Good use
Build a bounded evidence workspace.
Choose a small, deliberate set of approved guidance, reports or papers. Then ask questions that require comparison, source location and uncertainty rather than a single confident conclusion.
A practical workflow
- Define the question. Decide the population, substance, outcome, place and date range.
- Choose sources deliberately. Prioritise current official guidance, systematic reviews and relevant primary research.
- Check permission. Upload only material approved for the platform and purpose.
- Ask comparative questions. Where do sources agree, differ or use different definitions?
- Return to the document. Check key claims, tables and qualifications in the original pages.
Useful questions to ask
- Which recommendations are consistent across all sources?
- Where do the documents describe uncertainty or limitations?
- Which claims apply specifically to UK drug and alcohol practice?
- What has changed between the oldest and newest guidance?
- Which questions cannot be answered from this source set?
What the notebook cannot tell you
It cannot reveal guidance you did not include, guarantee that your sources are up to date or decide how evidence applies to a particular client. Source selection and professional interpretation remain human work.