Find the document behind the claim
Record the exact title, authors, year and DOI if available. Open the publisher or repository page and compare it with the post’s claim. A screenshot may omit a key passage; a third-party or assistant summary may turn a hypothesis into certainty.
Distinguish the document from its network profile. ResearchGate supports sharing work and contacting researchers, but a text’s presence on the network alone does not establish peer review. If full text is unavailable, state which part you actually read.
Identify the version and updates
Check whether the document is a preprint, published article, literature review or commentary. Record version and date; a preprint’s status may change. Peer review provides editorial scrutiny without making a result infallible.
Where a Crossmark button is available, it provides the declared publication status and registered corrections, retractions or updates. Check the publisher’s page too. An absent button does not demonstrate that no correction exists: not every publisher or document uses it.
Read the method before generalising
Identify the research question, population or data, method and declared limitations. Ask whether the study describes an association or supports causality. A result from one setting does not automatically apply to every audience or use.
Compare the post’s wording with the authors’ wording. Check the denominator behind percentages and distinguish relative changes from absolute values. If you do not understand a decisive step, seek an explanation or narrow your claim to what you can document.
Share a proportionate conclusion
Link the original document and state publication type, date and relevant limitation. Fictional example: instead of writing that a network improves learning, say a study describes an association in its studied group if that is what its method establishes. Do not present a teaching example as a real study.
Retain the reference and shared wording. If a correction appears later, update the post and make the correction visible. For an important professional or personal decision, do not rely on a single post or isolated study.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DOI a quality label?
No. It helps identify and locate a document; it does not establish the validity of its method or conclusions.
Can I share a preprint?
Yes, while clearly stating its status and version, avoiding claims that its results are definitively established and checking for updates.
Before you act
Sources and verification scope
Official references consulted on 6 October 2026. Trial procedures and examples are editorial guidance; exact conditions depend on the service and device.