Research & analysis

Claude shines at digesting lots of information and helping you think, comparing options, stress-testing ideas, and reaching well-reasoned decisions.

When to reach for Claude

• Synthesizing multiple documents or sources.
• Comparing options against criteria.
• Pressure-testing a plan or argument.
• Structuring a decision you're stuck on.

Workflow: synthesize sources

I've attached [3 articles / reports]. 
Synthesize them into a single briefing:

1. Where do the sources agree?
2. Where do they disagree or conflict?
3. What's the bottom line for [our situation]?
Quote the specific lines that support each point.

Asking for quotes/anchors makes the synthesis verifiable instead of vibes.

Workflow: structured decision

Help me decide: [Option A] vs [Option B] vs [Option C].

Context: [goals, constraints, what matters most]

1. Propose the key decision criteria (and weight them).
2. Score each option against the criteria.
3. Name the biggest risk of each.
4. Give a recommendation and what would change your mind.
Think it through carefully before concluding.

Workflow: red-team my thinking

One of the most valuable uses is to invite disagreement:

Here's my plan: [paste]. 
Act as a skeptical critic. What are the 5 strongest objections?
Where am I likely fooling myself? What would a smart opponent say?

Workflow: explain to understand

Explain [unfamiliar topic] to me as a smart beginner.
Use a concrete analogy, define any jargon, and finish with
"3 things to remember" and "2 things people get wrong."

A word on accuracy

Research is exactly where hallucinations bite. Protect yourself:

• For anything that needs to be current or factual, connect Claude to live sources via tools/connectors, or verify independently.
• Ask Claude to cite sources and flag uncertainty: "Mark anything you're not sure about."
• Don't treat a confident answer as a verified one. See Limitations & trust.

Power-ups

• Files: Drop in long reports and analyze across all of them at once.
• Web/connectors: Pull in live, current information.
• Projects: Keep an ongoing research base for a topic.

Try it

Before your next decision, paste your reasoning and ask Claude to red-team it. You'll either find a hole or gain confidence.