research

name	research
version	1.0.1
description	Deep online research on any topic. Produces structured reports with citations and confidence scores. Three depth modes — quick scan, standard investigation, or deep dive.
trigger	manual
depends-on	[]
references	["research-report-template.md","depth-profiles.md"]
disable-model-invocation	true
user-invocable	true
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Glob, Grep, Bash, Agent, WebSearch, WebFetch
argument-hint	<topic-or-question>

---

research

Skill metrics: Emit a start event to the activity log:

echo "{\"type\":\"skill\",\"event\":\"start\",\"skill\":\"research\",\"ts\":\"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)\"}" >> docs/sessions/.activity-log.jsonl

Researching: $ARGUMENTS

Phase 1: Clarification Gate

Before starting research, assess whether the query is specific enough:

If the query is vague (single word, no clear question, ambiguous scope):

• Ask 1–2 focused clarifying questions using AskUserQuestion
• Ask about scope: "What specific aspect of [topic] are you interested in?"
• Ask about context: "Is this for a specific project/technology, or a general investigation?"

If the query is specific enough — proceed directly.

Ask about depth if not obvious from the query:

• Use AskUserQuestion with options: "Quick scan (2-3 searches, fast answer)", "Standard (parallel research, 2-3 min)", "Deep dive (comprehensive, 5-10 min)"
• If the query clearly implies depth (e.g., "comprehensive analysis of..." → deep), skip asking

Phase 2: Check Prior Research

Before doing new research, check if this topic has been investigated before:

1. Search docs/research/ for matching topics (Grep on title/tags in frontmatter)
2. Search docs/solutions/ for related findings
3. Search docs/brainstorms/ for related design explorations

If prior research exists:

• Load it and assess: is it still current? Does it answer the query?
• If it's recent and relevant: present it to the user, ask if they want fresh research or if prior findings suffice
• If it's outdated or partially relevant: note it as context for the new research

Phase 3: Plan Research

Compose the deep-research methodology (.claude/prompts/deep-research.md):

1. Classify depth — Auto-classify using depth profile heuristics, or use the user's explicit choice
2. Decompose query — Break into sub-questions per Phase 1 of deep-research methodology
3. Present plan to user — Show the sub-questions and depth before executing

Present the research plan:

Do NOT dispatch research agents until the user approves the research plan. The user may want to adjust sub-questions, change depth, or add specific areas to investigate.