Research Brief — Claude Projects

Default: Markdown in Conversation

At the end of a session, say: "Generate the research brief."

The AI outputs the brief as formatted markdown directly in the conversation. Read findings, copy sections, or reference it for follow-up sessions — no extra steps required.

On Demand: HTML Export

Say: "Give me the HTML export."

The AI populates the report-template.html stored in references/ with session data and outputs the complete, self-contained HTML in conversation.

To save and open: 1. Copy the entire HTML block from the conversation 2. Save to a file with .html extension (e.g., research-brief-2026-05-28.html) 3. Open in your browser 4. File → Print → Save as PDF

Why Two Modes

Full HTML generation in-session has a token cost. The markdown default keeps session budget available for continued research. HTML export is user-triggered — appropriate for sessions that have produced findings worth preserving as a client deliverable.

What the AI Fills In

When populating the HTML template, the AI replaces every {{VARIABLE}} placeholder with real session data. It does not change the visual design — that's locked in the template. It only fills in your session's content.