dougtrajano/web-research

Web Research Skill

This skill provides guidance on conducting comprehensive web research. It emphasizes planning, efficient information gathering, and systematic synthesis of findings.

Note: This skill provides a methodology and best practices for web research. It does not include executable scripts or tools beyond what's available in your agent's toolset.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Research complex topics requiring multiple information sources
• Gather and synthesize current information from the web
• Conduct comparative analysis across multiple subjects
• Produce well-sourced research reports with clear citations

Research Process

Step 1: Create and Save Research Plan

Before conducting research:

1. Analyze the research question - Break it down into distinct, non-overlapping subtopics

2. Create a research plan - Determine:

   • The main research question
   • 2-5 specific subtopics to investigate
   • Expected information from each subtopic
   • How results will be synthesized

Planning Guidelines:

• Simple fact-finding: 1-2 subtopics
• Comparative analysis: 1 subtopic per comparison element (max 3)
• Complex investigations: 3-5 subtopics

Step 2: Gather Information

For each subtopic in your plan:

1. Use available web search tools to gather information with:

   • Clear, specific search queries
   • Target: 3-5 searches per subtopic maximum

2. Organize findings as you gather them

Step 3: Synthesize Findings

After gathering information:

1. Review all collected information from your searches

2. Synthesize the information - Create a comprehensive response that:

   • Directly answers the original question
   • Integrates insights from all subtopics
   • Cites specific sources with URLs
   • Identifies any gaps or limitations

Best Practices

• Plan before searching - Understand what you need to find and organize your approach
• Clear subtopics - Ensure each search has a distinct, non-overlapping scope
• Systematic synthesis - Review all findings before creating final response
• Stop appropriately - Don't over-research; 3-5 searches per subtopic is usually sufficient
• Cite sources - Always include URLs to sources in your final response