| name | evidence-synthesis |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "synthesize findings", "combine research", "cross-reference sources", "summarize evidence", "write a deep review", or mentions evidence synthesis, finding consolidation, cross-source analysis, or research summarization.
|
Evidence Synthesis
Synthesis Workflow
- Gather — Read relevant YAML provenance records from docs/research/trail/findings/
- Group — Cluster findings by topic, tool, or theme
- Cross-reference — Identify agreements, contradictions, and gaps across sources
- Synthesize — Write deep review combining insights
- Score — Assess confidence level of synthesized conclusions
Progressive Disclosure Retrieval
Use 3-layer approach to avoid context bloat:
- Layer 1 (index): file paths, titles, confidence — ~100 tokens/result
- Layer 2 (context): finding summary, implication — ~500 tokens
- Layer 3 (full detail): complete provenance record — ~500-1000 tokens
Search index FIRST, load context for relevant hits, full detail only when needed.
Deep Review Format
Write to docs/research/trail/deep-reviews/<topic>.md:
# <Topic> Deep Review
## Summary
<1-3 sentence executive summary>
## Key Findings
- Finding 1 (source: finding-<slug>.yaml, confidence: confirmed)
- Finding 2 (source: finding-<slug>.yaml, confidence: probable)
## Contradictions
<Where sources disagree and why>
## Gaps
<What remains unknown>
## Recommendations
<Actionable next steps>
Rules
- Never load all findings into context at once — use progressive disclosure
- Always cite source provenance records by filename
- Flag contradictions explicitly — do not silently favor one source
- Write synthesis to disk immediately, not at session end
