Conflicting sources

How to use Perplexity to document a comparison of contradictory sources?

  • Perplexity

1250 € per session, excl. VAT

In short

Enhance the reliability of your information monitoring by learning to manage contradictory information. This course guides you in using Perplexity to identify, analyze, and compare diverging sources. You will build a structured summary, documenting points of friction and evaluating the quality of each source's evidence.

Why this training?

In a saturated information environment, professionals must often arbitrate between contradictory sources. Relying on a single source or an unverified summary is risky. This course addresses this challenge head-on. It is not about finding the 'right' answer with AI, but about using a tool like Perplexity to map the controversy. By learning to dissect AI responses, trace back to the sources, and systematically compare them, participants develop a critical and rigorous approach. They transform informational noise into a nuanced analysis of different perspectives. Participants will work on a fictional case study, such as analyzing the impact of two different economic policies based on simulated articles and reports. Using Perplexity, they will generate a summary, identify contradictory sources, evaluate them, and then build a comparison table. The goal is to produce a final document that clearly lays out each side's arguments and the state of knowledge, without taking a side. Deliverables: An analysis grid for assessing source reliability.; A comparison table of contradictory claims.; A summary report template for documenting uncertainties.. The course focuses on the methodology for comparative analysis using Perplexity. It does not guarantee that the tool will always find relevant or unbiased sources. The quality of the final output heavily depends on the user's critical judgment and analysis. The workshop is delivered in person as a private session for up to 12 participants, in one language chosen from French, Dutch and English. All exercise data is fictional or anonymised, and every result produced with AI is reviewed and validated by a responsible person. The aim is a bounded result the team can reuse, not a promise of deployment.

Objectives of this training

  • Identify the sources cited by Perplexity for a given query.
  • Compare claims from different sources to spot contradictions.
  • Evaluate the scope, date, and apparent reliability of sources.
  • Structure contradictory information in a comparison table.
  • Write a summary that clearly outlines points of disagreement and remaining uncertainties.

Who is it for and what are the prerequisites?

Roles and tasks concerned

  • Market Analysts
  • Competitive Intelligence Officers
  • Product Managers

Prior skills

  • This course assumes participants have completed our 'AI Fundamentals' and 'AI Prompting' training or have equivalent experience. A paid subscription to Perplexity offering the features used in the exercises is required, along with your organization's authorization to use this third-party tool. Participants must have their own accounts and access rights. Exercises are based on fictional or anonymized data.

What you will work on

  1. Identifying and Collecting Sources

    Using Perplexity to generate an initial summary and its sources. Navigating the provided sources directly from the interface.

  2. Critical Source Analysis

    Determining the date, author, and nature of each source (press, study, blog). Assessing the scope and angle of each source to understand its context.

  3. Structuring Contradictions

    Extracting key claims from each source. Matching claims that contradict or qualify one another.

  4. Synthesizing and Documenting Uncertainty

    Writing a neutral summary of points of convergence and divergence. Assessing the quality of evidence for each contradictory claim.

What you take away

  • An analysis grid for assessing source reliability.
  • A comparison table of contradictory claims.
  • A summary report template for documenting uncertainties.

Method and assessment

  • Alternating between methodological explanations and hands-on practice.
  • Individual work on guided practical cases.
  • Q&A and experience-sharing session.

Continuous assessment by the instructor through the completion of exercises and active participation.

Frequently asked questions

What concrete result does this course deliver?

Participants acquire a robust method for building reliable summaries, even when faced with contradictory information. Deliverables: an analysis grid for assessing source reliability., a comparison table of contradictory claims., a summary report template for documenting uncertainties..

Who is this course for and what are the prerequisites?

It is designed for: market analysts, competitive intelligence officers, product managers. This course assumes participants have completed our 'AI Fundamentals' and 'AI Prompting' training or have equivalent experience. A paid subscription to Perplexity offering the features used in the exercises is required, along with your organization's authorization to use this third-party tool. Participants must have their own accounts and access rights. Exercises are based on fictional or anonymized data.

What data and access need to be arranged?

Participants must ensure they have a working Perplexity account before the session. Required tools and licences are checked before the session; no subscription is included in the price.

What practical exercise is completed?

Participants will work on a fictional case study, such as analyzing the impact of two different economic policies based on simulated articles and reports. Using Perplexity, they will generate a summary, identify contradictory sources, evaluate them, and then build a comparison table. The goal is to produce a final document that clearly lays out each side's arguments and the state of knowledge, without taking a side.

What are the limits and who validates the results?

The course focuses on the methodology for comparative analysis using Perplexity. It does not guarantee that the tool will always find relevant or unbiased sources. The quality of the final output heavily depends on the user's critical judgment and analysis.

Can the course be adapted to our line of work?

The content can be adapted to focus on the source types most relevant to your industry, such as financial reports, scientific studies, or specialized press articles, using examples specific to your field.

How is the session organised and what does it cost?

Half-day, private in-person session for up to 12 participants. The fee is €1,250 excluding VAT per session. Date and location are agreed during scoping; each session runs in a single language: French, Dutch or English.

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