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Go to Search in the left sidebar, or press / anywhere in the app to open the search bar. Type your question naturally — Atlas understands plain language. You don’t need to use keywords or Boolean operators. Write like you’re asking a knowledgeable friend. Press Enter or click the search button to start.

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Writing good queries

The single most important thing: be specific.

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Specifying a country or actor

Many questions in international relations are about who holds what position. Be explicit:
  • “What is Japan’s stance on North Korean denuclearization?”
  • “How does the African Union approach conflict mediation?”
  • “What has Germany said about sending weapons to Ukraine?”

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Asking for comparisons

Atlas is excellent at structured comparisons. Use words like “compare,” “contrast,” “differences between,” or “how do X and Y differ on”:
  • “Compare the UK, France, and Germany’s positions on Iran sanctions”
  • “How do parliamentary and presidential systems differ in practice?”

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Asking for document drafts

Prefix your request clearly:
  • “Write a position paper for Canada on Arctic sovereignty”
  • “Draft an opening speech for India in the Security Council on Kashmir”
  • “Outline a resolution on global AI governance for the First Committee”

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Search effort levels

When you search, you can optionally set the effort level using the control below the search bar: For most MUN prep and essay research, leave it on Auto.

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Follow-up questions

After Atlas answers your question, it suggests follow-up questions at the bottom. Click any of them to continue the conversation. You can also type your own follow-up. Atlas maintains the full context of your conversation thread, so you can say things like:
  • “Now give me the same analysis for France”
  • “What happened before that?”
  • “Summarize that in simpler terms”
  • “Turn that into a resolution clause”

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Keyboard shortcuts

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Searching with files

You can upload PDF documents and ask Atlas to analyze them. This is useful for:
  • Uploading your conference background guide and asking specific questions about it
  • Analyzing a treaty or resolution text
  • Extracting key arguments from a policy paper
See File Uploads for details.

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Tips from power users

Start with a broad question to understand the landscape, then use follow-ups to drill into the specific angle you need. For MUN: start with “What are the main issues in [committee]?” then follow up with “What is [your country]‘s position on [specific issue]?”
For debate prep, explicitly ask for counterarguments. “What are the strongest arguments against [position]?” or “What would critics say about [policy]?”
Tell Atlas exactly what format you want. “Give me a bullet-point summary,” “Write this as a table,” “Format this as a formal speech introduction,” “List the key facts I need for my position paper.”
If you read something in a position paper or delegate document, you can paste it into Atlas and ask “Is this accurate?” or “What’s the source for this claim?”

Query types explained

The domains Atlas specializes in

Understanding results

What the cards and panels mean