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Research & Synthesis

All levels

AI is a superb research accelerator — and a dangerous one if you trust it blindly. Used right, it compresses hours of reading into minutes; used carelessly, it confidently invents sources. Here's the disciplined version.

High-value research moves​

  • Summarize a long document/paper into key points + implications.
  • Compare multiple sources into a table (what they agree/disagree on).
  • Build a landscape — map the players, approaches, or arguments on a topic.
  • Extract specific facts/figures from a document (with citations).
  • Pressure-test — "what's the strongest counterargument to this?"

The grounding discipline (non-negotiable)​

Using ONLY the text I provide, summarize the key findings and quote the exact
sentence supporting each one. If something isn't in the text, say "not stated."
Text: """{paste}"""
  • Feed it the sources. Don't ask it to recall facts from memory for anything important — paste the material or use a tool that retrieves it (RAG).
  • Demand citations. "Quote the sentence that supports each claim." Unsupported claims become visible.
  • Separate fact from inference. Ask it to label what's stated vs. interpreted.

:::warning Fabricated citations are the classic trap Models invent realistic-looking papers, authors, and URLs. Verify every citation exists before you rely on it. See Hallucinations. :::

A research flow​

  1. Gather sources yourself (or via a retrieval tool).
  2. Summarize each with grounding + citations.
  3. Synthesize across them into a themed comparison.
  4. Identify gaps/disagreements and the "so what."
  5. Spot-check the critical facts against the originals.

Next​