how-to-talk-to-claude/src/content/docs/how-to/research-unfamiliar-topics.md

---
title: "How to Research Topics You Know Nothing About"
description: "Getting up to speed on unfamiliar subjects without getting overwhelmed"
---





## The Problem

You need to understand something you know absolutely nothing about. Maybe it's for work (new industry, technology, or process), personal interest (hobby you want to try, topic that came up in conversation), or life circumstances (medical condition, financial planning, home improvement project).

The challenge is knowing where to start when you don't even know what you don't know. You might worry about:
- Using the wrong search terms because you don't know the vocabulary
- Getting overwhelmed by information you can't evaluate
- Missing important basic concepts while diving into advanced details
- Not knowing which sources are credible in an unfamiliar field

Claude can be an excellent research partner for building understanding from scratch, but you need the right approach.

## Solution 1: Start With the "Explain Like I'm 5" Overview

Get the absolute basics first, then build complexity gradually.

### Pattern: "Give me the foundation first"

**Try saying:**
- "I know absolutely nothing about [topic]. Can you explain it like I'm a smart person who's never heard of it before?"
- "I need to understand [subject] from the ground up. What are the most basic concepts I should grasp first?"
- "Pretend I'm starting from zero knowledge about [topic]. What's the essential foundation?"

**Example:**
"I know absolutely nothing about cryptocurrency. Can you explain it like I'm a smart person who's never heard of it before? Just the core concept and why it exists."

### Pattern: "What's the big picture?"

**Try saying:**
- "Before I dive into details about [topic], what's the big picture I should understand?"
- "If someone asked you to explain [subject] in 30 seconds, what would you say?"
- "What's the one key insight that makes [topic] make sense?"

## Solution 2: Map the Learning Landscape

Ask Claude to help you understand what areas exist within the topic and how they connect.

### Pattern: "What are the main areas within [topic]?"

**Try saying:**
- "What are the main subtopics or areas within [subject] that someone should know about?"
- "If I wanted to become knowledgeable about [topic], what different areas would I need to understand?"
- "What are the major branches or categories within [field]?"

**Example:**
"If I wanted to become knowledgeable about personal finance, what different areas would I need to understand?"

**Claude might map out:**
- Budgeting and cash flow
- Saving and emergency funds
- Investing (stocks, bonds, funds)
- Debt management
- Insurance
- Retirement planning
- Tax planning

### Pattern: "What should I learn in what order?"

**Try saying:**
- "What's a logical order to learn about these different aspects of [topic]?"
- "Which concepts do I need to understand before I can grasp the more advanced stuff?"
- "If you were designing a course on [subject], how would you sequence the learning?"

## Solution 3: Build Your Vocabulary

Unknown topics often feel overwhelming because you don't know the terminology. Get Claude to help you build a working vocabulary.

### Pattern: "What are the key terms I need to know?"

**Try saying:**
- "What are the 10-15 most important terms or concepts in [field]?"
- "What vocabulary do I need to understand conversations about [topic]?"
- "What jargon or technical terms would help me research [subject] more effectively?"

**Example:**
"What are the key terms I need to know to understand conversations about machine learning?"

### Pattern: "Explain the jargon"

**Try saying:**
- "When experts talk about [topic], what terms do they use that might confuse a beginner?"
- "Can you define [specific terms] in simple language?"
- "I keep seeing the term [word/phrase] when reading about [topic]. What does it mean and why is it important?"
## Solution 4: Use Analogies and Connections

Ask Claude to connect unfamiliar concepts to things you already understand.

### Pattern: "Explain this by comparing it to something I know"

**Try saying:**
- "Can you explain [unfamiliar concept] by comparing it to [something you're familiar with]?"
- "What's a good analogy for [topic] using [field you understand]?"
- "How is [new concept] similar to and different from [familiar concept]?"

**Example:**
"Can you explain blockchain by comparing it to something like a library or banking system that I'm more familiar with?"

### Pattern: "Connect this to my existing knowledge"

**Try saying:**
- "I understand [familiar field] pretty well. How does [new topic] relate to that?"
- "What parallels are there between [unfamiliar subject] and [area you know]?"
- "Can you explain [topic] using concepts from [field you're comfortable with]?"

## Solution 5: Identify What's Important vs. What's Interesting

When researching something new, it's easy to get sidetracked by fascinating details that aren't essential.

### Pattern: "What should I focus on vs. what can I skip for now?"

**Try saying:**
- "If I only had time to understand 3 things about [topic], what should they be?"
- "What aspects of [subject] are essential vs. just interesting to know?"
- "I'm getting overwhelmed by all the information about [topic]. What should I prioritize learning first?"

**Example:**
"I'm trying to understand investing but there's so much information. If I only had time to understand 3 things about investing, what should they be?"

### Pattern: "What are the common beginner mistakes?"

**Try saying:**
- "What do beginners often get wrong or focus too much on when learning about [topic]?"
- "What should I avoid getting distracted by while I'm building my foundation in [subject]?"
- "What seems important when you're new to [field] but actually isn't that crucial?"

## Solution 6: Create a Research Plan

Ask Claude to help you structure your learning process rather than just diving in randomly.

### Pattern: "Help me create a learning roadmap"

**Try saying:**
- "Can you help me create a step-by-step plan for learning about [topic] over the next [timeframe]?"
- "What would a good research strategy look like for understanding [subject]?"
- "If I want to be conversational about [topic] in [timeframe], how should I structure my learning?"

**Example:**
"Can you help me create a step-by-step plan for learning about climate change over the next month? I want to be able to have informed conversations about it."

### Pattern: "What questions should I be asking?"

**Try saying:**
- "What are the right questions I should be asking as I research [topic]?"
- "What should I be curious about as I learn about [subject]?"
- "If you were researching [topic] from scratch, what would you want to figure out?"

## Solution 7: Test Your Understanding As You Go

Use Claude to check whether you're grasping concepts correctly before moving to more advanced material.

### Pattern: "Let me see if I understand this correctly"

**Try saying:**
- "Let me summarize what I think I've learned about [topic] so far. Can you tell me what I've got right and what I'm missing?"
- "I think [concept] means [your understanding]. Is that accurate?"
- "Can you quiz me on the basics of [subject] to see if I'm ready to learn more advanced stuff?"

### Pattern: "What am I still confused about?"

**Try saying:**
- "Based on what I've told you about my understanding of [topic], what important concepts am I still missing?"
- "What questions should I be asking myself to test whether I really understand [subject]?"
- "What are the signs that someone has a solid foundation in [field] vs. just surface knowledge?"

## Advanced: Building Expertise Gradually

Once you have the basics, ask Claude to help you level up systematically.

### Pattern: "What's the next level of understanding?"

**Try saying:**
- "I feel like I understand the basics of [topic]. What should I learn next to deepen my knowledge?"
- "I'm comfortable with [basic concepts]. What more advanced aspects of [subject] should I explore?"
- "How do I go from beginner to intermediate understanding of [field]?"

### Pattern: "How do experts think about this differently?"

**Try saying:**
- "How do experts in [field] think about [topic] differently than beginners?"
- "What nuances or complexities am I missing in my current understanding of [subject]?"
- "What would change about my perspective on [topic] as I become more knowledgeable?"

## Sample Research Conversation: Starting From Zero

**You:** "I know absolutely nothing about renewable energy. Can you explain it like I'm a smart person who's never heard of it before?"

**Claude:** [Gives basic explanation of renewable energy concept]

**You:** "That helps. What are the main types of renewable energy I should know about?"

**Claude:** [Lists solar, wind, hydro, etc. with brief explanations]

**You:** "If I wanted to understand this topic well enough to have informed conversations, what should I focus on learning first vs. what can I skip for now?"

**Claude:** [Prioritizes key concepts vs. technical details]

**You:** "Can you help me create a week-by-week plan for learning about this? I want to understand the basics, the current technology, and the economic/political aspects."

**Claude:** [Creates structured learning plan]

**You:** "Perfect. Let me start with week one and come back to test my understanding before moving on."

## Quick Reference: Unfamiliar Topic Research Starters

**Foundation building:**
- "Explain like I'm a smart person who's never heard of this"
- "What's the big picture I should understand first?"
- "Give me the core concept and why it exists"

**Mapping the landscape:**
- "What are the main areas within [topic]?"
- "What should I learn in what order?"
- "How would you sequence learning about this?"

**Building vocabulary:**
- "What key terms do I need to know?"
- "What jargon might confuse a beginner?"
- "Explain [specific term] in simple language"

**Making connections:**
- "Compare this to [something I know]"
- "How does this relate to [familiar field]?"
- "What's a good analogy for this concept?"

**Focusing efforts:**
- "If I only had time for 3 things, what should they be?"
- "What should I prioritize vs. what can I skip?"
- "What do beginners focus on that isn't actually important?"

**Planning research:**
- "Help me create a learning roadmap"
- "What questions should I be asking?"
- "What would a good research strategy look like?"

**Testing understanding:**
- "Let me summarize what I think I've learned"
- "Quiz me on the basics to see if I'm ready for more"
- "What important concepts am I still missing?"

Remember: Learning something completely new is a process, not a single conversation. Use Claude to build understanding layer by layer rather than trying to absorb everything at once.

---

## What's Next?

**If this helped:** [How to Organize Information Claude Gives You](/how-to/organize-information/) - Manage all the research information you're gathering.

**For better sources:** [How to Get Sources You Can Actually Use](/how-to/get-useful-sources/) - Find credible resources for your unfamiliar topic.

**For structured learning:** [Tutorial 2: From "I'm Thinking About..." to "Holy Crap, That's Actually Good"](/tutorials/messy-ideas/) - Experience collaborative learning with messy ideas.

**See also:** 
- [How to Ask When You Don't Know What You Want](/how-to/ask-when-uncertain/) - Perfect for starting research when you're completely uncertain
- [How Claude "Thinks" (In Human Terms)](/explanations/how-claude-thinks/) - Understand how AI approaches learning and explanation

**◀ Previous:** [How to Get Sources You Can Actually Use](10-howto-get-useful-sources.md) | **[Table of Contents](/)** | **Next:** [How to Organize Information Claude Gives You](17-howto-organize-information.md) ▶