| name | web-research |
| description | Gather, vet, and cite sources for a research question. Use when answering factual questions, comparing options, or producing an evidence-backed write-up. |
Web research
A repeatable loop for turning a question into a well-sourced answer.
1. Frame the question
- Restate the question in one sentence and list the concrete sub-questions that,
once answered, fully address it.
- Decide what kinds of sources count as authoritative for this topic (papers,
standards, official docs, reputable reporting).
2. Gather
- Collect several independent sources per sub-question. Favor primary sources
over commentary, and recent material over stale material.
- For each source, capture: title, author/publisher, date, URL, and the
specific claim you are taking from it.
3. Vet
- Check who published it and when, whether it is primary or secondary, and
whether other independent sources corroborate the claim.
- Discard or down-weight sources you cannot verify; note the gap explicitly.
4. Synthesize and cite
- Compare sources, reconcile or surface disagreements, and separate established
facts from open questions.
- Cite every non-obvious claim. Use
format_citation for consistent references
and collect them in a references section.
Quality bar
- Every factual claim is traceable to a cited source.
- Confidence and gaps are stated plainly.
- The answer leads with the conclusion, then the evidence.
