Everyday productivity
Build a research notebook from an expert’s videos
You will have a notebook of ten sources, three cited answers and a note on what you still need to verify.
Before you start
- An expert or channel you already trust
- A notebook tool that answers from your sources and shows where each answer came from
- A free account, if the tool needs one
Why a source-based notebook helps
A general chat answers from everything it has seen. A source-based notebook answers from the material you gave it and shows which source each point came from. That makes it easier to check.
Tools limit how many sources a notebook can hold, and the limits differ by plan. Check the tool’s help page before you start.
Step 1: Choose ten sources
- Pick one topic you want to learn, such as sleep or running a small shop.
- Choose ten videos or articles by the expert on that topic.
- Add them to a new notebook, following the tool’s own steps.
- Check that the tool shows each source as loaded.
Use only content you are allowed to use. Public videos are fine to watch, but check a tool’s terms for adding them.
Step 2: Ask for cited answers
Using only my sources, give me the expert’s main advice on [topic] in five points. Show which source each point comes from. Mark any point that appears in only one source. If sources disagree, say so.
Open at least two of the cited sources and confirm they say what the notebook claims.
Step 3: Apply it carefully
A notebook gives you a summary of one expert’s views, not a diagnosis or a plan for you. For health, money or legal topics, treat the output as questions to take to a qualified person.
- Write the three points you will try.
- Note what you still need to verify.
- Do not paste private health or financial details into any tool unless you understand how it stores them.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating one expert as the full picture
- Accepting answers without opening the cited source
- Using the output as medical, legal or financial advice
- Uploading content you do not have the right to use
Final checklist
- My notebook holds ten sources on one topic
- I asked for cited answers
- I opened two cited sources to confirm
- I wrote what still needs verifying