Milestone 6: Research the Topic and Comparable Projects
Gary WhittakerCreator Project Milestone Academy · Milestone 6
Research the Topic and Comparable Projects
Test what you think you know before you build the next version of your project.
Milestones 1–5 established the project, intended audience, outcome, human contribution and central message. Milestone 6 checks those decisions against credible information, audience evidence and comparable work.
What Milestone 6 is designed to prevent
Creators often begin research too late or use it only to confirm what they already believe. That can lead to inaccurate claims, repeated ideas, weak differentiation, avoidable legal or platform problems and a project that does not match the audience’s real situation.
The Milestone 6 result
You will complete a Research and Comparable Project Record containing:
- Your five most important research questions
- A source-quality plan
- A claim and evidence table
- Audience-language evidence
- Three to five comparable projects
- A compare-and-contrast matrix
- Confirmed assumptions, challenged assumptions and unresolved questions
- Your project’s useful difference
- A proceed, revise or hold decision
Research has four different jobs
1. Accuracy research
Checks facts, dates, rules, technical details, risks and claims that an audience may rely on.
2. Audience research
Checks the language, questions, frustrations, priorities and current alternatives used by the intended audience.
3. Comparable-project research
Studies how related books, podcasts, products, courses, campaigns, artists or platforms solve a similar problem.
4. Decision research
Answers a specific project question: what to include, exclude, explain, test, disclose or change.
Start with questions, not search terms
A strong research question affects a real project decision. Weak research gathers information without changing what the creator will do.
| Weak question | Decision-focused question |
|---|---|
| What is AI music? | Which beginner misunderstandings must this AI music guide correct before teaching workflow? |
| What books already exist? | Which first-time-author problems are well served, and which remain poorly explained? |
| Are podcasts popular? | Which episode formats best support the intended audience’s limited time and the project promise? |
| What do competitors charge? | What value, depth and support are attached to different price and access models? |
Use the right source for the claim
| Source type | Best use | Primary caution |
|---|---|---|
| Official or primary source | Rules, platform features, policies, dates, specifications and first-party statements | May present the source’s own interests |
| Research or qualified expert source | Evidence, technical interpretation and professional context | Check scope, date and limitations |
| Established reporting | Current events, multiple viewpoints and verified developments | Distinguish reporting from commentary |
| Audience evidence | Questions, language, frustrations and lived experience | Anecdotes do not establish universal facts |
| Comparable creator project | Format, scope, positioning, experience and market expectations | Study decisions; do not copy protected expression |
| AI-generated summary | Planning questions and locating possible leads | Never treat it as the source or proof |
Research claims at the correct level
Separate what you know into five levels:
- Personal experience: what happened to you
- Practical observation: a repeated pattern you have noticed
- Demonstrated process: something you can show working
- Audience evidence: what several relevant people report or request
- Externally verifiable claim: a fact that should be supported by a reliable source
Your language should match the evidence. “I found this useful” is different from “this method always works.”
What counts as a comparable project?
A comparable project is not necessarily a direct competitor. It may share the audience, outcome, format, problem, creator role, delivery method or business model.
Examples include:
- A self-published workbook solving a similar beginner problem
- A podcast serving the same audience through a different format
- A course with a similar promise but a different level of support
- An AI music creator documenting process rather than selling training
- A faith-based newsletter addressing the same emotional tension
- A free resource competing for the audience’s attention
Compare decisions, not surface appearance
Review comparable projects across consistent dimensions:
- Intended audience
- Core problem and promise
- Central message
- Scope and format
- Depth and complexity
- Evidence and authority
- User experience
- Price or access model
- Promotion and distribution
- Strengths, limitations and gaps
Examples by creator type
Self-publishing author
Research reader questions, current books, review patterns, source requirements and where a narrower practical book may be useful.
AI music creator
Research current tool capabilities, workflow claims, rights and disclosure issues, audience skill level and comparable training experiences.
Podcast creator
Research audience listening habits, episode structure, comparable shows, recurring questions and whether the concept can sustain multiple episodes.
Educator or consultant
Research the learner’s starting point, common failure points, evidence standards, existing learning paths and the boundary between education and professional advice.
Faith-based creator
Research scripture and interpretation responsibly, distinguish belief from regulated advice, study audience language and avoid using faith claims to erase real emotional or practical needs.
Common research mistakes
- Searching only for evidence that confirms the project
- Using popularity as proof of accuracy
- Comparing only direct competitors
- Copying structure, language or branding too closely
- Collecting links without recording what each source changes
- Using old platform information as though it is current
- Letting AI summaries replace source review
- Ignoring contradictory evidence
- Researching indefinitely instead of making a decision
Milestone 6 completion standard
You are ready to proceed when you can answer:
- Which project assumptions have been confirmed?
- Which have been challenged?
- Which important questions remain unresolved?
- Which claims require sources or narrower language?
- What do comparable projects already do well?
- Where does your project make a useful contribution?
- What must change before production planning begins?
Frequently asked questions
How many sources do I need?
Use enough relevant sources to make the decision responsibly. A narrow project may need only a small, high-quality set. A high-risk factual project may require more.
Can AI conduct the research for me?
AI can help form questions, locate leads, organize notes and compare supplied material. It should not be treated as the original source or asked to invent evidence.
Does comparable-project research make my work less original?
No. Responsible comparison helps you avoid accidental repetition and clarify your own contribution. Do not copy protected expression, distinctive structure or branding.
