Separate Research Facts from Interpretations
Write what the source directly establishes before adding what you think it means. This is a manual research discipline using highlights and Docs, not an automatic guarantee that a generated interpretation is true.
Before you start: Have the original source, a relevant research question and permission to inspect context. Include another researcher for consequential interpretations.
Worked example: A participant pauses at an invite form is an observation. They do not trust the product is one possible interpretation, but permission uncertainty or an interruption may explain the same behavior.
Step-by-step guide
Capture the observation
Describe the visible action or exact statement with a source reference. Avoid adding motive or cause in the same sentence.
Preserve the context
Record the task, relevant prompt and surrounding sequence. Check whether the behavior was observed directly or reported from memory.
Write the interpretation separately
State the proposed explanation as a hypothesis. Make the distinction visible in the research Doc.
List alternatives
Add at least one plausible competing explanation. Check whether the current evidence distinguishes between them.
Seek discriminating evidence
Review another source or plan a focused follow-up that could change the interpretation. Do not collect only more examples that agree.
Publish a qualified claim
State what is established, what is inferred and what remains uncertain. Link the observation and next question to the decision.
Common mistakes
Motive inserted into notes
An inference becomes difficult to challenge.
Quote removed from prompt
A leading question can change meaning.
Only confirming examples
Alternative explanations remain unresolved.
Tips
Use factual verbs in observation notes.
Keep hypothetical explanations explicitly labeled.
Ask what evidence would separate competing accounts.
Sources and verification
Based on product documentation checked on 2026-10-24. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.