Check numbers before sharing a carousel

Review units, dates, denominators, and source wording so a shorter slide still makes an accurate claim.

A short headline can make a number stand out while hiding what it measures. Before sharing, read each numeric statement beside its original passage. Check the whole claim rather than looking only for matching digits.

Read the complete source statement

Identify the group, time period, unit, and limitation. If the report says “respondents in one pilot” and the slide says “teams,” the wording may already be too broad. Use the linked paragraph or PDF page to check the surrounding explanation.

Keep the unit and denominator

A percentage needs a denominator, and a change needs a baseline. “Up 12” could mean people, percentage points, or a relative percentage. Keep the source’s distinction, along with the currency or date when relevant.

Use a deliberately simple review example

Suppose a sample note says: “During a four-week pilot, 12 of the 20 participating teams used the checklist.” A slide could say “12 of 20 pilot teams used the checklist.” It should not become “Most teams always use checklists.” This invented teaching example shows how the same digits can sit inside a very different claim.

Check quotations separately

Check the speaker and exact wording of a quotation. If you cut words, keep any qualification that affects the meaning. If you paraphrase, remove the quotation marks and make clear that the wording is your summary.

Respond to warnings by reviewing the source

CarouselDraft flags numbers that are missing from linked source text. A matching number still needs your judgment about its meaning. Open Sources, read the supporting passage, and narrow or remove a claim the passage does not support.

Review again after the final edit

• Compare digits, decimal separators, units, and dates.
• Keep the population and time period clear.
• Put a necessary caveat beside its claim.
• Check that images do not suggest evidence they do not provide.
• Open the export and read the complete statement.

Percentage points and percentages are different

In an invented teaching example, a rate moving from 20% to 25% rises by 5 percentage points. The relative increase is 25%, because the change is measured against the original 20%. A shorter slide must preserve which calculation the source uses. Do not switch between the two because one sounds more striking.

Keep a short claim-review record

• Write down the full source statement and its paragraph or PDF page.
• Identify the population, time period, unit, and baseline.
• Compare the slide title as well as its body with that statement.
• After a rewrite, repeat the comparison before accepting the wording.

A title can overstate a result even when the body includes the correct digits. Read the two together. If the source is ambiguous, narrow the claim or leave it out rather than asking AI to supply an interpretation the evidence cannot support.

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