github.com/tiangolo/fastapi/releases/tag/0.109.0)

Good: No Source for General Concept

User: How does async/await work?

Response: Async/await enables non-blocking I/O by allowing coroutines
to yield control while waiting for operations. The event loop manages
execution, resuming coroutines when their awaited operations complete.

Good: Uncertainty Marker

The connection pool default is typically 10 connections (verify in your
database driver documentation as this varies by library and version).

Integration

Works with:

• `conserve:response-compression` - Keeps sourced responses concise
• `conserve:token-conservation` - Weighs source cost vs value
• `memory-palace:knowledge-intake` - Full sourcing for knowledge corpus

When To Use Full Sourcing

When NOT To Use

• Internal project code that doesn't need citations
• Casual conversation without factual claims

Escalate to full sourcing (accept high token cost) for:

• Knowledge corpus entries (permanent documentation)
• Security advisories (safety-critical)
• Compliance/legal claims (audit requirements)
• Research tasks (user expects thorough investigation)

For these cases, use `memory-palace:knowledge-intake` workflow which is designed for thorough sourcing.

Exit Criteria

• [ ] Every claim categorized as requiring a source (version numbers,

performance claims, security recommendations, API specs, release dates, pricing/limits, deprecated features) has an inline citation or a verification note

• [ ] No web search performed for claims categorized as general

concepts, code examples, opinions, common knowledge, logical derivations, or stable syntax

• [ ] Claims with medium confidence carry an explicit uncertainty

marker (e.g., "verify in release notes for your version") rather than being stated as fact or sourced at high token cost

• [ ] Decision tree applied: factual claim → harm if wrong →

verification cost-effective → source; each branch followed explicitly for claims exceeding medium confidence