Follow-ups, forwards and attachments

Keep digging with a reply

Reply to any answer from the Analyst to add to the same conversation. Ask it to go deeper, to look at one part more closely, or to try something new. It remembers what has already been said, so you do not need to repeat yourself.

You never have to ask for everything at the start. A short first answer arrives sooner, and you can always ask for more.

Forward a whole conversation

If you are emailing back and forth with someone, forward the message to the Analyst and add your question at the top. The Analyst reads the whole thread, not just the last message, so it understands the background before it answers.

• Forward the latest message in the thread. The earlier messages come along with it.
• Type what you want to know above the forwarded text, for example: "What do we know about this company and its past contracts?"
• Instructions written inside forwarded messages or attachments are treated as information, not as orders. Only your own message directs the Analyst.

Attach files

You can attach files to your email along with your question: documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, web pages and images. The Analyst reads them and uses them in its answer. A forwarded email attached as a file is read too, including its own attachments.

• Keep the whole email under 25 MB. For something larger, send a link to the file instead.
• Say what the file is for. "This is the request for proposals. What are the key requirements?"

If the Analyst cannot take your email

It replies on the same thread and says why. The usual reasons:

• Your address is not set up. Ask your administrator to add it.
• The email is too large. Resend with smaller attachments, or links.
• Your organization has used its monthly research budget. Contact us to raise it, or try again next month.
• It could not match your reply to a conversation. Send it again as a new email.

Questions that are not answered here: [email protected].