Produces a Research Brief (deep mode) or Landscape Map (wide mode) document synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations. Use when: 'research this topic deeply', 'map the landscape of X', 'investigate and synthesize', 'do a wide scan of the competitive space', 'I need to understand before deciding'.
Produces a Research Brief (deep mode) or Landscape Map (wide mode) document synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations. Use when: 'research this topic deeply', 'map the landscape of X', 'investigate and synthesize', 'do a wide scan of the competitive space', 'I need to understand before deciding'.
category
continuous-learning
triggers
["research this topic deeply","map the landscape","investigate and synthesize","do a wide scan of the competitive space","I need to understand before deciding"]
tier
1
agents
["primary"]
tool_dependencies
["file_system","web_tools"]
inputs
[{"name":"topic","type":"string","description":"The research topic or question to investigate","required":true},{"name":"mode","type":"string","description":"Research mode — deep (Research Brief) or wide (Landscape Map)","required":false}]
outputs
[{"name":"research_document","type":"ref","format":"cas-ref","description":"Research Brief (deep mode) or Landscape Map (wide mode) with findings and actionable recommendations"}]
Research Modes Skill
Version: 1.1
Created: 2026-02-02
Author: Manus
Purpose: Structured approaches for deep and wide research tasks
Overview
This skill encodes two complementary research modes: Deep Research (focused, comprehensive investigation of a specific topic) and Wide Research (broad scan across multiple topics to identify patterns and opportunities). Use this skill to conduct efficient, high-quality research that produces actionable insights.
Output templates for all phases are in references/research-output-templates.md.
When to Use This Skill
Planning a new feature or system architecture
Investigating a technical problem or design challenge
Exploring competitive landscape or market trends
Synthesizing learnings from multiple sources
Making informed decisions based on evidence
Research Mode Selection
Deep Research Mode
Use when:
You need comprehensive understanding of a specific topic
The decision depends on technical details
You're evaluating a complex system or architecture
You need to become an "expert" in a narrow domain
Characteristics:
Focused scope (1-3 related topics)
Multiple sources per topic (5-10+)
Deep analysis and synthesis
Produces Research Brief or Research Synthesis document
Timeline: 2-8 hours
Wide Research Mode
Use when:
You're exploring a new problem space
You need to identify patterns across multiple domains
You're scouting for inspiration or best practices
You want to understand the landscape before diving deep
Characteristics:
Broad scope (10-50+ topics)
Few sources per topic (1-3)
Pattern recognition and clustering
Produces Landscape Map or Opportunity Matrix
Timeline: 1-4 hours
Deep Research Mode
Phase 1: Define Scope (15-30 minutes)
Questions to answer:
What is the core question I'm trying to answer?
What decision will this research inform?
What level of detail do I need?
What are the boundaries (in scope vs. out of scope)?
What success criteria will I use?
Output: Research Brief — see references/research-output-templates.md
Phase 2: Source Discovery (30-60 minutes)
Methods:
Search for academic papers, technical documentation, blog posts
Identify authoritative sources (official docs, research labs, industry leaders)
Look for case studies, implementations, and real-world examples
Check GitHub repositories, open-source projects, and code examples
Quality Filters:
Recency (prefer sources from last 2-3 years unless historical context is needed)
Authority (prefer official docs, peer-reviewed papers, recognized experts)
Relevance (directly addresses the research question)
Depth (provides technical details, not just overviews)
Output: Source List (10-20 sources) — see references/research-output-templates.md
Phase 3: Deep Reading & Note-Taking (1-3 hours)
Process:
Read each source with the research question in mind
Extract key insights, claims, and evidence
Note disagreements or contradictions between sources
Identify patterns and themes
Flag open questions or gaps
Note-taking structure per source:
Main argument (1-2 sentences)
Key insights (bulleted)
Evidence (data points, studies, examples)
Disagreements with other sources
Open questions raised
Exact quotes with page or section reference
Relevance to research question
Phase 4: Synthesis & Analysis (1-2 hours)
Questions to answer:
What are the major themes or patterns?
What do most sources agree on?
Where do sources disagree, and why?
What are the tradeoffs or tensions?
What gaps remain in the knowledge?
Output: Research Synthesis document — see references/research-output-templates.md
Phase 5: Validation (30-60 minutes)
Questions to ask:
Did I answer the research question?
Are my recommendations actionable?
Did I consider counterarguments?
Are there gaps in my reasoning?
Would someone else reach the same conclusion?
Validation Methods:
Review against success criteria
Check for confirmation bias (did I only seek supporting evidence?)
Test recommendations against edge cases
Share with a peer for feedback (if available)
Wide Research Mode
Phase 1: Define Landscape (15-30 minutes)
Questions to answer:
What problem space am I exploring?
What are the boundaries of this landscape?
What am I looking for (patterns, tools, approaches)?
How will I know when I've covered enough ground?
Output: Landscape Brief — see references/research-output-templates.md
Phase 2: Rapid Scanning (1-2 hours)
Process:
Search broadly across the problem space
Skim sources quickly (5-10 minutes per source)
Extract 1-3 key insights per source
Tag sources by category, theme, or approach
Move on quickly (don't get stuck in details)
Output: Tagged source list (20-50 sources) organized by category
Phase 3: Pattern Recognition (30-60 minutes)
Questions to answer:
What categories or clusters emerge?
What approaches are most common?
What innovations or outliers stand out?
What gaps or opportunities exist?
Output: Landscape Map — see references/research-output-templates.md
Phase 4: Opportunity Matrix (30-60 minutes)
Process:
Identify potential approaches or solutions
Evaluate each on key dimensions (effort, impact, risk, novelty)
Plot on a 2x2 matrix (e.g., effort vs. impact)
Prioritize based on goals
Output: Opportunity Matrix — see references/research-output-templates.md
Hybrid Research Mode
Use when:
You need both breadth and depth
The problem space is large and complex
You're making a high-stakes decision
Process:
Start with Wide Research (2-4 hours)
Identify 2-3 promising areas
Conduct Deep Research on each area (2-4 hours per area)
Confirmation Bias: Only seeking supporting evidence — actively seek counterarguments
Analysis Paralysis: Reading forever, never synthesizing — set time limits
Surface Skimming: Reading titles, not content — take structured notes
No Synthesis: Collecting info, not building understanding — answer the research question
Usage Instructions
Read this skill before starting research
Choose the right mode (Deep, Wide, or Hybrid)
Define scope clearly (research brief or landscape brief)
Follow the phase structure for your chosen mode
Take structured notes using the templates in references/research-output-templates.md
Synthesize findings into actionable insights
Validate against success criteria
Output
Deep mode: Research Brief (scope + question) + Research Synthesis document saved to the project's docs/research/ or scouts/ directory
Wide mode: Landscape Map + Opportunity Matrix document saved to the same location
Format: Markdown file named [date]_[topic]_research.md or [date]_[topic]_landscape.md
Examples
Scenario 1: "Research AI agent memory compression techniques deeply" → Research Brief defining question + Research Synthesis with findings across 8-12 sources, confidence ratings, tradeoffs table, and ranked recommendations
Scenario 2: "Map the landscape of open-source design system tools" → Landscape Brief + Landscape Map categorizing 30+ tools by personality/density/use-case + Opportunity Matrix scoring the top options
Edge Cases
Topic too broad for deep mode: Split into 2-3 focused sub-questions, run Deep Research on each, then synthesize
Fewer than 3 credible sources found: Note the evidence gap explicitly in the synthesis; do not inflate confidence
Conflicting authoritative sources: Surface the contradiction as a finding, do not resolve it artificially
Time-boxed request (e.g., "quick scan"): Default to Wide Research with Phase 2 limited to 10-15 sources; label output as a preliminary scan
Anti-Patterns
Running Wide Research when a specific decision needs Deep Research — the outputs are structurally different and not interchangeable
Starting Phase 4 synthesis before completing source reading — partial data produces overconfident recommendations
Reusing a prior Research Brief for a different question without redefining scope — old scope constraints silently distort new findings
Writing the synthesis as a summary of each source in order — synthesis must be organized by themes, not by source
Related Skills:
specification-writer — Research informs specifications
seed-extraction — Extract seeds from research findings
memory-garden — Document research in memory for future reference
Last Updated: 2026-04-08
Maintained By: Manus
Status: Active
