report-generation

name	report-generation
description	Report templates and generation guidelines — Executive Summary, Deep Research Report, and Comparison Table formats with methodology and citation rules. Use when formatting research results into structured reports.

Report Generation

3 report templates with citation rules and mandatory Methodology section.

Template Selection

Research Type	Primary Template	Alternative
Competitive Analysis	Comparison Table	Deep Research Report
Market Research	Deep Research Report	Executive Summary
Technical Audit	Deep Research Report	—
Person/Company Lookup	Executive Summary	—
Topic Deep Dive	Deep Research Report	—
News & Trends	Executive Summary	Deep Research Report

Template 1: Executive Summary

Short format for quick research and factual queries.

# {Topic} — Executive Summary

**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
**Research Depth:** {quick | standard | deep}

## Key Findings

- Finding 1 [Source](url)
- Finding 2 [Source](url)
- Finding 3 [Source](url)

## Overview

{2-3 paragraphs with main conclusions}

## Key Data Points

| Metric | Value | Source |
|--------|-------|--------|
| {metric} | {value} | [Source](url) |

## Recommendations

1. {Recommendation 1}
2. {Recommendation 2}

## Sources

1. [{Title}]({url}) — accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}
2. [{Title}]({url}) — accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}

## Methodology

- **Research type:** {type}
- **Tools used:** {list of providers}
- **Queries executed:** {count}
- **Pages analyzed:** {count}
- **Date range:** {if applicable}

Template 2: Deep Research Report

Full format for in-depth research.

# {Topic} — Deep Research Report

**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
**Research Depth:** {quick | standard | deep}

## Executive Summary

{3-5 sentences with key conclusions}

## Background

{Context: why this matters, current situation}

## Findings

### {Section 1: Aspect/Angle}

{Detailed findings with inline citations [Source](url)}

### {Section 2: Aspect/Angle}

{Detailed findings}

### {Section 3: Aspect/Angle}

{Detailed findings}

## Analysis

{Cross-source analysis: patterns, trends, contradictions}

## Data & Metrics

| Metric | Value | Source | Confidence |
|--------|-------|--------|------------|
| {metric} | {value} | [Source](url) | High/Medium/Low |

## Key Quotes

> "{Quote}" — {Author/Source}, [{Link}]({url})

## Gaps & Limitations

- {What was not found}
- {Contradictory data}
- {Research limitations}

## Recommendations

1. {Recommendation 1} — rationale
2. {Recommendation 2} — rationale

## Sources

1. [{Title}]({url}) — accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}
2. [{Title}]({url}) — accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}

## Methodology

- **Research type:** {type}
- **Tools used:** {list with providers}
- **Search queries:**
  1. "{query 1}"
  2. "{query 2}"
  3. "{query 3}"
  {count}
  {YYYY-MM-DD}
  {any access issues, paywalls, blocked content}

Template 3: Comparison Table

Format for competitive analysis.

# {Item A} vs {Item B} vs {Item C} — Comparative Analysis

**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}

## Summary

{Brief comparison overview, 2-3 sentences}

## Feature Comparison

| Feature | {Item A} | {Item B} | {Item C} |
|---------|----------|----------|----------|
| **Price** | {value} | {value} | {value} |
| **{Feature 1}** | {value} | {value} | {value} |
| **{Feature 2}** | {value} | {value} | {value} |
| **{Feature 3}** | {value} | {value} | {value} |

## Detailed Analysis

### {Item A}

**Strengths:**
- {strength 1} [Source](url)
- {strength 2}

**Weaknesses:**
- {weakness 1}

**Best for:** {use case}

### {Item B}

**Strengths:**
- {strength 1} [Source](url)

**Weaknesses:**
- {weakness 1}

**Best for:** {use case}

### {Item C}

**Strengths / Weaknesses / Best for...**

## Verdict

Recommendation by use case:
- **For {use case 1}:** choose {Item}
- **For {use case 2}:** choose {Item}

## Sources

1. [{Title}]({url}) — accessed {YYYY-MM-DD}

## Methodology

- **Research type:** Competitive Analysis
- **Tools used:** {list}
- **Items compared:** {count}
-  {count}
  {count}

Methodology Section — Required Fields

Every report MUST contain a Methodology section with:

1. Research type — one of 6 types
2. Tools used — which providers were used
3. Search queries — list of queries executed
4. Pages analyzed — number of pages read
5. Date of research — when research was conducted
6. Limitations — paywalls, blocked content, missing data

Citation Format

Inline citations

The AI code assistant market is worth $5.2B [Gartner](https://gartner.com/report)

Source list

1. [Gartner: AI Code Assistant Market Report](https://gartner.com/report) — accessed 2026-03-16
2. [TechCrunch: The Rise of AI Coding Tools](https://techcrunch.com/article) — accessed 2026-03-16

Confidence Levels

Level	Criteria	Usage
High	3+ independent sources confirm	For facts and figures
Medium	2 sources confirm	For estimates and forecasts
Low	1 source or contradictory data	Must flag in text

Best Practices

1. Every fact with a URL — no exceptions
2. Cross-check numbers — single-source data marked as Low confidence
3. Gaps are mandatory — honestly state what was not found
4. Date in every report — research gets stale
5. Methodology is transparent — reader must understand how research was conducted
6. Tables for data — numerical comparisons always in tables
7. Quotes for support — direct quotes increase credibility