Research report quality hinges on source quality, not just eloquent prose. The first step involves clearly defining the research question with a single sentence and up to three sub-questions, preventing unstructured research. Before any searching, sources must be tiered into primary, secondary, and tertiary categories; tertiary sources are never used as core evidence. Key conclusions necessitate cross-verification from at least two independent sources; otherwise, they are marked as single-source claims. Every numerical fact must be sourced, and key facts dated to prevent information staleness.The writing process begins only after these steps, adopting a fixed structure: core conclusions first, followed by body sections addressing sub-questions with a "conclusion-evidence-sources" order. The report concludes with an uncertainty statement detailing what was not found, single-source claims, and conditions for invalidation. Speculation must be explicitly identified, avoiding definitive language. This structured approach explicitly counters common anti-patterns like relying on single sources, presenting speculation as fact, or providing undated information. The framework prioritizes transparency about what is unknown, ensuring the report's trustworthiness. This methodology improves research quality by enforcing rigor from question definition to final presentation.