Phase 4: Research, Analysis & Decision-Making · 45 min · ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini (any) + web search

Project 2: AI Research Partner Workflow

A documented, repeatable process for researching any decision using AI. Show the prompts, the outputs, and the verification steps.

Hiring signal: What changes when you use this: you have a documented, repeatable AI research workflow you can show in an interview or use for any future decision — proving you can research faster and more thoroughly than someone without this skill.

What you will learn

Design a multi-step AI research workflow for a real decision
Chain extraction, comparison, and thinking-partner prompts
Document verification steps for key claims
Produce a research deliverable that could be shown to others

What You're Building

A documented, step-by-step AI research workflow for a real decision you need to make. This is not an exercise — it's a real research deliverable that produces a real decision, documented well enough that someone else could follow your process.

This is the second artifact in your prompt portfolio.

The Process

Step 1: Choose a Real Decision

Pick something you actually need to research and decide:

Should I switch from [tool A] to [tool B]?
Which [vendor/service] should I hire for [task]?
Should I launch [product/feature] now or wait?
Which [course/certification/program] should I take?

Step 2: Information Gathering (Extraction)

Use targeted extraction prompts to gather information from sources:

Paste relevant documents, articles, or web pages
Extract specific fields into structured tables
Use web-connected AI (Perplexity, ChatGPT with search) for current information

Document your prompts and outputs.

Step 3: Comparison (Structured Matrix)

Build a comparison matrix of your options:

Define 5-7 specific criteria tied to your situation
Ask AI to compare options in a table format
Identify the top tradeoffs

Document the matrix and tradeoffs.

Step 4: Thinking Partner (Stress-Testing)

Use AI as a thinking partner:

Run a structured pro/con analysis
Test your assumptions
Identify blind spots

Document the key insights and assumptions.

Step 5: Verification

Verify the key claims that your decision depends on:

Which statistics, facts, or claims matter most to your decision?
Verify each with a web search or original source
Note which claims were accurate and which needed correction

Document what you verified and what you found.

Step 6: Decision

Make your decision based on the research:

What did you decide?
What was the reasoning?
What would make you reconsider?

Document the decision and reasoning.

Unlock the full lesson

You've read the first 2 sections. The rest of this lesson covers Deliverable Format, Decision Being Researched, Step 1: Information Gathering, Step 2: Comparison Matrix, Step 3: Thinking Partner, Step 4: Verification, Step 5: Decision, Workflow Template, Why This Matters, Your Practice Rep (Project) — plus a hands-on lab, quiz, and project artifact.

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