Researching With AI: Web Search and Reports With Sources

AI assistants no longer answer only from what they learned: they can search the web, read pages and cite where each fact comes from. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude also have a deep research mode: an agent that runs dozens of searches over several minutes and hands you a report with sources. Used well, it’s an excellent tool. Used badly, it’s a fast way to believe false things that look rigorous.

Two modes, two uses

	Web search	Deep research
What it does	A few searches and an answer	Plans, runs many searches, reads and writes a report
Time	Seconds	Several minutes to half an hour
For	Quick questions, recent facts	Comparing options, state of a topic, reports
Name	Search	Deep research (ChatGPT), Deep Research (Gemini), Research (Claude)

Availability changes by plan and country: Gemini offers limited use on its free plan too, ChatGPT with limits that depend on the plan, and Claude on its paid plans.

Step 1: define the question well

A vague question gets a vague report. Compare:

❌ “Research electric cars.”

✅ “I want to decide whether to buy a used electric car in Spain in 2026 for about 15,000 km a year. Compare five-year total cost with a hybrid, available subsidies and charging points in [city]. Prioritise official sources and data from the last two years.”

The good question says what decision you want to make, where and when, and which sources you prefer.

Step 2: ask for quality sources and citations

Always add something like:

“Cite the source of every figure with a link. Prioritise official bodies, manufacturer documentation and reputable media. If two sources contradict each other, say so. If something isn’t confirmed, flag it.”

Step 3: review the plan before it starts

In deep research, the assistant usually proposes a plan or asks questions before starting. Read it: that’s the moment to correct course (“focus on Spain”, “leave out vans”). A good plan saves a useless report.

Step 4: read the report critically

• Open the key sources. Check they exist and say what the report claims. Sometimes the citation is real but the conclusion doesn’t follow.
• Check dates. A 2021 figure may be outdated.
• Look for what’s missing. Ask: “what arguments are there against this?” or “which sources contradict this conclusion?”.
• Be wary of round numbers without a source.

Step 5: keep the conversation going

The report is a starting point. Ask it to dig into a section, build a comparison table or sum up in one page for someone short of time.

When not to rely on it

For health, legal topics or investments, AI research helps you prepare and know what to ask, not decide. And if the topic is very recent, sources may be few or unreliable: the report can’t be better than what’s been published.

To understand why search reduces errors without eliminating them, see grounding and web search in the glossary.