Make AI Work for You

Extra

Research you can trust

Use AI to find things out, and still trust the answer.

What this is aboutFour habits for researchText to copyYour stepsKeeping it currentTest

01What this is about

AI is fast at finding things out. It reads more pages in a minute than you could in a day. But it can mix up sources, miss the other side, or state something with a link that doesn't say what it claims.

This extra shows you how to use AI for research and still trust the answer. It builds on Module 7, Check the work.

02Four habits for research

1. Ask for sources, then open them. Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok can all search the web. Ask for a link for every key fact. Anthropic says every Claude web search answer includes citations, so you can check them yourself. Do. Open the links for the facts that matter, and check the page really says it.

2. Ask for the other side. AI tends to answer the question as you asked it. If you ask "why is X good?", you'll get reasons X is good. Ask for the strongest case against too.

3. Check who the source is. A council website, a company's own page, a news site, a forum post and a blog are not equally reliable. If you don't recognise a source, look it up.

4. Be extra careful with fresh news. Early reports are often wrong, and AI can repeat them confidently. Grok can search posts on X, which is quick for breaking news, but posts are not checked facts.

03Text to copy

For a research question:

Copy this
Research this question: [your question]
Use reliable sources, and give me a link for every key fact.
Tell me where sources disagree.
Then give me the strongest case against your answer.
If you can't find good evidence for something, say so. Don't fill the gap.

To check a research answer:

Copy this
For each key fact in your answer, quote the exact sentence from the source that supports it, with the link.
If you can't find a supporting sentence, remove the fact.

04Your steps

Step 1: Ask a real question

Pick a question you need answered for your project. For the walking club, that might be "What are the rules for dogs on footpaths in our area?"

Step 2: Use the research prompt

Paste the research prompt with your question. Read the answer and the list of sources.

Step 3: Open the sources

Open the links for the three facts that matter most. Does each page say what the AI claims? Is it a source you'd trust?

Step 4: Ask for the other side

If the answer didn't include the strongest case against, ask for it. Then decide what you think.

05Keeping it current

  • Save good sources in your Reference file, with the date you checked them.
  • Re-check facts that change, like prices, rules and opening times, before you rely on them again.

06Test

Ask a research question for your project, using the research prompt. Answer yes or no.

  1. Did the answer give a link for every key fact?
  2. Did you open at least three of the links and check them?
  3. Did you get the strongest case against the answer?
  4. Did you remove, or mark as unconfirmed, anything you couldn't back up?

Four yes answers: you pass.

07Sources

Checked on 11 November 2026.

  • Claude's web search answers include citations, and you should cross-check them: Claude Help Center, "Enable and use web search" (support.claude.com).
  • Asking for quotes to back each fact, and removing what can't be supported: Anthropic, "Reduce hallucinations" (platform.claude.com).
  • Web search in ChatGPT and Gemini: OpenAI Help Center, "Searching the web with ChatGPT" (read on the live page on 11 November 2026), and Gemini Help (support.google.com/gemini). Grok searching the web and posts on X: X Help Center, "About Grok" (help.x.com), read on the live page on 11 November 2026.
  • Asking for the other side, and checking who the source is: our own advice.