# External authoritative sources are cited

How the External authoritative sources are cited check works, what a failure means, and how to fix it in the Citability & Evidence dimension.

- Dimension: Citability & Evidence (11% of the total score)
- This check: 3 points
- Check id: `authority-citations`

## What does this check look at?

The page links to at least 2 external hosts on the authority list: arxiv.org, doi.org, nature.com, science.org, acm.org, ieee.org, springer.com, sciencedirect.com, any .gov or .edu host, wikipedia.org, github.com, developer.mozilla.org, web.dev, nih.gov, who.int or europa.eu. Own-domain links are excluded.

## How do I fix it?

- **partial** — Citing several independent authoritative sources is strongly associated with being cited in turn.
- Cite the primary sources behind your claims and link to them.

## Why is it worth 3 points?

High and research-driven: this is the dimension most directly tied to measured visibility gains.

## What else is measured in this dimension?

- [Quantified claims are present](https://geo-scanner.ccie13192.com/checks/statistics/) — 4 points
- [Direct quotations are present](https://geo-scanner.ccie13192.com/checks/quotations/) — 3 points
- [Canonical URL is declared](https://geo-scanner.ccie13192.com/checks/canonical/) — 1 point

## How do I see my own result?

Run a free scan on your own domain at https://geo-scanner.ccie13192.com/ - the report lists every failed check with the evidence that produced it.

The full method is published at https://geo-scanner.ccie13192.com/methodology/