A small research database on a topic you choose. Claude reads a public document and writes down the numbers that answer your questions, each with the exact sentence it came from. A plain script with no AI checks every number against the saved original and marks it verified or held.
You leave with a system you can keep adding to. Nothing to download.
No GitHub account? Sign up at github.com/signup and enter the code GitHub emails you.
Go to github.com/lsarta/research-starter, click Use this template, then Create a new repository. Leave it public unless your source is private.
Go to claude.ai/code, connect GitHub when asked (allowing all repositories is simplest), and pick your new repository.
In the environment settings, set network access to Full so Claude can fetch your source.
On your computer
Open the Claude desktop app and go to the Code tab, choosing an empty folder (or open a terminal in an empty folder and type claude).
Paste the prompt below. If a Mac asks to install developer tools, say yes.
Clone https://github.com/lsarta/research-starter into this folder and open it.
Step 3: Build it one prompt at a time
Fill in the brackets.
1. Explain the system and write your questions.
Read CLAUDE.md and README.md and explain how this research system works. Then write questions.md for me. My topic is [topic] and I want to know [your questions].
2. Add your source. Claude saves the original and its fingerprint.
Add this source to the system following CLAUDE.md: [address]. It's [title]. Tell me if any pages or tables didn't come through cleanly.
Before you run it, guess how many will verify.
3. Pull the numbers and run the checker.
Add up to eight numbers from this source that answer the questions in questions.md to claims.json, following CLAUDE.md. Then run the checker and explain anything that was held.
4. The tamper test: change one word and watch the checker catch it.
Run a tamper test: change one word in my source's text, run the checker and show me what happened. Then put the file back and run it again.
5. Build a one-page view of what you found.
Build index.html, a one-page view of my verified claims grouped by question. Show each number with its quote and source, and list held claims separately with the reason.
Keep growing it
Add a second source on the same topic and ask Claude to compare them.
Add a check. For example, hold any claim whose quote mentions more than one month or year, so a person confirms it's the right period.
Chart it. A chart of verified values over time or across places.
Keep it current. Set up a Claude Code routine at claude.ai/code/routines that checks for new releases every week and adds them on a separate branch for you to review.
If you get stuck
Claude asks permission before running commands. Yes is fine.
If the source won't download, check that network access is Full, or copy the page text into the chat and Claude will save it exactly.
If it says no PDF extractor is installed, tell it to install pypdf.
If it says CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED on a Mac, tell Claude to use /usr/bin/python3.
If claude.ai/code doesn't show your repository, reconnect GitHub and allow all repositories.