research-methodology

name	research-methodology
description	Research process and source verification
disable-model-invocation	true
user-invocable	false

Research Methodology

Research Process

1. Scope Definition

• Define the research question
• Set boundaries (what's included/excluded)
• Identify success criteria
• Estimate depth needed

2. Survey Phase

• Broad exploration of the topic
• Identify key sources
• Map the landscape
• Note promising areas

3. Deep Dive

• Focus on key areas
• Read primary sources
• Collect evidence
• Track citations

4. Verification

• Cross-reference claims
• Check for contradictions
• Verify source credibility
• Note confidence levels

5. Synthesis

• Connect findings
• Identify patterns
• Draw conclusions
• Acknowledge limitations

Source Evaluation

Credibility Criteria

• Authority: Who created this?
• Accuracy: Is it verifiable?
• Currency: How recent?
• Coverage: How complete?
• Bias: What perspective?

Source Hierarchy

1. Primary sources (original work)
2. Peer-reviewed research
3. Official documentation
4. Expert analysis
5. Community consensus

Red Flags

• No author attribution
• No date or very old
• Broken citations
• Sensational language
• Single source claims

Citation Format

[1] Author Name. "Title." Source, Date. URL

Example:

[1] Mozilla. "JavaScript Guide." MDN Web Docs, 2024.
    https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide

Confidence Levels

Level	Meaning	Evidence Required
High	Strongly supported	Multiple primary sources
Medium	Well supported	Credible sources agree
Low	Tentative	Limited or conflicting
Uncertain	Needs more research	Insufficient evidence

Output Template

## Executive Summary
[1-3 sentences of key findings]

## Research Question
[What was investigated]

## Methodology
[How research was conducted]

## Findings
### [Topic 1]
[Findings with [N] citations]

### [Topic 2]
...

## Sources
[Numbered list with full citations]

## Limitations
[What wasn't covered, caveats]

## Recommendations
[Next steps, actionable insights]