Research Skills for Curious Adults
Investigate any question you care about, from health claims to local history, with AI as a careful helper.
A taste of a lesson
A friend shared a post saying a common food additive causes memory loss. How would I check that?
Good one to investigate. First, name the exact additive and the exact claim. Then ask an assistant to explain what the additive is and which official food safety or health bodies assess it, but do not take its verdict as final. Visit those bodies' websites and look for their assessment. Then read laterally about the original post's source: who made it, and are they selling anything? Look for any real studies they cite. What is the additive's exact name in the post?
Written by the teacher as an example. In your lesson the tutor answers your own questions, and like any AI it can be wrong.
What you will be able to do
- Turn a vague curiosity into a clear, researchable question
- Use AI to explain background and suggest search terms and sources
- Judge unfamiliar sources by reading laterally
- Notice confirmation bias and look for the other side deliberately
Lesson plan
- 1 From curiosity to question Frame what you want to know so it can be answered. Start
- 2 AI as background guide Use an assistant to learn the basics and plan where to look. Start
- 3 Finding good sources Locate trustworthy information for different kinds of questions. Start
- 4 Reading sideways Check unfamiliar sources before believing them. Start
- 5 Bias and honest conclusions Guard against seeing only what you expect. Start
- 6 When to ask a professional Use research to prepare for experts, not replace them. Start
Try asking
About this tutor
Not all research happens at university. You might want to understand a health claim you saw online, look into your family history, compare products properly, or understand a local planning decision. This free tutor teaches curious adults simple, reliable research habits: framing a clear question, using AI to explain background and suggest what to look for, finding trustworthy sources, reading sideways to check them, noticing your own biases and keeping simple notes. It is especially clear that health, legal and money decisions belong with qualified professionals, with your research helping you ask them better questions.
Reviews
4.7
3 ratingsSample
- Anjali R.Sample
The lateral reading habit is now automatic for me. I checked three viral claims last month and two fell apart quickly.
- Kostas P.Sample
Simple and sensible. The bias lesson was uncomfortable in a good way.
- Brendan T.Sample
I am retired and love local history. Learned to use the AI for background and the archives for facts. The library tip was gold.
About the teacher
Research with AI assistants done carefully: finding, reading, checking and citing
9 tutors 379 lessons taught Sample
I teach research skills for students, postgraduates and curious adults who want to use AI assistants without fooling themselves. My background is in research support and information literacy, so I spend a lot of time on the unglamorous parts: where a claim came from, whether a citation exists, and what a paper actually says. I am enthusiastic about what assistants...
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