research-report

name	research-report
description	Use this skill when the user asks to research a topic and produce a structured

Research Report Skill

Overview

This skill guides you through producing a well-structured, cited research report. You will search for sources, synthesize findings, and produce a polished document.

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Step 1: Clarify the Request

Before searching, identify:

• Topic: What is the core subject?
• Scope: How broad or narrow?
• Audience: Technical expert, executive, general public?
• Length: Executive summary (1 page) vs. deep-dive report (5–10 pages)?
• Format: Should the output be a .docx, .pdf, or Markdown?

If any of these are ambiguous, ask the user one clarifying question before proceeding.

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Step 2: Research Strategy

1. Start with 2–3 broad queries to map the landscape
2. Identify key subtopics from results
3. Run targeted follow-up queries for each subtopic
4. Fetch full pages for the 3–5 most relevant sources (not just snippets)
5. Prioritize: peer-reviewed papers > government/institutional reports > reputable journalism > blogs

Minimum sources: 5 for a short report, 10+ for a deep-dive.

Source Quality Tiers

Tier	Examples	Trust Level
Primary	PubMed, arXiv, SEC filings, gov data	High
Secondary	NYT, Reuters, Nature News	Medium-High
Tertiary	Industry blogs, LinkedIn articles	Use with caution
Avoid	Anonymous forums, SEO content farms	Do not cite

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Step 3: Synthesis Rules

• Always paraphrase — never reproduce more than 14 words verbatim
• Attribute every claim — "According to [Source], ..."
• Triangulate: If only one source makes a claim, flag it as unverified
• Surface disagreement: If sources conflict, present both views and note the tension

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Step 4: Report Structure

1. Executive Summary       (150–200 words, no jargon)
2. Background & Context
3. Key Findings            (3–5 major themes)
4. Analysis
5. Open Questions
6. Conclusion
7. References

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Step 5: Quality Checklist

Before delivering the report, verify:

• All claims are attributed to a source
• No section is copy-pasted from a source
• Executive Summary can stand alone (no undefined terms)
• References section is complete with URLs where possible
• Report length matches the requested scope
• Tone matches the stated audience

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Known Failure Modes

Failure	How to Avoid
Hallucinating citations	Only cite sources actually retrieved via search
Over-summarizing	Fetch full pages, not just snippets
Scope creep	Re-read the user's original request before writing
False balance	Don't manufacture controversy where consensus exists
Recency bias	Check publication dates; prefer recent but note foundational older sources

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Output Format

• Markdown — default
• .docx — if user mentions "Word", "document", or "downloadable"
• .pdf — if user mentions "PDF" or "printable"

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Metadata

{
  "name": "research-report",
  "version": "1.2.0",
  "tools_required": ["web_search", "web_fetch"],
  "tools_optional": ["file_create"],
  "avg_token_cost": 4000,
  "max_recommended_depth": "10 sources",
  "compatible_models": ["claude-sonnet-4-20250514", "claude-opus-4-5"]
}