Research Without Drowning

The parts, in order

1. 01 Frame a Question a Machine Can Help With Elicit wants a full sentence, Perplexity's search docs want four keywords. Pick the question shape before you pick the research tool. Beginner ~8 min Verified July 31, 2026
2. 02 Search With AI Without Getting Fabricated Citations Perplexity's own docs warn that model-generated URLs can be hallucinated. A three-check routine for catching a fake citation before you cite it. Beginner ~10 min Verified July 31, 2026
3. 03 How to Use NotebookLM for a Literature Review NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook. Fit 40 papers under the free 50-source cap, name your sources, and see where Google's docs go quiet. Beginner ~8 min Verified July 31, 2026
4. 04 Build a Notebook That Answers From Your Sources Only Gemini Notebook says chat uses only your sources. Its own docs describe a paid mode that searches the web. Lock the notebook down, then test it. Intermediate ~8 min Verified July 31, 2026
5. 05 Summarize Without Losing the Argument Default summaries keep findings and drop the reasoning. A prompt and the Gemini Notebook settings that preserve scope, hedges and counterevidence. Beginner ~7 min Verified July 31, 2026
6. 06 Track a Claim Back to the Original Source Four checkpoints from an AI answer back to a real paper: click the citation, resolve the DOI at Crossref, compare indexes, check for a retraction. Intermediate ~8 min Verified July 31, 2026
7. 07 Keep a Literature Log That Stays Current Only Google Drive sources re-sync in Gemini Notebook. Build the log there, feed it from Zotero, and re-check retractions on a monthly pass. Beginner ~8 min Verified July 31, 2026
8. 08 Where AI Research Tools Quietly Fail Planned

Prerequisites are advisory. Every part is written to work on its own, so start wherever your problem is.