How to interpret AI Research-generated reports? Which parts are most important?

Question Type

User Manual Question

Quick Answer

The 3 Most Important Parts:

Executive Summary: Core findings (3-5 insights)
Actionable Recommendations: Specific action plans
Highlight Conversation Excerpts: Evidence for insights

Reading Order:

First read executive summary (5 minutes) → Understand core findings
Then read actionable recommendations (5 minutes) → Know what to do
When in doubt, read detailed interviews (30 minutes) → Understand "why"

Complete Report Structure Interpretation

Part 1: Executive Summary (Most Important)

Location: First page of report

Content:

Research objectives
Participant personas (count and types)
Core findings (3-5 insights)

Example: Sparkling Coffee New Product Test

Executive SummaryResearch Objective:Test sparkling coffee new product acceptance and pricing strategyInterview Personas: 5 people- 2 price-sensitive types (Linda, Sarah)- 2 health-anxious types (Emma, Mia)- 1 social early-adopter (Chloe)Core Findings:1. ⚠️ Unwilling to risk in afternoon energy-boost scenario   Users unwilling to try new products during afternoon work, worry disappointment affects state.   Recommend adjusting to breakfast or weekend scenario.2. ✅ Zero-sugar concept attractive, but need to address sweetener concerns   Users interested in zero-sugar, but worry about sweetener safety.   Recommend labeling "natural sweetness, no additives".3. 💰 Price sensitivity point at ¥15-18   ¥18 near users' psychological upper limit, ¥20 causes hesitation.   Recommend pricing ¥15-16.4. 📸 Packaging appearance affects social sharing   Social early-adopter users care about packaging design, attractive ones get photographed and shared.   Recommend designing high-appearance packaging.5. 🔀 Significant differences between user groups   Price-sensitive types focus on value, health-anxious types focus on ingredients,   social early-adopters focus on appearance. Need segmented marketing.

How to Interpret Executive Summary

Understand Core Findings:

⚠️ Warning: Risks to note
✅ Opportunity: Advantages to leverage
💰 Key Data: Important quantitative indicators
📸 User Insights: Deep psychology and motivations
🔀 Difference Analysis: Variations between groups

Quick Judgment:

Is research direction correct?
Any unexpected findings?
Which findings most important?

Part 2: Actionable Recommendations (Most Important)

Location: Report end or separate section

Content:

Specific action plans based on insights
Expected effects
Priorities

Example: Sparkling Coffee Actionable Recommendations

Actionable RecommendationsRecommendation 1: Adjust Scenario Positioning (High Priority)Problem: Users unwilling to risk in afternoon energy-boost scenarioAction:- Position as "breakfast vitality time" or "weekend trial scenario"- Marketing copy:  "First cup in the morning, energize your whole day"Expected Effect:- Lower trial barrier- Increase conversion rate 15-20%Recommendation 2: Address Sweetener Concerns (High Priority)Problem: Users worry about sweetener safetyAction:- Prominently label "natural sweetness, no additives" on packaging- Display ingredient list- Provide authoritative certificationExpected Effect:- Increase health-anxious user trust- Reduce purchase hesitationRecommendation 3: Optimize Packaging Design (Medium Priority)Problem: Social early-adopter users care about appearanceAction:- Design high-appearance packaging (photo-friendly)- Consider limited editions/collaborations- Encourage user social sharingExpected Effect:- Increase social spread- Increase purchase intent 10-15%Recommendation 4: Pricing Strategy (High Priority)Problem: ¥18 near users' psychological upper limitAction:- Price at ¥15-16- Or launch ¥12 small size (lower trial barrier)Expected Effect:- Cover more price-sensitive users- Increase trial rateRecommendation 5: Segmented Marketing (Medium Priority)Problem: Different users focus on different aspectsAction:- Price-sensitive types: Emphasize value (¥16, zero-sugar health)- Health-anxious types: Emphasize ingredient safety (natural, no additives)- Social early-adopters: Emphasize appearance (photo-worthy, shareable)Expected Effect:- Increase conversion rates across different segments

How to Interpret Actionable Recommendations

Understand Priorities:

High priority: Execute immediately, major impact
Medium priority: Execute when resources allow
Low priority: Selectively execute

Evaluate Feasibility:

Can this recommendation be done?
How many resources needed?
Are expected effects reasonable?

Create Action Plan:

Select 2-3 high-priority recommendations
Assign responsible persons and timeline
Track execution results

Part 3: Individual Interview Details (Read for Deep Understanding)

Location: Middle of report

Content:

Detailed interview records for each persona
User profiles
Highlight conversation excerpts

Example: Linda's Interview Details

Linda (28, Product Manager, Shanghai)User Profile:- Income: 15-20K- Lifestyle: Busy on weekdays, efficiency-focused- Consumption characteristics: Price-sensitive, rational decisions- Pain points: Time-constrained, limited budgetCore Findings:1. Unwilling to risk in afternoon energy-boost scenario2. Price sensitivity point: ¥12-153. Need to see user reviews before purchasingHighlight Conversation Excerpts:Q: Would you buy ¥18 sparkling coffee?A: Probably not, a bit expensive.Q: Why do you think it's expensive?A: I usually buy ¥12 Americano, ¥18 exceeds my budget.Q: If it's ¥12, would you buy?A: Still no, mainly sparkling + coffee sounds weird.Q: Weird? What are you worried about?A: Worried the taste won't be good. And at that afternoon time,   I'm not in the mood to take risks. Coffee is for energy boost, not for trying new things.   If disappointed, my whole day's state is ruined.Q: In what scenario would you be willing to try?A: Morning or weekend, then I can afford the risk of disappointment.Key Insight:- Surface: Expensive- Deep: Risk aversion psychology in afternoon energy-boost scenario- Recommendation: Adjust to breakfast or weekend scenario

When to Read Detailed Interviews

Situation 1: Don't Understand Insight

Executive summary says "unwilling to risk in afternoon"
Don't understand why?
Read detailed interview to understand underlying logic

Situation 2: Need to Persuade Others

When reporting to boss
Use highlight conversation excerpts as evidence
"User Linda said: 'No mood to risk in afternoon'"

Situation 3: Deeply Optimize Product

Want to understand users' complete thought process
Path from awareness → hesitation → decision
Discover more optimization opportunities

Part 4: Cross-user Analysis (Read to Understand Differences)

Location: Middle or back of report

Content:

Common points (consensus)
Difference points (disagreements)
User segmentation

Example: Cross-user Analysis

Cross-user AnalysisConsensus Areas:1. Zero-sugar concept attractive (5/5 people mentioned)2. Packaging appearance important (3/5 people mentioned)3. Need to see ingredient list (4/5 people mentioned)Disagreement Areas:1. Price acceptance   - Price-sensitive types (Linda, Sarah): Within ¥15   - Quality-first types (Emma, Mia): ¥20 acceptable   - Social early-adopter (Chloe): Don't care about price2. Purchase scenario   - Linda: Breakfast or weekend   - Emma: Anytime   - Chloe: Social occasions3. Core appeal   - Price-sensitive types: Value   - Health-anxious types: Ingredient safety   - Social early-adopters: Appearance and noveltyUser Segmentation:Segment 1: Price-sensitive types (40%)- Focus on value- Budget ¥12-15- Need to see user reviewsSegment 2: Health-anxious types (40%)- Focus on ingredients and health- Willing to pay more for zero-sugar- Need authoritative certificationSegment 3: Social early-adopters (20%)- Focus on appearance and novelty- Not price-sensitive- Willing to share on social media

How to Use Cross-user Analysis

Understand Consensus:

Points all users agree on
Use as core selling points
Communicate first

Understand Disagreements:

Differentiated needs of different users
Segmented marketing
Avoid "one-size-fits-all"

User Segmentation:

Identify core target users
Design differentiated strategies
Prioritize

Interpretation Tips

Tip 1: Read Executive Summary and Recommendations First

5-minute Quick Understanding:

What are core findings?
What's recommended to do?
Any unexpected findings?

Don't Start with Detailed Interviews:

Information overload
Miss key points

Tip 2: Use Highlight Conversations to Persuade Others

Don't Just Say: "Users think it's expensive"

Say Instead:

"User Linda said: '¥18 exceeds my daily budget, I usually buy ¥12 Americano.' This reflects real feelings of price-sensitive users."

Original Conversations:

More persuasive
Authentic and credible
Easy to understand

Tip 3: Focus on "Why" Rather Than "What"

Not Important: "40% of users think it's expensive"

Important: "Why do users think it's expensive? - Price-sensitive types: Exceeds budget - Health-anxious types: Not sure if worth it - Solution: Show value, address concerns"

Deep Insights > Surface Numbers

Tip 4: Identify Unexpected Findings

Expected Findings:

"Users care about price" (common)

Unexpected Findings:

"Unwilling to risk in afternoon energy-boost scenario" (insight)
This is real value

Prioritize Unexpected Findings:

Challenge assumptions
Discover new opportunities
Avoid strategic mistakes

Common Misreadings

Misreading 1: Over-focus on Percentages

❌ Wrong: "40% of users like it, so product doesn't work"

✅ Correct: "2 out of 5 like it, 3 don't. Those who like are health-anxious types, those who don't are price-sensitive types. Recommend marketing to health-anxious types, price ¥15-16 to cover more people."

Reason:

Small sample (5-10 people), percentages meaningless
What matters is "why" and "what to do"

Misreading 2: Ignore Actionable Recommendations

❌ Wrong: Only read insights, not recommendations

✅ Correct: Read insights + recommendations together, know what to do

Misreading 3: Accept All Recommendations Wholesale

❌ Wrong: Do whatever AI says

✅ Correct:

Evaluate recommendation feasibility
Consider actual situation
Select 2-3 high-priority ones to execute

Best Practices

Recommendation 1: Interpret as Team

Workflow:

Research lead reads report first
Extract core findings
Team meeting discussion
Jointly create action plan

Recommendation 2: Annotate Key Points

On Report:

Highlight core findings
Mark priorities
Record questions

For:

Future review
Present to others
Track execution

Recommendation 3: Continuous Tracking

Don't:

End after reading report

Do:

Execute recommendations
Track results
Validate if insights accurate

Bottom Line

"Interpret report: First read executive summary and recommendations (10 minutes), if questions read detailed interviews (30 minutes). Key is taking action based on insights, not just reading report."

Remember:

✅ Most important: Executive summary + Actionable recommendations
✅ Deep understanding: Read detailed interviews
✅ Persuade with conversations: Quote highlight excerpts
✅ Focus on "why": Not just "what"
✅ Take action: Execute based on recommendations

Related Feature: Plan Mode, Report Doc Version: v2.1