What is research when it comes to AI content?
The key to great content, whether you're using AI or not, is to have great sources and relevant research to back up your work.
This is where our Research feature comes in. Not only do we offer Directed Research, where you can specify the exact webpages you want our research agents to scrape for context, we also offer Automated Research where our research agents will automatically find the most credible sources to add value to your content.
This approach satisfies Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) requirements while saving you hours of manual research and fact-checking work.
The Research & Citation Problem
Manual research and citation is slow, error-prone, and often results in content that lacks credibility.
Time-Consuming Research
Manual research for a well-cited article takes hours of work:
- •Search for credible sources across multiple databases
- •Read and extract relevant information from each source
- •Cross-reference facts across multiple publications
- •Format citations properly for each reference
- •Build bibliography with correct attribution
Credibility Issues
AI content without citations faces trust problems:
- •No way to verify claims or facts presented
- •Readers question accuracy without sources
- •Fails Google's E-E-A-T quality standards
- •Risk of outdated or incorrect information
- •Lower rankings in competitive niches
Scaling Limitations
High-quality research doesn't scale without citations:
- •Each article requires dedicated research time
- •Difficult to maintain consistency across writers
- •Quality drops as you increase content volume
- •Expensive to hire qualified researchers
- •Can't produce research-backed content at scale
How Machined's Research Feature Works
Choose Automated or Directed Research
Automated Research finds reputable sources for you whereas Directed Research allows you to specify exact webpages such as competitors, industry news, well-known publications, and more.
Machined Pulls Relevant Content
Machined retrieves the most relevant content from all the sources to create a long list of potential facts to be used in the article.
Article Creation
Machined's article generation will use the most important facts to create a well-researched and high-quality article. These sources can be included as external links in the article
Manual Research vs. Machined's Research
| Task | Manual Research | Machined's Research |
|---|---|---|
| Topic Research | 2-4 hours | Automated |
| Source Discovery | 1-2 hours | Automated |
| Citation Formatting | 30-60 minutes | Automated |
| Bibliography Creation | 15-30 minutes | Automated |
| Total Time per Article | 5-10 hours | under 10 minutes |
Why Research Builds Better Content
Authoritative Citations
Provide citations and external links from credible sources such as industry reports, well-ranking sites, and trusted publications.
Deep Research Coverage
Go beyond surface-level content. Machined researches topics thoroughly, extracting insights from dozens of authoritative sources.
Proper Source Attribution
Citations are formatted correctly with links to original sources. Build credibility and satisfy E-E-A-T requirements.
Research & Citation Features
Other Features
Take a look at the other key features of Machined
Content Cluster Automation
Automated keyword clustering & anti-cannibalization
Automatic Internal Linking
Contextual, keyword-optimized links across all content
Automated Keyword Research
AI-powered keyword discovery and intent analysis
Deep AI Research
Agent-based research with authoritative citations
One-Click Publishing
WordPress, Webflow, and webhook integrations
Customization
Full control over voice, research depth, and AI models
Plus Everything Else You Need
AI Research & Citations FAQ
Everything you need to know about research-backed content