Use a four-step workflow: extract the abstract's claim, check it against the results, limitations, and conclusions in the full text, assign the claim a support level, then write manuscript wording that matches the full text and cite the original source. ICMJE advises authors to verify references against original sources and to cite direct sources where possible, so the full text, not the abstract, is the reference you check and cite.
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Extract the abstract's claim. Write the abstract's main finding as one sentence with its direction, population, and any qualifier it states. Expected result: a single testable claim you can compare line by line.
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Check the results section. Locate the reported estimate, comparison, or outcome that the claim rests on. Expected result: you can state whether the results support the claim as written, support a narrower version, or leave it unresolved. If the results do not resolve it, mark the claim unresolved and check the tables, figures, or supplementary material before deciding.
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Check the limitations and conclusions. Read what the authors say about scope, sample, and conditions, and compare the conclusions section with the abstract. Expected result: you identify any qualifier the abstract dropped, such as a subgroup, a setting, or a non-significant comparison.
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Assign a support level and set wording. Label the claim supported as written, supported only with a qualifier, or not supported by the full text. Expected result: manuscript wording that carries the full text's qualifier, for example naming the subgroup or condition the results actually cover.
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Cite and record the source. Cite the full text and follow the journal's reference style, per ICMJE guidance. Expected result: a reference entry that points to the source you verified, with any retraction noted.
When several papers are involved, document which record you checked and how you located it; the Cochrane Handbook describes documenting searches and managing records, and PubMed supports field tags, filters, and saved searches for locating and refining records. Use those records to track which claims you verified against full text.