Research helper: questions, not answers
Day 12 of 30 · 30 Days of AI
Use AI to frame research, not to accept facts blindly
Learning goal
- Create research questions and angles.
- Generate a reading/verification list.
Why it matters
- AI can suggest what to investigate; you must verify.
- Good questions prevent shallow research.
Explanation
- Prompt: “Give 5 questions to investigate X, with suggested sources/formats.”
- Ask for counterpoints and pitfalls.
- Build a to-check list (sources/people/data).
Examples
- Good: “List 5 angles to evaluate tool X for small teams; suggest data to collect; list 3 risks.”
- Poor: “Tell me everything about X” (no scope).
Guided exercise (10–15 min)
- Pick a topic; ask for 5 research questions + sources + pitfalls.
- Create a checklist of what you will verify manually.
Independent exercise (5–10 min)
Run a quick source scan on 2 items and jot findings/uncertainties.
Self-check
- Questions/angles listed.
- Sources/pitfalls captured.
- Manual verification plan noted.
Optional deepening
- Safety best practices: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/safety-best-practices