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Lesson Content

The source trust hierarchy for Perplexity citations.

Apply different trust levels to different types of sources:

Tier A – Highest trust: Government statistical agencies, peer-reviewed academic journals, official regulatory bodies. Best for: factual statistics, legal requirements, clinical evidence.

Tier B – High trust: Major established news organizations with editorial standards, professional associations, academic institutions. Best for: current events, professional standards, field knowledge.

Tier C – Moderate trust: Industry publications, established blogs by identified experts, Wikipedia (as a starting point only). Best for: general background, field orientation, initial research direction.

Tier D – Use with caution: Anonymous forums, marketing content, opinion pieces, company-sponsored content. Best for: directional awareness of perspectives – always verify against Tier A/B sources before professional use.

Five categories requiring non-negotiable professional review.

Regardless of how thorough, well-cited, or comprehensive Perplexity's research appears – always consult qualified human professionals for:

1. Medical decisions: Diagnosis, treatment decisions, medication decisions. Perplexity can help you research and formulate better questions – it cannot replace clinical professional judgment.

1. Legal matters: Contract review, employment law, compliance requirements, litigation, regulatory interpretation. Legal outcomes depend on jurisdiction-specific nuance that no research tool can fully capture.

1. Financial and investment decisions: Investment advice, tax strategy, financial planning, insurance decisions. Regulated financial advice requires licensed professionals who can be held accountable.

1. Safety-critical technical decisions: Engineering specifications, safety system design, infrastructure decisions. These require licensed professional sign-off.

1. Mental health and crisis support: Perplexity is a research tool – if you or someone else is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact qualified mental health professionals or crisis resources (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 in the United States).

Communicating the provenance of AI-assisted research.

When sharing research that began with Perplexity, be transparent:

• "I did initial research using Perplexity AI and verified key claims against [specific sources]"
• "Based on [specific authoritative source] – which I found through Perplexity and verified directly"

Do not present Perplexity research as independent expert research. The distinction matters professionally.