Research
Find, compare and synthesize information without treating fluent output as verified truth.
What good looks like
A good tool improves the outcome or reduces the time required without creating unacceptable privacy, cost, quality or dependency risks.
A practical test
- Demand visible sources
- Open and inspect key citations
- Separate discovery from verification
- Record the date of the research
Common trap
Testing on a polished demo instead of your real work. Use the same task, source material and success criteria for every candidate.
FAST questions for this category
- Fit: Does it improve the category-specific outcome you actually need?
- Access: Can the intended user learn and operate it within the available workflow?
- Scale: What happens to cost when usage, exports, collaborators or automation volume increases?
- Trust: Are data handling, rights, reliability and review controls acceptable?