Practical guide
Follow the process step by step
Apply each stage in sequence. Document important assumptions, verify AI-generated information, and keep human approval at critical decision points.
- 1
Define the research question
Clarify the problem, scope, population, timeframe, terms, assumptions, and intended use of the findings.
- 2
Build a research plan
Identify evidence requirements, source types, search strategies, exclusion rules, and validation methods.
- 3
Use AI to organize discovery
Generate search directions, terminology, subquestions, comparison frameworks, and potential evidence categories.
- 4
Evaluate source quality
Check authority, methodology, date, relevance, conflicts, citations, and whether the evidence supports the claim.
- 5
Synthesize without fabricating
Compare verified findings, document disagreements, distinguish evidence from inference, and preserve uncertainty.
- 6
Review and document the process
Record sources, assumptions, limitations, decisions, unresolved questions, and changes made during research.