content-research-brief

name	content-research-brief
description	Research trending topics, collect source articles, and generate a structured research brief for content creation. Stop writing from thin air — write from real sources. Use this skill when the user wants to research a topic before writing, collect sources for an article, create a research-backed content brief, or says "research [topic] for me", "find sources about [keyword]", "content brief for [topic]", "what's the latest on [product]", "research before writing", "collect articles about [keyword]", "trending news about [topic]", "gather sources for my article", "brief me on [topic]", "what are people saying about [product]", "news roundup for [keyword]", "research brief", "source collection", "content research", "prep research for writing".
license	MIT
version	1.0.0
tags	["affiliate-marketing","content-creation","research","content-brief","source-collection"]
compatibility	Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, any AI agent
metadata	{"author":"affitor","version":"1.0","stage":"S2-Content"}

Content Research Brief

Research a topic by collecting 5-10 real source articles, auto-tagging them by theme, extracting key data points, and synthesizing unique content angles. The output is a structured research brief that any downstream content skill can consume.

The problem this solves: Most AI-written affiliate content is generic because it's written from the model's training data — not from real, current sources. This skill forces research-first content creation: find real articles, extract real data, then write from those sources. The result is content with specific stats, real quotes, and current information that readers (and Google) actually value.

Inspired by the content-pipeline approach: Topic → Search → Select sources → Synthesize → Write with context.

Stage

This skill belongs to Stage S2: Content — but acts as the research foundation for all content skills.

When to Use

• Before writing any article, blog post, or long-form content
• When you need current data and stats about a topic (not just AI-generated claims)
• When creating comparison content (need real feature/pricing data from sources)
• When writing about a product launch, funding round, or industry trend
• After trending-content-scout identifies a topic — research it deeper
• When you want unique angles: N sources → N different content pieces

Input Schema

topic: string                  # (required) "HeyGen AI video tool", "email marketing trends 2024"
source_count: number           # (optional, default: 7) How many sources to collect (3-10)
source_types: string[]         # (optional, default: ["news", "blog"])
                               # Options: "news" | "blog" | "linkedin" | "youtube" | "reddit" | "academic"
freshness: string              # (optional, default: "month") "day" | "week" | "month" | "year" | "any"
product: object                # (optional) Focus research on a specific product
  name: string