GUIDE & INSIGHT
Research an article with a traceable source list
By Chad ·
Outcome: a draft outline, a claim ledger and a source list you can verify. Keep confidential documents out of tools unless their privacy terms fit your needs.
1. Define the question
Write your audience, the decision the article should support and three questions it must answer. Separate facts you need to verify from opinions you intend to discuss.
Help me scope an article about [topic] for [audience]. Ask for missing context. Suggest five research questions and identify claims that need primary sources. Do not invent citations.
2. Collect primary sources
Search official documentation, original research and directly relevant records. Open every source yourself. Record the URL, publication date, relevant passage and what it supports.
Candidate tools for this step
Perplexity
Search and research with cited answers, file analysis and a choice of models on paid plans.
Standard: free. Pro and Max: paid subscriptions. Education Pro: $10/month for verified students and educators. Enterprise Pro starts at $40/seat/month or $400/seat/year. API…
3. Build a claim ledger
Using only the material I supply, make a table with: claim, supporting source, source date, conflicting evidence and remaining uncertainty. Mark unsupported claims explicitly.
4. Draft and verify
Build an outline around supported claims. Check quotations, dates and numbers against the original sources. Ask a knowledgeable reviewer to check consequential claims before publication.
Candidate tools for this step
Before you pay
Check document limits, citation access, privacy settings and export options on each candidate’s current plan. A free tier may not cover the whole workflow.