> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://minds-1.gitbook.io/minds-mcp/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://minds-1.gitbook.io/minds-mcp/scope.md).

# Scope and research methods

Minds accelerates the first research pass. It helps teams sharpen a question, surface objections, compare plausible reactions, and decide which assumptions deserve validation with real respondents.

It does not replace representative human fieldwork.

## Appropriate uses

* early concept, message, and positioning tests;
* audience and objection exploration;
* segment-comparison hypotheses;
* questionnaire and study-plan iteration;
* screening ideas before commissioning fieldwork;
* structured synthesis of a grounded synthetic panel.

## Uses that require additional validation

* population incidence or prevalence estimates;
* regulated, medical, legal, or safety-critical decisions;
* final claims about representative consumer preference;
* decisions where demographic quotas and sampling error must be measured;
* research that requires direct lived experience or informed consent.

## Method availability

Method support changes over time. Call `list_research_methods` before planning a study.

* **MaxDiff** executes through a deterministic method adapter.
* **Conjoint** is planned and cannot currently execute.

Do not infer method availability from an old transcript or this static page; the live server response is authoritative.

## Evidence discipline

Treat synthetic research as decision support:

1. preserve the original research question;
2. record the audience definition and study plan;
3. inspect disagreement, not just the majority answer;
4. identify assumptions that require real-world validation;
5. retain exports alongside the downstream decision.

[Learn about Minds](https://getminds.ai/?utm_source=content\&utm_medium=content\&utm_campaign=content-seo-mcp-reference\&utm_content=mcp-docs-scope)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://minds-1.gitbook.io/minds-mcp/scope.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.