EVIDENCE & KNOWLEDGE · 4 min read
A research assistant should show its working
How an insights assistant can retrieve research findings while retaining source links, study context and uncertainty.
A fluent answer is easy to produce. A useful answer shows the evidence it relied on and the limits of what that evidence can support.
Choose a source boundary
Start with an approved collection of research documents. Retain ownership, dates, study context and access permissions. Avoid treating every available file as equally relevant or equally suitable for a particular question.
Retrieve before writing
A retrieval workflow finds passages relevant to the question before generating a response. The answer should point to the specific sources it used, so a reviewer can inspect context rather than simply trusting a citation label.
Make disagreement visible
Studies can differ because their samples, questions, markets or time periods differ. The assistant should surface that context and conflicting findings. Combining statements into a single confident answer can obscure the real research problem.
Test questions it cannot answer
Include questions where the approved library contains no useful evidence. Evaluate whether the assistant acknowledges that gap, and test attempts to retrieve material a user should not access.
Keep the researcher involved
Use the assistant to locate evidence and prepare a draft briefing. A researcher checks relevance, methods and interpretation before the result informs an important decision.