Choose useful sources
Gather current requirements, meeting notes and a specification that your team permits in an external tool. Open Google’s notebook tool and check your account access.
Prefer sources that describe the same project and stage of work. If one document has replaced another, label that relationship before asking for a brief.
Work from evidence to a brief
- Create a notebook for the project. Keep unrelated work out of the source set.
- Add the selected documents. Check titles, versions and whether the import contains the passages you need.
- Ask for a structured handoff. Request Objective, Constraints, Decisions and Open questions using only these sources.
- Follow the references. Read the supporting passages in their original context. Check that each claim matches the source.
- Resolve conflicts with the owner. Keep conflicting requirements visible until someone responsible confirms which instruction applies.
- Edit and share the brief. Preserve source references so the next reader can check the reasoning.
Ask for a source-based handoff
Use only the selected project sources. Draft a handoff with these sections: - Objective - Constraints - Agreed decisions - Open questions Cite the supporting source for each factual point. Flag contradictions and missing information. Do not choose between conflicting requirements or invent a decision. Keep unresolved points separate from agreed requirements.
Check what the reference proves
A reference makes a claim easier to inspect; it does not settle conflicting requirements. Short sources may receive a reference to the whole document rather than an individual passage. Check the original even when a precise citation is absent.
A note on the tool name
The official landing page in our source material uses NotebookLM. Google’s help pages use Gemini Notebook. We use “Google’s notebook tool” here to retain that naming difference without assuming a rename or separate product. Those help pages describe source uploads and source-based answers with citations.