Glossary
What Is a Primary Answer
A primary answer means the core conclusion of an AI answer comes from this site, not merely as a supplementary source.
- Author
- Xingge
- Published
- 2026-11-09
- Updated
- 2026-11-09
- Level
- L2 Reproducible
- Version
- 1.0
Term details
- Name
- What Is a Primary Answer
- Type
- Glossary
- ID
- primary-answer-en
What Is a Primary Answer
A primary answer means the core conclusion of an AI answer comes from a page on this site. When this site is only one of several supplementary sources, it is not a primary answer, and the judgment must be documented.
Definition
This site's working definition: extract the core conclusion sentence from the answer and compare it with the cited sources one by one; if the main support for that sentence points to a page on this site, it counts as a primary answer.
The judgment must state the reasoning and keep a screenshot: which sentence is the core conclusion, which source that sentence corresponds to, and whether this site supplied the conclusion or only a supporting example.
Boundaries: what it is easily confused with
| Easily confused concept | Key difference |
|---|---|
| AI citation | A citation requires only a link, not that the conclusion comes from that source |
| Parallel sources | With parallel sources, you must decide which source carries the conclusion |
| Quoted citation | Quoting one sentence does not mean the conclusion came from that page |
Common misconceptions
- Counting a link to this site as a primary answer. A link only proves a citation.
- Having one person judge without review. The judgment is fairly subjective; cross-checking by two people is recommended.
- Ignoring question differences. The same page may be only a supplementary source under another question.
Basis and verification
This definition is this site's working definition, marked L2. The judgment rules are public and reproducible but still contain human judgment.
Review cycle: 180 days.
Related sections: glossary index, method index, metric index, editorial policy.