| name | report-findings |
| description | This skill should be used when synthesizing multi-source research, presenting findings with attribution, or when report, findings, or synthesis are mentioned. |
| metadata | {"version":"1.1.1","related-skills":["research","codebase-analysis","find-patterns"]} |
Report Findings
Multi-source gathering โ authority assessment โ cross-reference โ synthesize โ present with confidence.
<when_to_use>
- Synthesizing research from multiple sources
- Presenting findings with proper attribution
- Comparing options with structured analysis
- Assessing source credibility
- Documenting research conclusions
NOT for: single-source summaries, opinion without evidence, rushing to conclusions
</when_to_use>
<source_authority>
| Tier | Confidence | Types | Use For |
|---|
| 1: Primary | 90-100% | Official docs, original research, direct observation | Factual claims, guarantees |
| 2: Secondary | 70-90% | Expert analysis, established publications, official guides | Best practices, patterns |
| 3: Community | 50-70% | Q&A sites, blogs, wikis, anecdotal evidence | Workarounds, pitfalls |
| 4: Unverified | 0-50% | Unattributed, outdated, content farms, unchecked AI | Initial leads only |
See source-tiers.md for detailed assessment criteria.
</source_authority>
<cross_referencing>
Two-Source Minimum
Never rely on single source for critical claims:
- Find claim in initial source
- Seek confirmation in independent source
- If sources conflict โ investigate further
- If sources agree โ moderate confidence
- If 3+ sources agree โ high confidence
Conflict Resolution
When sources disagree:
- Check dates โ newer information often supersedes
- Compare authority โ higher tier beats lower tier
- Verify context โ might both be right in different scenarios
- Test empirically โ verify through direct observation if possible
- Document uncertainty โ flag if unresolved
Triangulation
For complex questions, seek alignment across:
- Official sources โ what should happen
- Direct evidence โ what actually happens
- Community reports โ what people experience
All three align โ high confidence. Mismatches โ investigate the gap.
</cross_referencing>
<comparison_analysis>
Three comparison methods:
| Method | When to Use |
|---|
| Feature Matrix | Side-by-side capability comparison |
| Trade-off Analysis | Strengths/weaknesses/use cases per option |
| Weighted Matrix | Quantitative scoring with importance weights |
See comparison-methods.md for templates and examples.
</comparison_analysis>
<synthesis_techniques>
Extract Themes
Across sources, identify:
- Consensus โ what everyone agrees on
- Disagreements โ where opinions differ
- Edge cases โ nuanced situations
Present Findings
- Main answer โ clear, actionable
- Supporting evidence โ cite 2-3 strongest sources
- Caveats โ limitations, context-specific notes
- Alternatives โ other valid approaches
</synthesis_techniques>
<confidence_calibration>
| Level | Indicator | Criteria |
|---|
| High | 90-100% | 3+ tier-1 sources agree, empirically verified |
| Moderate | 60-89% | 2 tier-2 sources agree, some empirical support |
| Low | Below 60% | Single source or tier-3 only, unverified |
Flag remaining uncertainties even at high confidence.
</confidence_calibration>
<output_format>
Standard report structure:
## Summary
{ 1-2 sentence answer }
## Key Findings
1. {FINDING} โ evidence: {SOURCE}
## Comparison (if applicable)
{ matrix or trade-off analysis }
## Confidence Assessment
Overall: {LEVEL} {PERCENTAGE}%
## Sources
- [Source](url) โ tier {N}
## Caveats
{ uncertainties, gaps, assumptions }
See output-template.md for full template with guidelines.
</output_format>
ALWAYS:
- Assess source authority before citing
- Cross-reference critical claims (2+ sources)
- Include confidence levels with findings
- Cite sources with proper attribution
- Flag uncertainties
NEVER:
- Cite single source for critical claims
- Present tier-4 sources as authoritative
- Skip confidence calibration
- Hide conflicting sources
- Omit caveats when uncertainty exists
Research vs Report-Findings:
research skill covers the full investigation workflow using MCP tools
- This skill (
report-findings) covers synthesis, source assessment, and presentation
Load this skill during research synthesis stage, or standalone for any task requiring multi-source synthesis with proper attribution.