# Chat with Marvin and guide research

Use project chat for questions and **Add work** for requests that should enter autonomous research. These actions have different effects.

## Ask a question

Open chat, enter a message, and select **Send**. Use this for explanation, interpretation, or discussion. A normal chat message does not add work to the autonomous run.

To discuss a specific item, select **Ask Marvin** or **Ask Marvin about this finding** from its detail view. Marvin adds that source, finding, experiment, thread, or other selected item as chat context. Review the context chips above the composer and remove any item you do not want included. To point at part of a figure, script, or document, open it as an artifact and add a mark or exact excerpt. See [Point Marvin at part of a result](/docs/data-and-files#point-marvin-at-part-of-a-result).

Stopping an in-progress chat response stops that response in the browser. It does not stop the research run. Use **Stop Marvin** in the project header for the run.

## Queue research work

1. Select **Add work** in chat.
2. Choose **Add to plan** (selected when Add work opens) or **Run now**.
3. Write a concrete request. Name the question, desired output, and any source or file that should be used.
4. Review the message, then select the send button. It reads **Queue work** for Add to plan; for Run now it reads **Run now** while a run is live and **Start run…** when none is.

With **Add to plan**, Marvin reviews queued work before adding it to the run. The request remains pending until adopted. If the current run ends first, the request stays saved for the next **Start**.

With **Run now** while a run is live, Marvin starts the work at its next step, alongside its plan, or defers it with a reason. With no run live, **Start run…** opens **Start Marvin** for a one-iteration run that takes your request first and uses a seat until it ends. **Cancel** queues nothing.

Choosing a workflow inserts an editable request into the same composer. Edit it before selecting **Queue work**. Inserting or sending a workflow request does not itself run the workflow.

## Monitor the run

Use these views for different questions:

- **Overview:** objectives, assessment, and items that need your review.
- **Activity > Live:** the current run events and iteration number.
- **Activity > History:** events from earlier runs. Use **Load older** when more events are available.
- **Notifications:** run updates and actions that need attention.

The live activity stream can end before every view refreshes. Use the project status and the review items on **Overview** to decide what to do next.

## Respond when Marvin needs attention

Follow the action shown for the run end:

- **Run interrupted while finishing:** select **Start Marvin** to finish the run. **Continue anyway** is not shown for this state.
- **Run finished:** the run reached its limit. Review the work to date, then start another run if you want to continue.
- **Research concluded:** Marvin concluded the research. Review the latest iteration before deciding whether more work is needed.
- **Marvin needs your direction**, **Review Marvin's conclusion** or **Marvin needs you:** review the latest iteration and use **Discuss in chat** to give direction.
- **Run stopped by an error**, **Final report couldn't be written** or **Verification couldn't run:** review **Activity**, correct the reported problem, then start again.

When **Continue anyway** is available, it records an override. It does not start another run. After it is written, open **Start Marvin**, review the settings, and start the next run.

## Stop a run

1. Select **Stop Marvin** in the project header.
2. Confirm **Stop**.
3. Wait for the project status to leave the running state.

Stopping interrupts the current research iteration. It does not delete the project or the results already written.

**Stop Marvin** may leave jobs running at an external compute service. Check that service before assuming the work or its charges have stopped.

## Continue later

Review the latest **Overview**, **Reports**, and **Activity** entries. Select **Start Marvin**, choose the settings you want, and select **Start Marvin** again to begin the next run.

Queued work that was not adopted remains available for the next Start. Check that pending requests still match the project goals before continuing.

See [Review research and export results](/docs/review-results) before starting more work solely because a run ended.