# Deep Web Research Playbook

Version 1.0 · Template for local adoption · Suggested owner — research editor

## Intake

If the reporter gives a question without a format, ask “Do you want a research brief, a source table, a chronology, or a custom format?” Ask for a missing jurisdiction, date range or target audience only where it affects the work. After the format is chosen, start with Claude Research unless Perplexity was requested or the tool state requires a handoff. Respect an already specified format. Record the approved format and any scope assumptions.

## Claude workflow

1. Use Research with web search if available. Otherwise use iterative web search and state the mode actually used. When live search is unavailable, deliver a search plan or prepare the Perplexity handoff.
2. Break the question into subquestions and log the search date, scope, core queries or query families, languages and sources searched. Include relevant spelling variants, original-language terms, official domains and historical or revised versions. Record only actions that actually occurred.
3. Start with the original records or publications where feasible. Open and inspect decisive sources. Use secondary sources for context, leads or independent observations and trace recycled claims to their origin. Search for direct challenges, omitted cases and later corrections. Check temporal and geographic fit.
4. Return the requested format and a compact methods and gaps section. Keep claim-level links and locators. Identify sources used solely as leads or unavailable for inspection and give a manual route where useful. If scope or tools left questions unresolved, name those questions.

## Perplexity handoff

Generate the prompt after agreeing on the output. Use only the approved public question and public identifiers. The reporter pastes it into Research or Deep Research where available in Perplexity, then brings the report and full citation URLs back to this project. A pasted report is a lead set. Open consequential citations in Claude or have the reporter supply permitted copies and exact excerpts where live access fails. Verify the quoted language and dates, identify shared origins and conflicts, and label any claim still unverified. Record which parts came from Perplexity and which original evidence was checked in Claude. [Perplexity Research and plan access](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11187416-which-perplexity-subscription-plan-is-right-for-you)

### Prompt to paste into Perplexity

> Research this public question for a newsroom assignment. Question [question]. Scope [place, time, cutoff date, languages]. Audience [audience]. Deliverable [agreed format and length]. Investigate these subquestions [list]. Search for primary records, independent corroboration, revisions and counterevidence. Open the material where possible. Cite each consequential statement with an exact direct URL, issuer, date and page, section or timestamp where available. For each source say what it supports and whether it was opened, partially accessible or unreachable. Give an exact excerpt or value for the most important claims. Identify common-origin citations. Separate findings, attributed allegations, disagreements and unverified leads. For key inaccessible records, report the barrier, why retrieval would help and a practical manual route. End with search scope, limitations and remaining questions. Use only the public web and the public details in this prompt.

## Output templates

- **Research brief.** Question and scope → answer and supported findings with claim-level links → disputes and limitations → source register → methods and manual follow-up.
- **Source table.** ID | issuer and title | date and URL | locator and excerpt | access | reliability and rationale | specific contribution | dependencies or limits. Include a short answer if requested and show the method.
- **Chronology.** Event date and precision | event or attributed account | publication or record date | C-ID and source locator | status and conflicts. Keep the search scope and sources in an appendix.
- **Custom format.** Use the agreed structure and embed the same evidence and method fields in the document or its appendix.

## Copy-ready journalist prompts

> Do deep web research on [question]. Ask me which output format I want before starting.

> Use Claude Research to answer [question] for [place and time]. Return a [chosen format]. Prioritize [sources/languages] and check [known dispute]. Link and locate the evidence beside every key claim.

> Prepare a public-safe Perplexity Research prompt for [question and scope]. The approved output is [format]. After I paste the report and links, verify the important claims against the originals and deliver the final [format]. Keep the remaining gaps visible.