AgentSkillsCN

Web Research

网络调研

SKILL.md
--- frontmatter
name: Web Research
when_to_use: Gathering information from web sources, fact-checking, building knowledge base, verifying claims

Overview

Systematic research prevents hallucination and ensures accuracy. Never claim facts without sources.

Implementation Checklist

  • • Clarify objective - Ask partner what specific questions need answers
  • • Break into questions - List specific questions to research
  • • For each question: - [ ] Use WebSearch to find 3-5 relevant sources - [ ] Use WebFetch to read full content of top sources - [ ] Verify claims across multiple sources - [ ] Note source credibility and publication date - [ ] Record contradictions if sources disagree
  • • Synthesize findings - Connect insights, don't just summarize
  • • Distinguish fact vs opinion - Be explicit about which is which
  • • Note confidence levels: - High confidence: Multiple authoritative sources agree - Medium confidence: Limited sources or some disagreement - Low confidence: Single source or significant contradictions
  • • Cite all sources - Include URLs and access dates

Quality Standards

  • •Never claim certainty without citing source
  • •Verify important facts across 2+ independent sources
  • •Flag explicitly when sources conflict
  • •Include "Last updated: [date]" for time-sensitive information
  • •Note when information may be outdated
  • •Distinguish primary sources from secondary analysis

Research Workflow

1. Question Formulation

Break vague requests into specific questions:

Vague: "Research AI regulations"

Specific:

  • •What AI regulations have been passed in EU?
  • •What is the current status of US AI regulation?
  • •How do EU and US approaches differ?
  • •What are key compliance requirements?

2. Source Evaluation

Assess credibility:

  • •High credibility: Official docs, peer-reviewed papers, primary sources
  • •Medium credibility: Reputable news, established organizations
  • •Low credibility: Blogs, social media, anonymous sources

Note credibility explicitly in findings.

3. Synthesis Process

Don't just concatenate sources. Instead:

  1. •Identify common themes across sources
  2. •Note where sources disagree (with citations)
  3. •Provide your analysis of what this means
  4. •Distinguish settled facts from ongoing debates

4. Citation Format

Always include:

  • •Source title
  • •URL
  • •Access date
  • •Publisher/author if relevant

Example:

code
According to the EU AI Act documentation (https://..., accessed 2025-10-13),
high-risk AI systems must undergo conformity assessment...

Anti-Patterns

❌ Searching once and declaring complete

  • •Search multiple times with different queries
  • •Use different search terms

❌ Citing sources you didn't actually read

  • •Always use WebFetch to read content
  • •Don't cite based on search snippet alone

❌ Mixing your interpretation with source claims

  • •Be clear: "The source states..." vs "This suggests..."

❌ Not checking publication dates

  • •Always note when information was published
  • •Flag if potentially outdated

❌ Ignoring contradictions

  • •When sources disagree, say so explicitly
  • •Don't cherry-pick sources that agree

Tools

  • •WebSearch - Find sources (returns titles, URLs, snippets)
  • •WebFetch - Read full content (converts HTML to markdown)

Supporting

For technical documentation of web tools, see:

  • •skills/tools/web/ (if created)

For remembering past research, see:

  • •skills/collaboration/remembering-conversations/ (if created)