Study the largest Series 87 function: disclosures, approvals, conflicts, report types, and the structure of supportable research.
Function 4 is the center of Series 87. FINRA gives it most of the exam because research integrity starts before dissemination. The candidate needs to know what disclosures belong in a report, what approvals and certifications are required, how conflicts change the drafting process, and what a properly supported research product should contain.
Read this chapter as the report-building function. Start with the regulatory requirements that control drafting and approval, then move into the types of reports, thesis construction, and report components that make a research product fair, supportable, and exam-ready.