Everyday AI · Module 3

Read the whole supplied packet before selecting facts

Suggested time: 7 minutes.

Do a quick structural read before asking for a summary. You are looking for what the document covers and what could change the meaning of a short extract.

Check these five things:

1. Purpose: Why was the document written? A draft proposal, an approved procedure and a record of discussion are different kinds of evidence.
2. Scope: Who, what activity and which period does it apply to? Read exclusions as well as inclusions.
3. Dates: Separate the issue date, effective date, event date and action deadline. A date next to a title is not automatically the deadline.
4. Rules and exceptions: Look for words such as “only,” “unless,” “after,” “before,” “up to,” “more than,” “must” and “may.” Find the clause each exception modifies.
5. Completeness: Check page counts, continuation notes, attachments and references to amendments. If the task requires the full policy and something is absent, say so.

An amendment changes a defined part of a document. You should use the change only where its identity, effective date and scope make it applicable to your task. “This was written later” by itself is not enough to decide that every earlier statement has been replaced.

For this course, the source pack tells you which amendment is approved and what it replaces. In real work, follow the organisation’s approved process if document authority is unclear. A chat response cannot establish that a file is official.

Add simple paragraph labels

A label such as P4 means “the paragraph marked P4 in this source pack.” You can add these labels to a permitted working copy without changing its words. Keep a note that the labels are yours if the original did not contain them.

Use short, stable labels. For example:

• P1 to P6 for page 1 of a policy
• P7 to P12 for page 2
• A1 to A3 for an amendment

Do not renumber paragraphs during a revision, or the same label may point to different evidence. For multiple documents, add a document name or distinct prefix. A page number alone may not distinguish two documents that both have a page 1.

A source label is a locator, not proof. “[P4]” only helps if P4 actually supports the claim beside it.

Snapshot D2 A scoped amendment

• D2.1: The room-request policy applies to the Willow Team workshop on 22 April 2027. Routine requests close at 16:00 on 12 April 2027.
• D2.2: Requests received after the routine deadline may be considered only if a confirmed booking has been cancelled. Coordinator approval is required.
• D2.A1: Approved amendment, effective 8 April 2027: For the 22 April workshop only, replace the routine deadline in D2.1 with 16:00 on 14 April 2027. D2.2 is unchanged.

Suppose your task is to explain the current procedure as supplied on 9 April. The correct routine deadline is 16:00 on 14 April, because D2.A1 explicitly replaces that part of D2.1 and is already effective on the date relevant to the task. The late-request condition remains in force.

Weak conclusion:

“The later document replaces the policy, so all late requests can be considered.”

Better conclusion:

“For the 22 April workshop, routine requests close at 16:00 on 14 April 2027. After that, a request may be considered only if a confirmed booking has been cancelled, and coordinator approval is required. [D2.1; D2.2; D2.A1]”

The later source changes one deadline. It does not erase the exception or approval condition.

Pause and try: If you were asked to describe the rules as they applied on 7 April, would you silently apply the amendment effective 8 April? What would you check?