research

name: Research version: 0.1.0 description: >- This skill should be used when the user asks to "research a topic", "find information about", "look up", "what is", "how does X work", "compare X and Y", "what are the pros and cons of", "explain the difference between", "what's the current state of", "give me an overview of", "summarize the research on", "troubleshoot", "diagnose", "survey the literature on", or any request requiring sourced, structured answers from authoritative internet sources. This skill is for web/internet research using WebSearch and WebFetch, NOT for exploring or analyzing the current project or codebase. Provides a research workflow with source quality evaluation, targeted search strategy, and structured response templates.

A general-purpose internet research skill for producing well-sourced, structured responses across any domain. Uses WebSearch and WebFetch to find and evaluate authoritative sources. This skill is not for codebase exploration or project-level investigation — use the Explore agent or Grep/Glob tools for that.

Prioritize authoritative and primary sources over aggregated, ad-heavy, or clickbait content.

Core Workflow

1. Analyze the Question

Before searching, classify the research request:

What is being asked? Extract the core question. Restate it precisely.
What type of answer fits? Select a response template (see Template Selection Guide below).
What domain does this fall in? (science, engineering, policy, history, medicine, law, etc.)
What depth is needed? Quick factual lookup vs. deep synthesis.

2. Plan the Search Strategy

Reason about where the best information lives before searching broadly:

Primary sources first. For a given topic, identify where the original/authoritative information is published. Examples: official documentation for software, journal articles for science, RFC specs for protocols, government databases for policy/statistics, court opinions for law.
Search specific sites. Use site: operators or domain-restricted searches to target authoritative sources identified above.
Broaden only if needed. If targeted searches don't yield sufficient results, widen the search incrementally.
Evaluate as you go. Apply the quick source heuristics below to each result before incorporating it.

3. Evaluate Sources

Apply these quick heuristics to every source. For deeper evaluation, consult references/source-evaluation.md.

Trust signals (favor these):

Institutional domains (.edu, .gov, .org for established nonprofits)
Peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings
Official project documentation and specifications
Named, credentialed authors with institutional affiliations
Content with citations, references, and methodology descriptions

Distrust signals (avoid or deprioritize):

Heavy ad load, clickbait headlines, listicle format ("Top N...")
Content farms, SEO-optimized filler, affiliate marketing sites
Anonymous or uncredentialed authors
No citations, no methodology, no references
Outdated content presented as current

Rule of thumb: The more ads on a page, the less trustworthy the content.

4. Select and Follow a Response Template

Choose the template that best fits the research question. Each template contains a checklist and structured outline to follow.

Template Selection Guide

Factual / Definitional

Template: assets/templates/factual.md

Use when: The question asks "What is X?", "Define X", "Explain X", or seeks a clear, sourced explanation of a concept, term, entity, or phenomenon.

Do not use when: The question is comparing alternatives, asking for steps/procedures, or surveying a broad topic across multiple sources.

Examples: "What is WebAssembly?", "Define herd immunity", "What does the Commerce Clause cover?"

Comparative Analysis

Template: assets/templates/comparative.md

Use when: The question compares two or more options, technologies, approaches, or positions. "X vs Y", "How does X compare to Y?", "Which is better, X or Y?"

Do not use when: The question is about a single topic (use Factual) or asks for a process (use Procedural).

Examples: "PostgreSQL vs MySQL for time-series data", "Compare FPTP and ranked-choice voting", "REST vs GraphQL"

How-To / Procedural

Template: assets/templates/procedural.md

Use when: The question asks how to accomplish something, requesting steps, instructions, or a procedure. "How do I...", "What are the steps to...", "How to set up..."

Do not use when: The question is conceptual (use Factual), comparative (use Comparative), or diagnostic (use Troubleshooting).

Examples: "How to set up SSH key authentication", "How do I file a FOIA request?", "Steps for PCR amplification"

Literature Review / Survey

Template: assets/templates/literature-review.md

Use when: The question requires synthesizing multiple sources on a topic, identifying consensus, disagreements, and gaps. "What does the research say about...", "Survey the literature on...", "What are the main perspectives on..."

Do not use when: A single authoritative source can answer the question (use Factual), or the question is about a specific procedure (use Procedural).

Examples: "What does the research say about remote work productivity?", "Survey perspectives on universal basic income", "What's known about long COVID mechanisms?"

Troubleshooting / Diagnostic

Template: assets/templates/troubleshooting.md

Use when: The question involves diagnosing a problem, identifying root causes, or resolving an issue. "Why is X happening?", "How to fix...", "X isn't working..."

Do not use when: The question is about understanding a concept (use Factual) or following a known procedure (use Procedural).

Examples: "Why is my Docker container exiting immediately?", "Diagnose intermittent network timeouts", "Why did my sourdough not rise?"

Current State / Landscape

Template: assets/templates/landscape.md

Use when: The question asks about the current state, recent developments, or trajectory of a field, technology, or issue. "What's the state of...", "What's happening with...", "Where is X headed?"

Do not use when: The question is about a stable, well-defined concept (use Factual) or comparing specific alternatives (use Comparative).

Examples: "What's the current state of quantum computing?", "Where is the EV market headed?", "What's happening with CRISPR regulation?"

General (Fallback)

Template: assets/templates/general.md

Use when: The question requires sourced research but doesn't fit any of the templates above. The response needs a flexible structure adapted to the specific content.

Do not use when: One of the six specific templates above is a reasonable fit. Prefer a specific template over General whenever possible — structured templates produce more consistent, thorough results.

Examples: "What are the implications of X for Y?", "Explain the relationship between X and Y", "What should I know about X before doing Y?"

Multiple Templates

Some research questions span multiple template types. When this happens:

Identify the primary question type and use that template as the backbone.
Incorporate relevant sections from secondary templates where they add value.
Note which templates were combined in the response structure.

Additional Resources

references/source-evaluation.md - Detailed source quality rubric with scoring criteria, domain-specific guidance, and edge cases. Consult when source credibility is ambiguous or contested.