| name | research |
| description | Conduct thorough web research on any topic. Searches for information across multiple sources, reads pages in full, synthesizes findings, and saves a structured markdown report to notes/. Use when asked to research, investigate, look up, or gather information about any topic. |
Research Skill
Overview
This skill conducts structured web research: searching, reading sources, synthesizing, and saving notes.
Tools Available
web_search — Search the web (Brave Search or DuckDuckGo)fetch_page — Fetch and read a full web pagesave_note — Save research notes to notes/
Workflow
1. Clarify the Goal
Before searching, understand:
- What specific questions need answering?
- What depth of research is needed?
- Are there particular sources or perspectives to prioritize?
2. Search
Run 2–5 searches with varied queries to cover the topic from multiple angles:
web_search("main topic overview")
web_search("topic specific aspect")
web_search("topic recent developments 2024")
web_search("topic expert analysis")
Tips:
- Start broad, then narrow to specific aspects
- Try different phrasings and angles
- Note which URLs look most authoritative
3. Read Sources
Use fetch_page to read the 3–5 most relevant pages in full:
- Prefer primary sources (official sites, research papers, reputable news)
- Read diverse perspectives if the topic is contested
- Look for data, citations, and expert quotes
4. Synthesize
After reading sources:
- Identify the key facts, themes, and insights
- Note agreements and contradictions across sources
- Flag information that is uncertain, dated, or contested
- Determine what is well-established vs. speculative
5. Save Notes
Save a structured report with save_note:
# [Topic Title]
**Researched:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Search queries used:** query1, query2, ...
## Summary
[2–4 sentence overview of the topic and key takeaways]
## Key Findings
- [Finding 1] — [brief evidence/context] ([Source](URL))
- [Finding 2] — [brief evidence/context] ([Source](URL))
- [Finding 3] — [brief evidence/context] ([Source](URL))
## Details
### [Subtopic 1]
[Detailed discussion with citations]
### [Subtopic 2]
[Detailed discussion with citations]
## Open Questions / Uncertainties
- [What is still unclear or contested]
- [What requires further research]
## Sources
1. [Title](URL) — [1-line description]
2. [Title](URL) — [1-line description]
3. [Title](URL) — [1-line description]
Quality Guidelines
- Cite sources: Every factual claim should have a URL
- Note recency: Flag if information may be outdated
- Be honest about uncertainty: Don't present speculation as fact
- Cover multiple angles: Don't rely on a single source
- Be comprehensive but concise: Synthesize, don't just copy-paste
Filename Convention
Use descriptive kebab-case: quantum-computing-2024.md, climate-policy-europe.md
