name	research-report
description	Use this skill when the user asks to research a topic and produce a structured

Research Report Skill

Overview

This skill guides you through producing a well-structured, cited research report. You will search for sources, synthesize findings, and produce a polished document.

Step 1: Clarify the Request

Before searching, identify:

Topic: What is the core subject?
Scope: How broad or narrow?
Audience: Technical expert, executive, general public?
Length: Executive summary (1 page) vs. deep-dive report (5–10 pages)?
Format: Should the output be a .docx, .pdf, or Markdown?

If any of these are ambiguous, ask the user one clarifying question before proceeding.

Step 2: Research Strategy

Start with 2–3 broad queries to map the landscape
Identify key subtopics from results
Run targeted follow-up queries for each subtopic
Fetch full pages for the 3–5 most relevant sources (not just snippets)
Prioritize: peer-reviewed papers > government/institutional reports > reputable journalism > blogs

Minimum sources: 5 for a short report, 10+ for a deep-dive.

Source Quality Tiers

Tier	Examples	Trust Level
Primary	PubMed, arXiv, SEC filings, gov data	High
Secondary	NYT, Reuters, Nature News	Medium-High
Tertiary	Industry blogs, LinkedIn articles	Use with caution
Avoid	Anonymous forums, SEO content farms	Do not cite

Step 3: Synthesis Rules

Always paraphrase — never reproduce more than 14 words verbatim
Attribute every claim — "According to [Source], ..."
Triangulate: If only one source makes a claim, flag it as unverified
Surface disagreement: If sources conflict, present both views and note the tension

Step 4: Report Structure

1. Executive Summary       (150–200 words, no jargon)
2. Background & Context
3. Key Findings            (3–5 major themes)
4. Analysis
5. Open Questions
6. Conclusion
7. References

Step 5: Quality Checklist

Before delivering the report, verify:

All claims are attributed to a source
No section is copy-pasted from a source
Executive Summary can stand alone (no undefined terms)
References section is complete with URLs where possible
Report length matches the requested scope
Tone matches the stated audience

Known Failure Modes

Failure	How to Avoid
Hallucinating citations	Only cite sources actually retrieved via search
Over-summarizing	Fetch full pages, not just snippets
Scope creep	Re-read the user's original request before writing
False balance	Don't manufacture controversy where consensus exists
Recency bias	Check publication dates; prefer recent but note foundational older sources

Output Format

Markdown — default
.docx — if user mentions "Word", "document", or "downloadable"
.pdf — if user mentions "PDF" or "printable"

Metadata

{
  "name": "research-report",
  "version": "1.2.0",
  "tools_required": ["web_search", "web_fetch"],
  "tools_optional": ["file_create"],
  "avg_token_cost": 4000,
  "max_recommended_depth": "10 sources",
  "compatible_models": ["claude-sonnet-4-20250514", "claude-opus-4-5"]
}

name	research-report
description	Use this skill when the user asks to research a topic and produce a structured