This is Lesson #16 of the ANTIghostwriter course — a free, complete system for creating authentic content with AI assistance.
New here? Start from the full course overview.
Previous lesson: #15: Keep Your Author Style Guide Fresh and Evolving
What You’ll Learn
Transform your articles from opinion pieces to credible, data-backed content. In this lesson, you’ll use ChatGPT’s Deep Research feature to find scientific studies, statistics, real-world examples, and quotes from notable figures — all in 20-40 minutes instead of weeks of manual research. I’ll give you the complete research prompt that produces organized, verifiable material.
Time to complete: ~40 minutes (20-40 for AI research + review)
Raw Material and AI-Powered Research for Content Creation
At this stage, we have raw material consisting of your notes exported into text format. You can read them, edit them, or add anything you remember while reviewing these notes.
I recommend at least reading through your notes to verify everything is correct from the standpoint of the key idea you want to convey and to ensure you have all the elements needed for the article structure we’ll discuss later. But generally, this should just be raw material.
Even if some elements are missing, artificial intelligence can help fill these gaps. The biggest gaps are typically real data, statistics, concrete examples, and appropriate quotes from notable figures—everything that can enrich your future article.
We’re now approaching the most interesting part: conducting research using artificial intelligence, which excels at this task. AI can search the internet for various sources, scientific materials, data, statistics, and do this in all languages. It can search the entire internet for suitable, relevant sources, which is exactly what we’ll be using.
What might have taken a person a week to accomplish—searching for information, verifying data, finding appropriate quotes—AI can do in minutes. Previously, you would have needed to read books, look for subject matter experts, watch videos, and collect quotes. Now artificial intelligence can do all of this for us, significantly reducing time. I see absolutely no reason to spend your valuable human time on this essentially mechanical work. There is an intellectual component to analyzing this material, but we can take what AI finds for us and then proceed with our analysis. The compilation of this material is something we can confidently delegate to artificial intelligence.
Tools Needed
Launch ChatGPT. A couple of recommendations: ChatGPT works well in a browser, but they also have a desktop application. The application for Mac or Windows has several advantages with functions not available in the browser.
For example, there’s a button that allows you to take screenshots and immediately send them to the chat. There’s also a convenient companion window that floats above other windows. I often use it as a proofreader when checking for errors in my English. When writing answers on forums, I load the text there, and it corrects any errors. It’s a very convenient tool.
It does have a few rough edges and unfixed bugs at the moment, but I expect they’ll fix them over time.
We need ChatGPT because Claude doesn’t yet have Deep Research capability. Open a new chat and paste the following prompt, which will transform GPT into a scientific researcher.
Prompt for ChatGPT Deep Research
<SYSTEM>
I want you to conduct a deep, evidence-backed analysis of the topic and material I will provide. Your task is to perform structured research using only credible and verifiable sources. The output will help me create educational content based on deep understanding, real-world relevance, and scientific grounding. Follow the structure and instructions below exactly.
IMPORTANT: The material you will receive is original and authored by the user. Do not attribute it to anyone else — fictional or real. Do not invent personas or imply outside authorship. Treat the user as the original and sole author.
IMPORTANT: The source material may be written in any language. It is provided in its original language to preserve the precise meaning, emotional nuance, and conceptual depth. However, your analysis and all research output must be written in English only.
You may consult and cite materials in any language, provided they are credible and relevant to the topic. The multilingual nature of research sources should not affect the clarity and structure of the final English output.
</SYSTEM>
<CONTEXT>
Your goals are to:
– Identify and fact-check claims in the provided material using credible evidence
– Present 5 real-world examples that illustrate the topic and its key elements in action
– Provide at least 5 statistics or scientific data points to support or challenge the claims and illustrate the scale of the issue
– Include and build a list of at least 10 quotes from well-known figures (dead or alive) that relate directly to the topic
– Deliver information required for a deep analysis, including a breakdown of specific mechanisms or subtopics
– Conclude with a thematic summary that connects the findings and provides insight for educational writing
</CONTEXT>
<INSTRUCTIONS>
When the user provides material for analysis:
1. Read and Parse the Provided Material
– The original may be in a non-English language — treat it as authoritative
– Identify and extract all major claims or assertions in the input
– Clearly list each claim before analyzing it
– IMPORTANT: Do not repeat the same idea more than once if it’s already covered elsewhere
– Treat the text as original authorial work. Never attribute it to anyone else
2. Conduct Evidence-Based Research
– For each claim, gather facts, statistics, case studies, or peer-reviewed research from reputable, verifiable sources in any language
– Classify each claim as:
• Supported
• Refuted
• Inconclusive (evidence unclear or unavailable)
– Provide real scientific sources or research data to back each finding
– Where appropriate, include charts or graphs to illustrate trends, metrics, or outcomes (e.g., population shifts, economic change, behavioral effects).
– Clearly cite every source (title, organization/author, year, and link if available)
3. Present Real-World Examples
– Identify and describe 5 relevant real-world cases (projects, events, organizations, policies, or historical examples) that demonstrate how the topic plays out in practice
– Each example should tie back to a theme or claim in the original material
4. Include Scientific Data and Statistics
– Present at least 5 quantitative data points (e.g., survey results, research metrics, official records) that reinforce or challenge the claims made
– Include the source and context for each one
– Use visual aids like charts where appropriate
5. Quote Relevant Figures
– Include 10–15 quotes from influential figures (dead or alive) who are connected to the topic
– Each quote must include the full text, name, role/title, and original source
– Prioritize thematic variety and real insight over repetition
6. List Unverifiable or Speculative Claims
– Identify any claims from the original material that could not be proven or disproven
– Explain why they remain inconclusive (e.g., insufficient data, subjective framing, disputed theory)
7. Generate a Thematic Summary
– Synthesize the findings into a high-level summary that connects key insights, contradictions, and the overall meaning of the research
– Do not repeat what has already been said
– Include visuals (if useful) and further reading links or references when appropriate
– Ensure that the entire output is in English, regardless of the source language
</INSTRUCTIONS>
<OUTPUT_FORMAT>
Topic: [Insert topic]
Material Summary: [Brief recap of the user’s source material]
Claim Verification
Claim #1: "[Quoted or paraphrased statement]"
– Status: Supported / Refuted / Inconclusive
– Evidence: [Sourced fact or data]
– Chart (if applicable): [Short description + source]
(Repeat for each major claim)
Unverifiable or Speculative Claims
Claim: "[Statement]"
– Reason: [Why it could not be confirmed or disproved]
Real-World Examples
Example 1: [Title or summary]
– Explanation: [Relevance to the topic]
(5 total)
Scientific Data & Statistics
Data Point 1: [Fact or measurement]
– Source: [Citation]
(At least 5 total)
Notable Quotes
"[Quote]" – [Full Name], [Role/Title], [Source]
(10–15 total)
Thematic Summary
[A complete synthesis of the topic, based on factual research and illustrative insights. Charts may be included where helpful. All content must be presented in English.]
</OUTPUT_FORMAT>
<CONSTRAINTS>
– Use only trusted academic, governmental, or institutional sources
– Never fabricate, simplify, or generalize unsupported data
– Avoid filler, repetition, vague commentary, or promotional tone
– Do not assume the material belongs to anyone other than the user
– If a source or claim is disputed, flag it and explain the nature of the disagreement
– Final research must be entirely written in English
</CONSTRAINTS>Instructions for Using the Prompt
Before launching this prompt, you must click the Deep Search button. This is mandatory—if you skip this step, ChatGPT will hallucinate and fabricate scientific data and statistics.
The Deep Search button enables real research through internet searches, material comparison, and context verification—everything that should happen during a legitimate investigation that we’re delegating to AI.
Before launching the prompt, attach your document with the raw material (your article). I recommend using a document format like PDF, which is available in Notion, Kortex, and with proper setup in Microsoft Word. You can also attach a Word document or simple text file. ChatGPT will understand and parse it. The main thing is to use a single document to set the context properly.
Research with this prompt typically takes 20-40 minutes, so it’s best to start it in advance and let it work. It will use this time to find necessary materials and compile them into a single document.
Once completed, you’ll receive a ready document that can be exported to PDF or saved as a separate text document in your note storage system.
Check that all required materials are present according to these points:
- Confirmations of your idea
- Refutations of your idea (optional)
- Unconfirmed statements (such as subjective judgments)
- Statistical data
- Real examples
- Quotes
- Summary of conclusions
With all this in place, you’ll be ready to move to the next step.
