Long-document analysis works best when you ask Claude to build a map of the document before asking for conclusions.
1. Check the source file
Confirm that the PDF contains readable text, page numbers, and complete appendices. OCR scanned pages before analysis.
2. Request a document map
Ask for the purpose, section structure, key entities, dates, definitions, and a list of tables or exhibits.
3. Ask narrow questions first
Work section by section. Require page references and ask Claude to separate direct evidence from interpretation.
4. Build a contradiction table
List claims that conflict across sections, changes in definitions, unsupported assumptions, and missing data.
5. Create the final synthesis
Only after verification, request a concise summary organized around the decision you need to make.
Quality check
Open every cited page for the most important claims. If a citation is wrong, re-check the surrounding section rather than accepting a corrected sentence automatically.