Ask a grounded question

Use this guide to ask Atlas a question that returns an answer with citations linking back to exact passages in your project sources.

Before you start

• The relevant source or note must be in the current project.
• Source processing must have finished.
• Your question must be answerable from the available material.

If a source is missing or still processing, resolve that first.

Steps

1. Open chat in the correct project.
2. Write a specific question that names the source, claim, method, or comparison you want to explore.
3. Send the question.
4. Read the answer and check whether important claims include citation badges.
5. Select a citation badge to open the source at the exact passage.

What makes a good question

Be specific. Name the source, topic, or claim you are asking about.

Good examples:

• What evidence does this paper give for its main claim?
• What limitations do the authors mention?
• Compare the methods used in these two sources.
• Which source supports the claim that retrieval reduces hallucination?

Vague questions like "What do my sources say?" often return summaries without useful citations. Narrow questions return evidence you can verify.

Useful follow-up questions

After an initial answer, ask:

• Cite the evidence for that claim.
• Answer using only the paper I mentioned.
• Which source disagrees with this?
• What caveat does the source include for this finding?
• Show the passage that supports this.

Result

A well-formed grounded question returns an answer with numbered citation badges. Each badge links to the source passage Atlas used. You can verify, follow up, or save the finding as a note.

Troubleshooting

Related topics

• Citation system
• Follow citations back to source
• Troubleshoot citations and weak answers