> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aidocs.ethanbragdon.icu/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Search, Research & Citations

> Use Starfire AI search, deeper research workflows, citations, and source verification appropriately.

# Search, research & citations

Starfire distinguishes ordinary model knowledge from workflows that retrieve current external information.

## When normal chat is enough

Use ordinary chat when the task depends mainly on reasoning, writing, transformation, or material you already provided.

Examples:

* rewrite this paragraph
* explain this code
* brainstorm architecture options
* summarize an attached document

## When search is useful

Use search when the answer depends on information that can change or must be verified from an external source.

Examples:

* current product documentation
* recent releases
* pricing or availability
* news or time-sensitive information
* external technical specifications

## When deeper research is better

A research workflow is designed for questions that need more than a single lookup. It can involve planning, multiple searches, source collection, claim comparison, verification, and report generation.

Typical research flow:

```text theme={null}
Research question
      ↓
Planner
      ↓
Search tasks / queries
      ↓
Sources
      ↓
Claims + conflicts
      ↓
Verification
      ↓
Cited report
```

## Citations

A citation should let the reader connect a claim to the source that supports it. Citation presence alone does not make a weak source authoritative.

When reviewing a researched answer, check:

* whether the source actually supports the claim
* source date for time-sensitive topics
* whether a quote or statistic is in context
* whether conflicting sources were acknowledged
* whether an inference is being presented as a fact

## Citation verification

Starfire's research architecture includes citation-verification concepts so a research run can track sources, claims, and conflicts rather than treating retrieval as a black box.

<Note>
  Research depth, source limits, available search providers, and citation features can vary by plan, deployment, or rollout stage.
</Note>

## Research in Control Center

Authorized operators can inspect research operational metadata such as run state, source counts, verification state, model usage, and credits without treating private user content as an unrestricted admin browsing surface.

<Card title="Research administration" icon="flask" href="/admin/intelligence">
  Learn how research, build jobs, artifacts, and knowledge operations appear in Control Center.
</Card>