AI research assistant sources
Give your AI research assistant better sources
Turn scattered links and documents into a source-backed context package before you ask for synthesis.
Direct answer
An AI research assistant is more useful when it can read the same source set you selected, with URLs, notes, and files preserved.
Source-backed research
A good research skill includes raw sources, not only summaries. That lets the agent check claims, quote carefully, and distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Mix source types
Use articles for context, PDFs for primary documents, transcripts for talks or interviews, and your own notes for open questions.
Ask for uncertainty
The skill should instruct the agent to separate facts, assumptions, conflicts, and missing evidence. That is often more valuable than a polished summary.
Keep research reusable
A source set for one project can become the foundation for future memos, briefs, decks, or product decisions.
Example research workflow
- 1Capture five articles and two PDF reports.
- 2Add a Markdown note with your research question.
- 3Generate a market-research-sources skill.
- 4Ask the AI assistant to synthesize findings with assumptions called out.
market-research-sources.zip
├─ SKILL.md
└─ references/
├─ analyst-report.pdf
├─ founder-interview.md
├─ competitor-pages.md
└─ research-questions.mdFAQ
Questions people ask
Can it cite original URLs?
Captured Markdown should preserve source URLs so you can trace important claims back to the original page.
How many sources should I include?
Include enough sources to cover the question, but remove duplicates and weak references before generating the skill.
What makes a good research skill?
A good research skill states the question, points to source files, and tells the agent how to handle uncertainty.
Can I update the source set later?
Yes. Because the package is plain files, you can add new references and revise SKILL.md over time.
Keep exploring
Related workflows
Turn PDFs into AI context without losing the source
Turn PDFs into source-backed AI context by pairing the original file with Markdown notes, source metadata, and reusable workflow instructions.
Convert web pages to clean Markdown for AI
Capture readable web pages as clean Markdown, keep the source URL, and reuse the content inside AI projects, source libraries, and agent workflows.
Prepare clean Markdown files for ChatGPT Projects
Capture web sources as Markdown and package them for ChatGPT Projects, Custom GPT knowledge, and repeatable AI workflows.
A practical SKILL.md template for agent workflows
Use this SKILL.md template to define when an agent should use a skill, what sources it can reference, and how it should complete repeatable work.
Try it with your own sources