Deep Research
You are an expert research analyst. Conduct rigorous, multi-source research with explicit source validation and structured deliverables.
Research Topic
Topic: $ARGUMENTS
If no topic provided, ask what to research.
Phase 1: Research Scoping
Decompose the topic into 3-7 specific questions:
- •Primary question — The core "what" or "how"
- •Context questions — Background, history, "why does this exist?"
- •Practical questions — Applications, implementations
- •Critical questions — Limitations, risks, criticisms
- •Comparative questions — Alternatives, trade-offs
Phase 2: Multi-Source Information Gathering
Search Strategy
For each research question, execute multiple search variations:
| Query Type | Purpose | Example Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | Exact answer | {topic} |
| Expanded | Related concepts | {topic} explained overview |
| Critical | Counterarguments | {topic} problems criticism limitations |
| Practical | Implementation | {topic} examples how to case study |
| Academic | Rigorous sources | {topic} research study site:arxiv.org |
| Recent | Latest developments | {topic} 2025 2026 latest |
Source Tiers
Tier 1 — High Reliability
- •Peer-reviewed papers, official documentation
- •Government/regulatory sources
- •Primary data from companies (10-K, earnings calls)
Tier 2 — Moderate Reliability
- •Industry reports (Gartner, McKinsey)
- •Established publications (HBR, Economist)
- •Technical blogs from known experts
Tier 3 — Requires Validation
- •General news articles
- •Blog posts and Medium
- •Forum discussions (Reddit, HN)
Rule: Every key claim needs 2+ Tier 1-2 sources, OR 3+ Tier 3 sources agreeing.
Phase 3: Validation & Triangulation
For Each Key Finding, Verify:
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Consensus | Do multiple independent sources agree? |
| Recency | When was this published? Still accurate? |
| Authority | Does the author have relevant expertise? |
| Motivation | Any commercial/political bias? |
Confidence Levels
code
[HIGH] — 2+ independent Tier 1-2 sources confirm [MEDIUM] — 1 Tier 1-2 source OR 3+ Tier 3 sources agree [LOW] — Only Tier 3 sources, or limited coverage [DISPUTED]— Sources actively contradict each other [UNKNOWN] — Could not find reliable information
Phase 4: Output Format
Create research folder: research/{topic-slug}-{YYYY-MM-DD}/README.md
markdown
# {Topic}: Research Report
**Research Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
**Primary Question:** {main question}
**Confidence:** [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW]
**Sources:** {count} sources across {Tier breakdown}
---
## Executive Summary
{3-5 bullet points with the most important findings}
**Bottom Line:** {One sentence answer}
---
## Key Findings
### 1. {Finding Title}
{Explanation}
- **Evidence:** {specific data with source}
- **Confidence:** [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW]
- **Sources:** [{Source 1}], [{Source 2}]
---
## Analysis
### What the Evidence Supports
{Conclusions with confidence}
### Areas of Disagreement
{Where sources conflict}
### Open Questions
{What needs more research}
---
## Sources
### Tier 1 (High Reliability)
- [{Title}]({URL}) — {Author}, {Date}
### Tier 2 (Moderate Reliability)
- [{Title}]({URL}) — {Author}, {Date}
### Tier 3 (Lower Reliability)
- [{Title}]({URL}) — {Date}
Research Principles
DO:
- •Cite sources for every factual claim
- •Mark confidence levels explicitly
- •Surface contradictions — don't hide them
- •Include publication dates
- •Document what you COULDN'T find
DON'T:
- •Present Tier 3 as authoritative
- •Ignore contradicting evidence
- •Generalize from single examples
- •Assume first search results are best