Web Research
Workflow
- Restate the research question internally as claims that can be verified.
- Read
references/source-policy.mdbefore selecting sources for consequential claims. - Search broadly enough to identify the primary source, then narrow the query around dates, entities, and disputed facts.
- Open and inspect sources instead of citing search-result snippets.
- Prefer primary documents, official records, first-party technical documentation, and direct statements.
- Cross-check consequential claims with an independent source when available.
- Record publication dates and distinguish the event date from the article date.
- Cite each factual claim near the sentence it supports. Do not attach citations that merely discuss the same topic.
- State uncertainty, source conflict, missing data, or inaccessible evidence explicitly.
Output
- Lead with the answer, not the search process.
- Separate verified facts from analysis or inference.
- Include dates when recency changes the meaning.
- Use a comparison table only when multiple entities share the same fields.
- End with a compact source list containing title, publisher, date, and URL when the interface does not render inline citations.
Boundaries
- Do not fabricate citations, URLs, quotations, or access dates.
- Do not treat repeated reporting from the same wire source as independent confirmation.
- Do not use social posts as sole evidence for consequential claims unless the post is the primary statement being analyzed.
- Do not bypass authentication, paywalls, robots controls, or access restrictions.
- If the required search tool is unavailable, say that current verification cannot be completed.