How to Use Claude’s Research Feature for Standout Reports

TL;DR
Claude’s Research feature lets you automate market and competitor analysis in minutes, not days.With a clear, detailed prompt, Claude pulls data from dozens of reputable sources and produces a referenced report, ready to use or share. 

Why Is Claude’s Research Feature Changing the Game? (Context)

Manual research is one of the most frustrating parts of knowledge work. Most professionals spend hours digging through websites, pasting information into spreadsheets, and struggling to keep up with shifting competitors. It’s a constant battle to turn scattered facts into useful insight—especially when there’s pressure to deliver answers quickly.

This is where Claude’s Research function shifts the balance. Rather than treating research as a background chore, Claude turns it into a focused, repeatable process. Instead of juggling browser tabs, you type a prompt and get a structured, source-cited report. The promise is simple: let the machine handle the busywork, so you can get straight to the decisions that matter.

How to Get Value from Claude Research in Real Workflows 

Getting the best out of Claude’s Research mode comes down to clarity and precision. The feature works by interpreting your prompt and building a research plan based on exactly what you ask. If your request is broad or vague, the results will be too. If your request is sharp—naming the industry, the key players, the questions you want answered—Claude will reflect that focus in the output.

Start by opening Claude and selecting the Research option.

Take a few minutes to craft your prompt.

For example:

“Research the Australian legal technology sector. Analyse the top five vendors, compare their pricing models, summarise recent partnerships, and identify three areas of opportunity for a new entrant.”

Once you submit, Claude automatically gathers information from over 50 reputable sources. It organises the findings, compares data, and highlights the requested insights. When the process finishes, you receive a downloadable PDF or Markdown report. Every claim is linked to its source, so you can check or cite the data confidently.

If you’re running multiple projects, Claude can help keep each analysis consistent using the same format, the same level of depth, and the same reference quality every time.

What Results Can You Expect?

The practical outcome is a dramatic reduction in time spent on grunt work. A research cycle that might have taken a team a full week now takes less than an hour. Users report that they’re able to run more market scans, brief clients faster, and make decisions based on a broader, fresher data set.

The real gain isn’t just speed, it’s quality. Claude’s reports bring together a spread of current sources and present findings in a digestible, actionable format. Whether you’re prepping for a board meeting, responding to a client brief, or sizing up a new market, you walk away with a document that’s ready to use, share, or present.

Most importantly, Claude’s structured approach makes it much easier to spot patterns and gaps, helping you move from research to action without getting bogged down in the weeds.

Real-World Example: Using Claude for a Market Opportunity Scan 

Picture a consulting team preparing for a pitch in the crowded Australian hospitality technology space. The timeline is tight, and the client wants both a lay of the land and practical options for new investment. In the past, this would mean late nights combing through annual reports, scraping pricing data, and double-checking everything for accuracy.

With Claude, the team drafts a targeted prompt:

“Research the Australian hospitality technology market. Identify the five most prominent software providers, compare their features and pricing, summarise their most recent partnerships, and highlight three market gaps a new entrant could fill.”

Claude delivers a multi-page report. The data includes a breakdown of leading vendors, a table of pricing models, and a short list of possible angles for a disruptor to explore—all referenced and ready to slot into the presentation deck. The consultants spend their time refining recommendations and prepping for questions, rather than losing hours to data wrangling.

Why Learning to Use Claude Research is Now a Core Skill

Most knowledge workers have only scratched the surface of what AI-driven research tools can do. In sectors where information overload and constant change are the norm, knowing how to harness Claude’s Research feature is now a genuine advantage.

But, as with any tool, the difference comes from knowing how to use it well. Writing good prompts, understanding how to guide the research process, and interpreting AI-generated reports takes some learning. That’s why our AI 5 Day Bootcamp is built around real use cases. You get hands-on practice with prompts, feedback from peers, and the confidence to put AI to work in your own projects.

Claude’s Research function is not a magic wand, but it’s as close as you’ll get to an on-demand analyst for market, competitor, or trend research. Start with clear questions, use the reports to make smarter decisions, and, if you want to build these skills fast, join the Bootcamp and get the guidance you need to master modern research workflows.