Improve Reference Citation Display in AI Assistant Responses

Problem

Currently, the system displays reference citations exactly as returned by the IBM Assistant. In several cases, the reference only shows a raw PDF link without displaying the actual document title.

Although the document title is clearly available within the PDF itself (when the file is opened), it is not reflected in the citation section shown in the bot response. This results in limited clarity and reduces the usability of the reference section.

In another scenario, the Assistant appears to reference a document published under a specific webpage category (e.g., “Thought Leadership Articles”), but the citation does not display either the proper document name as shown on the website or the webpage context from which it originates. As a result, users may find it difficult to identify and validate the referenced source.

Why This Is Useful

• Improves clarity and readability of references

• Enhances user trust and confidence in system responses

• Ensures professional and consistent citation formatting

• Reduces ambiguity when validating source documents

• Supports traceability requirements, especially for regulatory or reporting purposes

Displaying meaningful metadata (such as document title, chapter, section, or webpage context) instead of only raw technical file links would significantly improve the overall user experience.

Who Would Benefit

• End users who rely on accurate source validation

• Business stakeholders who use responses for reporting or decision-making

• Compliance and regulatory teams requiring proper source traceability

• Support teams handling user clarification queries

Expected Behavior / Proposed Enhancement

1. When a document is referenced, the citation should display the actual document title instead of only a raw PDF link.

2. If available in the document metadata, the relevant chapter and/or section should also be included in the citation.

3. For documents published via categorized webpages, the citation should display either:

   • The official file name as shown on the website, or

   • The webpage category/title (e.g., “Thought Leadership Articles”) from which the document is sourced.

Current Behavior

• Citation displays only raw PDF link or technical file reference.

• Document title, chapter, and contextual webpage information are not surfaced in the reference section.