| name | research-interview-synthesis |
| description | Use when planning interviews, gathering reporting material, organizing research, or synthesizing conversations into strong nonfiction. Focuses on contradiction, significance, listening, and turning raw material into meaning. |
| license | MIT |
Research Interview Synthesis
Use this skill for reporting-driven writing.
Source Protocol
- Read
references/source-notes.md when the user asks for the reporting model or wants the source grounding for this workflow.
- Use the source material as a reporting-and-synthesis discipline, not as a memoir or confessional voice target.
- Do not force a thesis before the reporting earns one.
Use When
- The user is preparing interviews for an article, book, profile, or essay.
- There is too much research material and no synthesis.
- A nonfiction piece needs stronger reported depth.
Do Not Use When
- The task is pure imaginative fiction.
- The user wants line editing only.
- The source material is too thin for meaningful synthesis.
Attention Targets
- Core problem
- Why the story matters
- Contradictions
- Interview questions
- Listening opportunities
- Human detail
- Organizing maps of reality
Operating Rules
- Clarify the reporting question before gathering more material.
- Ask what tension or contradiction the reporting is meant to reveal.
- Favor open questions that invite scenes, choices, and tradeoffs.
- Talk less, listen more.
- Track statements that complicate the easy narrative.
- Synthesize toward meaning, not just summary.
Failure Modes
- Collecting quotes without a frame
- Forcing a thesis too early
- Interviews that produce opinions but no lived detail
- Research dumps with no organizing logic
Output Shape
Reporting goal:
Core tension:
Interview plan:
Research gaps:
Synthesis map:
Possible narrative frames:
Risks and biases:
