Research and sources
Choose what to read first from a research list
A long reading list needs an order. Rank each item by how directly it addresses your specific question, what type of evidence it offers and whether its age matters. Base the ranking on the text you have, such as an abstract or table of contents, and mark everything else as unknown.
A text to start with
My question is [question] and I have [hours] to read. Here is my list with the abstracts or descriptions I have: [items]. Rank the items by relevance to my question, noting the evidence type and whether recent publication matters here. Use only what the text says. For items where I gave no abstract, say you cannot judge them.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Reading priority list
My question: [ ] Hours available: [ ] Recency matters because / does not matter because: [ ] Source: [ ] Passage that shows relevance: [ ] Evidence type (original data, review, opinion, other): [ ] Publication date: [ ] Based on (abstract, full text, title only): [ ] Priority (read now / later / skip / unknown): [ ] Reason: [ ] Unread items and why: [ ]
Rankings built on titles alone
Check that each rank points to a phrase in the abstract or description you supplied. A confident ranking of an item with only a title is a guess. Make sure no findings are attributed to a paper beyond what its abstract states. Confirm that the recency judgment reflects how fast your topic changes, not a general preference for new work. Look for review articles ranked above original studies without a reason. Items marked unknown should stay unranked until you open them.
Ask another agent to check the result
Do not accept rankings based on titles alone, and flag any finding attributed to a paper that its abstract does not state. Show which ranks lack a supporting phrase from the text I gave. List items that should be marked unknown until opened.
Read in order and revise
Read the top items first and write a line on how each one answers or fails to answer your question. Re-rank the remaining list after each, since early reading often shifts what you need. Open the unknown items briefly to place them. Stop when your question is answered or your hours run out, and note what stayed unread.