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[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval. Inside a workflow run, /start-workflow → Workflow-step mode bounds this rule. [BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update todo tracking: set in_progress when step starts, set completed when step ends. [BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason. [BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

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Quick Summary

Goal: Run broad web research, classify and deduplicate candidate sources, and produce a tiered source map + gap list for source-deep-dive, never a final report.

Summary:

• Purpose: Breadth-first discovery + triage for source-deep-dive; produce a tiered, deduplicated source map, never synthesis.
• Main steps (all 5, in order): (1) Define scope — parse topic; generate 5-10 angle-varied queries (overview, current-state, comparison, data, expert, criticism); (2) Execute searches — run WebSearch per query (≤10 calls); record title/URL/snippet/source type; (3) Triage — classify each result Tier 1-4; dedupe; (4) Build map — write tmp/research/_sources-{slug}.md (Sources + Gaps Identified); (5) Identify gaps — note underexplored angles for source-deep-dive.
• Hard-cap fan-out at 10 WebSearch calls/invocation; generate 5-10 varied queries, then stop; breadth then triage, not deep-dive.
• Tier every result (.gov/.edu/official > industry reports > established blogs/Wikipedia > forums/social); dedupe URL/syndicated content before counting.
• Deliverable: intermediate source map at tmp/research/_sources-{slug}.md (Sources + Gaps Identified), not synthesis; hand off to source-deep-dive.
• Mine gaps: missing perspectives, quantitative data, stale recency; guide the next deep dive.
• Chain mode (caller-passed --chain=deep-dive): after Step 5, read references/research-chain.md and run source-deep-dive Steps 1-5 inline, leaving tmp/research/_evidence-{slug}.md; without the flag stop at Step 5 exactly as above.

Workflow:

1. Define scope — Parse topic; generate 5-10 varied queries
2. Execute searches — Run WebSearch; collect results
3. Source triage — Classify each source Tier 1-4; dedupe
4. Build source map — Write structured source list to working file
5. Identify gaps — Note underexplored angles for source-deep-dive

Key Rules:

• Maximum 10 WebSearch calls per invocation
• Follow source hierarchy: Official docs (Tier 1) > Peer-reviewed (Tier 2) > Industry blogs (Tier 3) > Forums (Tier 4)
• Output intermediate source map, not final report

MUST ATTENTION Apply skeptical, sequential thinking; trace every claim and state confidence (>80% to act).

Contents

• Quick Summary
• Web Research
• Knowledge Work Rules (canonical for the research chain)
• Step 1: Define Search Scope
• Step 2: Execute Searches
• Step 3: Source Triage
• Step 4: Build Source Map
• Step 5: Identify Gaps
• Chain Mode (--chain=deep-dive)
• Next Steps
• Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors
• Closing Reminders

Web Research

Knowledge Work Rules (canonical for the research chain)

Web Research Protocol — Factual claims require 2+ independent sources. Rank sources Tier 1 (.gov/.edu/official) > Tier 2 (industry reports) > Tier 3 (credible blogs; cross-validate) > Tier 4 (unverified; NEVER cite as fact). Declare confidence (95/80/60/<60%) for every finding.

1. Follow source hierarchy (official docs > peer-reviewed > industry blogs > forums) for factual claims
2. Cite sources with Tier classification (inline [N])
3. Cross-validate claims with 2+ independent sources
4. Declare confidence: 95/80/60/<60%
5. Use enforced template; include all sections
6. Working files → tmp/research/ (project-root, disposable); final output → docs/knowledge/
7. Query budget — one rule for the chain: 5-10 angle-varied WebSearch queries, at most 10 calls here; source-deep-dive then fetches at most 8 sources. workflow-research may lower the depth for a Narrow question (3-5 queries) but never raises a cap. The generic web-research protocol guide below (3-5 queries) is the floor for ad-hoc lookups in other skills and never overrides these caps.

These rules are canonical for the research chain; source-deep-dive and knowledge-synthesis read them from this file.

Step 1: Define Search Scope

Parse topic; generate 5-10 queries:

• Definition/overview — "what is {topic}"
• Current state — "{topic} 2026" or "{topic} latest"
• Comparison — "{topic} vs alternatives"
• Data/statistics — "{topic} market size" or "{topic} statistics"
• Expert opinion — "{topic} expert analysis" or "{topic} review"
• Criticism/risks — "{topic} challenges" or "{topic} risks"

Step 2: Execute Searches

For each query:

1. Run WebSearch.
2. Record title, URL, snippet, apparent source type.
3. Stop after 10 calls.

Step 3: Source Triage

For each result, classify Tier:

• Tier 1: .gov, .edu, official docs, peer-reviewed
• Tier 2: Industry reports, major publications
• Tier 3: Established blogs, verified experts, Wikipedia
• Tier 4: Forums, personal blogs, social media

Filter duplicate URLs and syndicated content.

Step 4: Build Source Map

Write to tmp/research/_sources-{slug}.md:

# Source Map: {Topic}

**Date:** {date}
**Queries executed:** {count}
**Sources found:** {count} (Tier 1: N, Tier 2: N, Tier 3: N, Tier 4: N)

## Sources

| #   | Title | URL | Tier | Relevance | Notes         |
| --- | ----- | --- | ---- | --------- | ------------- |
| 1   | ...   | ... | 1    | High      | Official docs |

## Gaps Identified

- {angle not covered}
- {topic needing deeper research}

Step 5: Identify Gaps

Review source map for:

• Missing perspectives (only positive sources? need criticism)
• Missing data types (no quantitative data? need statistics)
• Recency issues (all sources old? need current data)

Note gaps for source-deep-dive.

Chain Mode (--chain=deep-dive)

[BLOCKING] MUST ATTENTION when the caller passed --chain=deep-dive, read references/research-chain.md now and follow it: it runs source-deep-dive Steps 1-5 from that skill's own file and writes the evidence base, then returns. Without the flag, skip this section and the run ends at the source map.

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Next Steps

Inside a workflow: when this skill runs as a step of an active workflow, skip the prompts in this section and return the result — the workflow's next step decides what runs (/start-workflow → Step Execution Protocol, Workflow-step mode).

Without --chain=deep-dive only (chain mode follows references/research-chain.md). MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: After completion, use ask user question tool; user chooses:

• "/source-deep-dive (Recommended)" — Deep-dive into top sources
• "/market-analysis" — If sizing the market (TAM/SAM/SOM), competitors, trends — required before /business-evaluation
• "/business-evaluation" — If evaluating business viability. Run /market-analysis first — this skill consumes its sized-market output as evidence and MUST NOT re-derive market sizing.
• "Skip, continue manually" — user decides

[IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION] Use TaskCreate to break work into small tasks BEFORE starting.

External Memory: For complex/lengthy research, analysis, scans, or reviews, write intermediate + final results to tmp/reports/; prevents context loss and provides deliverable.

Evidence Gate: MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Every claim, finding, recommendation needs file:line proof or traced evidence + confidence (>80% act; <80% verify first).

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Protocol guides — Apply each protocol only when its read-when condition holds. If a protocol's text is not in your context, read its file below before you act on it.

• web-research — Structured web search for evidence gathering; gathering external evidence from the web → .claude/skills/shared/protocols/web-research.md

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Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval; inside a workflow run, /start-workflow → Workflow-step mode bounds this IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

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Closing Reminders

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Run broad web research, classify and deduplicate candidate sources, and produce a tiered source map + gap list for source-deep-dive, never a final report.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):

• Web Research: Cross-validate every claim across 2+ credible sources; NEVER cite one source as authoritative.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION run ALL 5 main steps in order — (1) define scope + generate 5-10 angle-varied queries → (2) execute WebSearch (≤10 calls), record title/URL/snippet/type → (3) triage each result Tier 1-4 + dedupe → (4) build source map at tmp/research/_sources-{slug}.md → (5) identify gaps for source-deep-dive — why: skipping a step (esp. triage or gaps) yields untiered, gap-blind feedstock that breaks the next stage. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cap WebSearch at 10 calls per invocation; generate 5-10 angle-varied queries (overview, current-state, comparison, data, expert, criticism) then stop at the cap — why: bounded fan-out keeps this breadth-then-triage, not a deep-dive into one angle. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION rank every source by tier (Tier 1 .gov/.edu/official > Tier 2 industry reports > Tier 3 established blogs/Wikipedia > Tier 4 forums/social) and dedupe by URL/syndicated content before it counts — why: tier ranking + dedupe keep the feedstock high-signal for source-deep-dive. MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER cite a Tier 4 / single source as authoritative — cross-validate every factual claim against 2+ independent sources and declare confidence (95/80/60/<60%) — why: one unverified source = a hallucination-amplifier downstream. **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** the deliverable is the intermediate source map at tmp/research/_sources-{slug}.md (sources table + Gaps Identified), NOT a synthesized report — hand it off to source-deep-dive; mine the set for gaps (missing perspectives, missing quantitative data, stale recency) so the next step knows where to dig. **IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** with --chain=deep-dive, after Step 5 read references/research-chain.md and run source-deep-dive Steps 1-5 from its own SKILL.md (never from memory); without the flag stop at the source map — why: the flag is the only contract that lets one step own both halves while each skill still works alone. **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** break work into small todo tasks using TaskCreate BEFORE starting; add a final review todo task to verify work quality; transition one task at a time. **IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** persist intermediate findings/results to a report file in tmp/reports/ for complex or lengthy work — why: external memory prevents context loss and is itself the deliverable. **IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** a direct /web-research call is an explicit skill request: run it with no routing question and NEVER start a workflow from inside this skill; only the post-completion Next Steps question uses ask user question tool. **IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** every claim, finding, and recommendation requires file:line proof or traced evidence with confidence percentage (>80% to act, <80% verify first) — NEVER speculate without proof.

Anti-Rationalization:

Evasion	Rebuttal
"One strong source is enough"	NEVER — cross-validate against 2+ independent sources; Tier 4 is never authoritative
"I'll just write the report now"	Out of scope — output the source map + gaps; source-deep-dive synthesizes, not this
"Keep searching, more results help"	Hard-cap is 10 WebSearch calls — breadth then triage, never an unbounded crawl
"Topic is simple, skip tiering/dedupe"	Tier + dedupe every source — untiered feedstock degrades every downstream step
"Just do it, skip task tracking"	Skip depth, never skip tracking — TaskCreate first, one task in progress

[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: triaged, tiered, deduplicated source map + gap list as feedstock for source-deep-dive — NOT a final report. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cap WebSearch at 10; cross-validate every claim with 2+ sources; NEVER cite Tier 4 as fact. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — this is very important.