Research with ChatGPT
Source: OpenAI Blog
Overview
ChatGPT can be a helpful research partner because it quickly brings together information from many sources, making it easier to explore ideas, spot patterns, and understand complex topics. By reasoning through context, citing sources, and producing clear, structured summaries, it helps turn open questions into well‑defined insights.
Search
ChatGPT search pulls the latest information from the internet directly into your conversation, letting you go beyond the model’s built‑in knowledge.
How to use Search
- Open a new chat in ChatGPT.
- Ask a question that requires current or detailed information (e.g., “What are the top three AI trends in healthcare in 2025?”), or click Web Search from the tools menu.
- Look for the small globe icon 🌐 next to the model’s response—this indicates that search was used.
- Click the citation links in the response to review the original sources.
- Follow up with clarifying prompts, such as “Summarize this in 3 bullet points for executives” or “Turn this into a customer‑facing email draft.”
Key points
- Citations – Always review linked sources before making decisions.
- Scope – Search won’t replace specialized databases (e.g., subscription research tools or proprietary data).
- Admin settings – In enterprise environments, Workspace Owners may enable or disable search.
Deep Research
Deep research uses reasoning to gather, summarize, and interpret extensive information from across the web, delivering more thorough answers than a standard web search.
How to use Deep Research
Open ChatGPT and select deep research from the tools menu.
Provide a clear, detailed prompt that includes your topic, goal, timeframe, and any key details. If more context is needed, the system will ask follow‑up questions.
I’m researching [topic] for [audience/decision/meeting]. Provide a report including recent key opportunities and risks, and 3‑5 actionable insights.
Review the generated report.
- Deep research may run for 5–30 minutes while it explores the web; you’ll receive a notification when the report is ready.
- Ask follow‑up questions or request further analysis, and the system will refine the output as needed.
Characteristics
- Every output includes clear citations, making verification easy.
- Particularly effective for niche, non‑intuitive information that would otherwise require reviewing many sources.
- Agentic: actively plans and carries out a multi‑step research process (searching, evaluating sources, refining queries, synthesizing findings).
Comparison of Search vs. Deep Research
| Feature | Search | Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Quickly retrieve specific facts, documents, or recent information. | Conduct multi‑step, in‑depth analysis on complex or ambiguous questions. |
| Typical use case | Find a recent press release, product spec sheet, news article, or a single data point (e.g., “What was the attendance at last year’s summer Olympics?”). | Explore broader questions like “What factors influence attendance at large international sporting events?” or “How do different countries prepare for hosting the Olympics?” |
| Depth of output | Concise results, direct answers, or links—similar to a smart web search. | Long‑form, evidence‑backed summaries with citations, trade‑offs, and reasoning steps. |
| Speed | Fast—typically a few seconds. | Slower—may take several minutes or more due to multi‑step reasoning. |
| Freshness | Prioritizes the latest available information; ideal for breaking news or time‑sensitive data. | Uses fresh sources when relevant but focuses on contextual understanding, not just recency. |
| Complexity of question | Best for well‑defined, specific queries. | Best for open‑ended, exploratory or strategic questions without a single right answer. |