ChatGPT for research

ChatGPT for research | OpenAI

April 10, 2026

OpenAI Academy

ChatGPT for research

Use ChatGPT to move from questions to evidence-backed insights and decisions.

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Researching with ChatGPT helps you move from question to evidence to decision more quickly. You can use it to gather and synthesize information, compare sources, and produce structured reports that include citations—so your output is easier to trust and easier to share. It’s useful for both quick orientation and for deeper, multi-step investigations.

Why use ChatGPT for research?

• Turn a fuzzy question into a clear research plan and set of sub-questions.
• Sift through many sources faster and capture the important details with citations.
• Produce consistent deliverables such as briefs, memos, competitor tables, annotated bibliographies.
• Identify gaps, contradictions, and weak signals early—before committing to a direction.

How to get started

ChatGPT offers two main approaches for research, depending on how deep you need to go:

Search is best for fast orientation. It pulls in up-to-date information from the web and summarizes it with citations, so you can quickly review sources and move forward.

Try it outSearch the public web for the latest news and announcements about the U.S. grocery delivery market in the last 90 days. Prioritize company press releases, earnings coverage, and reputable business reporting. Summarize the 5 most important developments, include dates and links, and end with what these changes may mean for a regional delivery company.

Deep research is best when the question needs multiple steps. It can break the problem into sub-questions, gather and evaluate sources across those threads, and then synthesize the results into a more structured deliverable—like a brief, memo, or comparison—where the reasoning and citations are easier to audit and share.

Try it outConduct deep research on how rising private-label adoption is changing competition in the household cleaning products market. Use public reporting, retailer announcements, earnings commentary, trade coverage, and consumer trend research. I want a structured brief that explains what is changing, why it is happening, which companies seem most exposed, how branded manufacturers are responding, and what strategic implications this creates for fictional company BlueHarbor Home Care. Clearly separate well-supported findings from more directional observations.

Tips for success

• Ask for a research outline first, including sub-questions, source strategy, and evaluation criteria.
• Require citations for key claims, and request a source quality check when accuracy matters.
• Ask for a “what’s missing” section to surface unknowns, disputed areas, or data limitations.
• If you need to share findings, request a one-page or one-slide summary alongside the full output.
• Follow up with targeted prompts such as “Go deeper on X,” “Validate Y,” or “Compare A vs B.”

Cited executive briefWrite a 1-page brief on [topic] for [audience]. Include: key findings (with citations), risks/unknowns, and a recommendation. Constraints: [region/timeframe].

Competitive landscape tableCompare 8 competitors in [market]. Create a table with positioning, pricing model, key differentiators, target customer, and ‘evidence’ links for each row. Then summarize whitespace opportunities.

Literature review from PDFsFrom these uploaded papers, produce an annotated bibliography and a synthesis section: themes, disagreements, and top 5 open questions. PDFs: [upload].

Policy + regulatory scanResearch [regulation/policy] updates from the last 12 months. Summarize changes, who is impacted, and practical implications for a [industry] company. Provide citations after each key point.

Market signals and trend watchTrack emerging trends in [domain]. Identify 10 weak signals (funding, hiring, research, product launches), explain why each matters, and suggest what to monitor next. Include sources and dates.

Cited executive briefWrite a 1-page brief on [topic] for [audience]. Include: key findings (with citations), risks/unknowns, and a recommendation. Constraints: [region/timeframe].

Competitive landscape tableCompare 8 competitors in [market]. Create a table with positioning, pricing model, key differentiators, target customer, and ‘evidence’ links for each row. Then summarize whitespace opportunities.

Literature review from PDFsFrom these uploaded papers, produce an annotated bibliography and a synthesis section: themes, disagreements, and top 5 open questions. PDFs: [upload].

Policy + regulatory scanResearch [regulation/policy] updates from the last 12 months. Summarize changes, who is impacted, and practical implications for a [industry] company. Provide citations after each key point.

Market signals and trend watchTrack emerging trends in [domain]. Identify 10 weak signals (funding, hiring, research, product launches), explain why each matters, and suggest what to monitor next. Include sources and dates.

Cited executive briefWrite a 1-page brief on [topic] for [audience]. Include: key findings (with citations), risks/unknowns, and a recommendation. Constraints: [region/timeframe].

Competitive landscape tableCompare 8 competitors in [market]. Create a table with positioning, pricing model, key differentiators, target customer, and ‘evidence’ links for each row. Then summarize whitespace opportunities.

Literature review from PDFsFrom these uploaded papers, produce an annotated bibliography and a synthesis section: themes, disagreements, and top 5 open questions. PDFs: [upload].

Policy + regulatory scanResearch [regulation/policy] updates from the last 12 months. Summarize changes, who is impacted, and practical implications for a [industry] company. Provide citations after each key point.

Market signals and trend watchTrack emerging trends in [domain]. Identify 10 weak signals (funding, hiring, research, product launches), explain why each matters, and suggest what to monitor next. Include sources and dates.

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