research-and-abstracting

name	research-and-abstracting
description	Use when the user asks to research a topic, gather information, or prepare before writing a document. Guides the process of collecting external information, synthesizing it, and outlining a document before drafting.

Skill: Research & Abstracting

This skill governs the process of gathering information from external sources and synthesizing it into a coherent outline before writing any DevBook content document.

Core Principles

• Research first, write second. Never draft a content document without first gathering sufficient reference material. The quality of the output is bounded by the quality of the input.
• Synthesize, don't plagiarize. External sources inform your understanding. The final document must be original — not a compilation of paraphrased snippets. Read, understand, then write from synthesis.
• Verify before referencing. Every external link included in a document's Quick References must be verified as valid and accessible. Do not include links you have not confirmed.
• Abstract to the essential. Distill each source to its core insight. A document about a broad topic does not need every detail from every source — it needs the essential concepts that serve the reader's understanding.

Research Workflow

1. Scope Definition

Before searching, define:

• What specific question or concept does this document address?
• Who is the reader (a developer — what level of prior knowledge)?
• What existing DevBook content relates to this topic? (Check sibling files and parent index.)

2. Source Collection

Use the WebFetch tool to gather information from:

• Authoritative references (specifications, academic papers, official documentation)
• Established tutorials and guides from recognized experts
• Wikipedia or similar encyclopedic sources for foundational context
• Primary sources when available (original papers, specification authors)

Prioritize:

1. Primary sources (specifications, original research, official docs)
2. Authoritative secondary sources (established textbooks, respected tutorials)
3. Encyclopedic summaries for broad context

3. Synthesis

After gathering sources:

• Identify the key concepts, their relationships, and their practical significance to developers.
• Note areas of consensus and disagreement among sources.
• Identify prerequisite concepts the reader needs to understand first.
• Determine the logical structure: what order best builds understanding?

4. Outlining

Before writing the document, produce a brief abstract containing:

• The core thesis or purpose of the document
• The key sections and their ordering
• Which existing DevBook documents to reference in Prerequisites and Next Steps

Quality Gates

• At least 2-3 independent sources should inform the document, unless the topic has a single authoritative source (e.g., a language specification).
• Every factual claim in the document should be traceable to at least one source from the research phase.
• External links in Quick References must be verified by fetching them — not assumed to exist.
• If research reveals the topic is too broad, recommend splitting it into multiple focused documents.