ericgandrade/deep-research

Deep Research (No External API)

Purpose

Run structured, multi-step research with evidence-first synthesis.

This skill is designed to work without Google/Gemini API or any paid provider setup.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Performing market analysis
• Conducting competitive landscaping
• Building literature or source reviews
• Doing technical due diligence
• Preparing decision memos with citations

Requirements

• Access to built-in web research tools (WebSearch, WebFetch)
• Clear research question and scope

No external API key is required.

Progress Tracking

Display a progress gauge at each research phase:

[████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 20% — Phase 1/5: Defining Objective & Scope
[████████░░░░░░░░░░░░] 40% — Phase 2/5: Collecting Sources
[████████████░░░░░░░░] 60% — Phase 3/5: Deep Analysis & Synthesis
[████████████████░░░░] 80% — Phase 4/5: Drafting Output
[████████████████████] 100% — Phase 5/5: Quality Review & Citations

Workflow

Research Protocol

1. Define objective and output format

• Clarify the research question, audience, and success criteria.
• Confirm time horizon (e.g., last 12 months, last 5 years).

2. Build search strategy

• Create 5-10 query variants (broad, narrow, comparative, opposing views).
• Prefer primary sources first (official docs, papers, regulatory pages, vendor docs).

Parallel Query Execution

Do NOT run searches sequentially. Launch one ResearchScout agent per query variant simultaneously in a single block.

| Agent | Query Type | |-------|-----------| | ResearchScout-Broad | Wide-scope 2–3 keyword query | | ResearchScout-Narrow | Specific 5+ keyword query | | ResearchScout-Comparative | "X vs Y" or "comparison of" framing | | ResearchScout-Opposing | Contrarian or critical viewpoints | | ResearchScout-Primary | Official docs, papers, government sources | | ResearchScout-Recent | Date-filtered to last 12 months |

Each agent prompt begins with:

# ResearchScout — Targeted Web Research Agent
Role: Execute a single search query using WebSearch/WebFetch, collect top results with URLs and key findings, return structured results.

Wait for all ResearchScout agents to complete. Deduplicate results by URL. Then proceed to synthesis/triangulation phase.

3. Collect sources with traceability

• Capture URL, title, date, publisher, and relevance notes.
• Track contradictions and unresolved claims explicitly.

4. Validate and triangulate

• Cross-check key claims with at least 2 independent credible sources.
• Flag weak evidence and avoid overconfident conclusions.

5. Synthesize output

• Produce concise findings with direct citations.
• Separate facts, inferences, and recommendations.

Output Formats

Choose one based on request:

1) Executive Brief

• Objective
• Top findings (5-10)
• Risks / unknowns
• Recommendations
• Sources

2) Comparative Analysis

• Criteria matrix
• Option-by-option strengths/weaknesses
• Trade-offs
• Recommendation + rationale
• Sources

3) Research Log

• Queries used
• Source inventory
• Evidence quality notes
• Open questions
• Next research steps

Quality Bar

• Evidence before conclusions
• Date-aware and source-aware claims
• Contradictions surfaced, not hidden
• No uncited critical claims

Time & Cost

• Time: usually 5-20 minutes depending on scope
• Cost: no external API cost for this skill

Safety

• Never fabricate sources or citations.
• If evidence is insufficient, state it clearly.
• Distinguish confirmed facts from inference.

Critical Rules

• Always include citations for material claims.
• Always separate facts from interpretations and recommendations.
• Always mark uncertainty explicitly when evidence is weak or conflicting.

Error Handling

| Error | Likely Cause | Action | |-------|-------------|--------| | WebSearch returns no results | Query too specific, misspelled, or topic very niche | Broaden query, try alternate phrasing, report low-coverage finding | | WebFetch times out or blocked | Site is down, bot-blocking, or paywalled | Skip that source, note it as inaccessible, continue with other sources | | Insufficient sources found | Topic has limited public information | Report coverage gaps; recommend user provide domain-specific sources | | Conflicting information across sources | Different sources cite different facts | Flag the conflict explicitly; present both sides with sources | | Query too broad | Research question covers too many sub-topics | Ask user to narrow the scope or prioritize specific dimensions | | Paywalled content | Article requires subscription | Note the source as paywalled; use abstract/preview if available |

Example Usage

1. "Use deep-research to compare 3 vector databases for enterprise use."
2. "Use deep-research to summarize regulatory updates from the last 12 months."
3. "Use deep-research to produce a source-backed buy-vs-build memo."