Research Skill

Tool-assisted research with Tavily integration. Transforms basic questions into comprehensive search strategies using AI-optimized web search.

Setup

This skill includes a bundled Tavily CLI script at scripts/tavily-cli.ts.

Requirements

1. Deno - Install from https://deno.land
2. Tavily API Key - Get one at https://tavily.com (free tier available)

Configuration

Set your API key:

export TAVILY_API_KEY="your-key-here"

Create an alias for convenience (add to your shell profile):

# Adjust path to where this skill is installed
alias tavily='deno run --allow-net --allow-env /path/to/skills/research/scripts/tavily-cli.ts'

Or run directly:

deno run --allow-net --allow-env ./scripts/tavily-cli.ts "your query"

Commands below use tavily assuming the alias is configured.

---

Quick Reference

Common Commands

# Basic search
tavily "your query"

# With AI answer summary
tavily "your query" --answer

# Deep search with more results
tavily "your query" --depth advanced --results 10 --answer

# News/recent content
tavily "your query" --topic news --time week

# Exclude familiar sources to find new perspectives
tavily "your query" --exclude wikipedia.org,reddit.com

Phase Summary

Phase	Type	Purpose
0	Manual	Analyze topic, set scope
1	Tavily	Discover expert terminology
2	Tavily	Foundational search
3	Tavily	Counter-perspectives
4	Manual	Synthesize findings

Scope → Tavily Depth

Decision Stakes	Tavily Settings
Low, reversible	--depth basic --results 3
Moderate	--depth basic --results 5 --answer
High, irreversible	--depth advanced --results 10 --answer

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Phase 0: Analysis

Goal: Structure topic before searching. Prevents unfocused searches and scope mismatch.

Scope Calibration

Before searching, assess stakes:

Decision Type	Confidence Needed	Research Depth
Reversible, low-stakes	60-70%	Quick scan (minutes)
Reversible, moderate	75-85%	Working knowledge
Irreversible, moderate	85-90%	Solid grounding
Irreversible, high	90-95%	Deep expertise

Analysis Template

# Research Analysis: [Topic]

## Core Concepts
- **Primary terms:** [Key terms requiring definition]
- **Terminology variants:** [Synonyms, jargon, historical terms]
- **Ambiguous terms:** [Terms with multiple meanings]

## Stakeholders
- **Primary actors:** [Who is directly involved?]
- **Affected groups:** [Who bears consequences?]
- **Opposing interests:** [Who benefits from different outcomes?]

## Temporal Scope
- **Historical origins:** [When did this begin?]
- **Key transitions:** [What changed and when?]
- **Current state:** [What's happening now?]

## Domains
- **Primary field:** [Main discipline]
- **Adjacent fields:** [Related disciplines]

## Controversies
- **Active debates:** [What's contested?]
- **Competing frameworks:** [Different ways of understanding]

Phase 0 Checklist

• Identified primary terms
• Listed potential stakeholders
• Assessed decision stakes
• Determined appropriate research depth

---

Phase 1: Vocabulary Discovery

Goal: Discover expert terminology to unlock deeper search results.

Why Vocabulary Matters

• Outsider terms → introductory material
• Expert terms → research, nuanced analysis
• Cross-domain terms → bridge bodies of work

Tavily Commands for Vocabulary Discovery

Discovery Need	Command
Expert terminology	tavily "[topic] terminology experts" --answer
Academic terms	tavily "[topic] academic research terminology" --answer
Cross-domain synonyms	tavily "[topic] also known as called" --answer
Historical terms	tavily "[topic] history original term" --answer

Vocabulary Discovery Process

1. Run initial terminology search:

   tavily "[topic] terminology" --answer --results 5
   

2. From results, note:

   • Expert terms (technical vocabulary)
   • Outsider terms (popular/introductory language)
   • Cross-domain equivalents

3. Update vocabulary map (template below)

4. Re-run searches with expert terms:

   tavily "[expert-term]" --answer
   

5. Compare result quality - expert terms should surface deeper content

Vocabulary Map Template

## Core Terms
| Term | Domain | Depth Level |
|------|--------|-------------|
| [expert term] | [field] | Expert |
| [outsider term] | General | Introductory |

## Cross-Domain Synonyms
| Concept | Terms by Domain |
|---------|-----------------|
| [concept] | Field A: [term], Field B: [term] |

## Depth Indicators
| Level | Terms | What They Surface |
|-------|-------|-------------------|
| Introductory | [terms] | Overviews, explainers |
| Expert | [terms] | Research, nuanced analysis |

Phase 1 Checklist

• Ran terminology discovery search
• Identified expert vs. outsider terms
• Mapped cross-domain synonyms
• Created vocabulary map

---

Phase 2: Foundational Search

Goal: Build foundational understanding with authoritative sources.

Question Pattern → Tavily Command

Question Pattern	Strategy	Command
"What is X?"	Consensus from authorities	tavily "[expert-term] definition" --answer --depth advanced
"Should I X?"	Pros/cons, alternatives	tavily "[expert-term] pros cons comparison" --answer
"Is X true?"	Evidence, counter-evidence	tavily "[claim] evidence research" --answer --depth advanced
"How do I X?"	Step-by-step, pitfalls	tavily "[expert-term] guide tutorial" --answer
Historical context	Origins and evolution	tavily "[topic] history origins development" --answer

Source Type Selection

Source Type	Best For	Tavily Approach
Academic/Research	Mechanism, causation	--depth advanced --results 10
Practitioner content	How things work, edge cases	--topic general --answer
News/Current	Recent developments	--topic news --time week
Official docs	Technical specs, policy	--include [official-domain]

Foundational Search Process

1. Start with expert terminology from Phase 1

2. Run foundational queries:

   # Definition/overview
   tavily "[expert-term] comprehensive overview" --answer --depth advanced
   
   # Key perspectives
   tavily "[expert-term] major approaches" --answer --results 7
   

3. For each major perspective found, get 2-3 authoritative sources:

   tavily "[perspective-name] [expert-term]" --answer --results 5
   

4. Track sources in research notes

Phase 2 Checklist

• Used expert terminology from Phase 1
• Searched for foundational overview
• Identified 2-3 major perspectives
• Found authoritative sources per perspective
• Tracked sources

---

Phase 3: Counter-Perspective Search

Goal: Explicitly find opposing viewpoints to avoid confirmation bias.

Why Counter-Perspectives Matter

Single-perspective research:

• All sources support one viewpoint
• Missing counterarguments
• Echo chamber risk

Tavily Commands for Counter-Perspectives

Need	Command
General criticism	tavily "[topic] criticism problems" --answer
Opposing viewpoint	tavily "[topic] skeptics critique" --answer
Alternative approaches	tavily "[topic] alternatives instead of" --answer
Failure cases	tavily "[topic] failures when wrong" --answer
Avoid echo chamber	tavily "[topic] debate" --exclude [familiar-sources]

Counter-Perspective Process

1. Identify your current understanding/lean

2. Search for strongest counterargument:

   tavily "[topic] strongest argument against" --answer --depth advanced
   

3. Exclude sources you've already seen:

   tavily "[topic]" --exclude [domains-already-searched]
   

4. Search for failure modes:

   tavily "[topic] when fails problems limitations" --answer
   

5. Document opposing perspectives in research notes

Phase 3 Checklist

• Identified current understanding/position
• Searched for strongest counterargument
• Used --exclude to find new sources
• Searched for limitations/failure cases
• Documented opposing perspectives

---

Phase 4: Synthesis

Goal: Synthesize findings with explicit confidence markers.

Completion Criteria

Minimum Viable (Quick Decisions)

• Can define core concepts in own words
• Know 2-3 major perspectives
• Found authoritative source per perspective
• Identified known unknowns

Working Knowledge (Most Decisions)

• Can explain historical context
• Understand stakeholder positions
• Encountered counterarguments
• Checked multiple domains

Deep Expertise (High-Stakes)

• Traced claims to primary sources
• Can evaluate competing evidence
• Understand knowledge limitations

Diminishing Returns Signals

Stop when:

• New sources cite same foundational works (circular)
• New searches return familiar content (repetitive)
• Each hour adds less than previous (marginal)
• Can make decision or take action (sufficient)

Confidence Markers

Level	Phrases to Use
Established	"X is...", "X works by..."
Strong evidence	"Evidence strongly suggests..."
Moderate evidence	"Most sources report..."
Limited evidence	"One study found..."
Unknown	"No reliable information found..."

Synthesis Template

## Summary
[Direct answer to question]

## Confidence Level
[High/Medium/Low] - [Justification]

## Key Findings
1. [Finding with source type]

## Perspectives
| Perspective | Key Argument | Source Quality |
|-------------|--------------|----------------|
| [view] | [argument] | [assessment] |

## Counter-Evidence
- [What argues against the main conclusion]

## Caveats
- [What wasn't consulted]
- [What assumptions were made]

## For Deeper Investigation
[What would increase confidence]

Phase 4 Checklist

• Met completion criteria for stakes level
• Checked diminishing returns signals
• Applied confidence markers
• Completed synthesis template
• Stored findings for future reference

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Tavily Command Reference

Basic Usage

tavily "search query" [options]

Options

Option	Description	Values
--answer	Include AI-generated answer summary	flag
--depth	Search depth	basic (default), advanced
--results	Number of results	1-20 (default: 5)
--topic	Topic category	general (default), news, finance
--time	Time filter	day, week, month, year
--include	Only include domains	comma-separated
--exclude	Exclude domains	comma-separated
--raw	Include raw page content	flag
--json	Output as JSON	flag

Scenario → Command Mapping

Research Scenario	Command
Quick overview	tavily "query" --answer
Deep dive	tavily "query" --depth advanced --results 10 --answer
Recent news	tavily "query" --topic news --time week
Academic focus	tavily "query" --depth advanced --include scholar.google.com,arxiv.org
Avoid Wikipedia	tavily "query" --exclude wikipedia.org
Fresh perspectives	tavily "query" --exclude [already-seen-domains]
Financial data	tavily "query" --topic finance --answer
Raw content for analysis	tavily "query" --raw --json

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Diagnostic States

Use these to identify where research is stuck and which phase to revisit.

State	Symptom	Phase to Revisit
R0: No Analysis	Searching without structuring topic	Phase 0
R1: No Vocabulary	Using outsider terms, finding only surface content	Phase 1
R2: Single-Perspective	All sources support one view	Phase 3
R3: Domain Blindness	Searching only in familiar field	Phase 1 (cross-domain terms)
R4: Recency Bias	Only recent sources	Phase 2 (historical queries)
R5: Breadth Without Depth	Many tabs, no synthesis	Phase 4
R6: Completion Uncertainty	Unsure when to stop	Phase 4 (completion criteria)
R7: Complete	Can explain, identify uncertainties, act	Done

Quick Diagnostic

1. Can you explain the topic in expert terminology? → If no, Phase 1
2. Have you found opposing viewpoints? → If no, Phase 3
3. Can you state your confidence level with justification? → If no, Phase 4
4. Is your research depth proportional to stakes? → If no, Phase 0

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Anti-Patterns

Pattern	Symptom	Fix
Confirmation Trap	Searching to confirm, not learn	Phase 3: Search for strongest counterargument
Authority Fallacy	Accepting claims by source prestige	Evaluate evidence, not source
Recency Trap	Only recent sources	Phase 2: Historical context queries
Breadth Trap	50 tabs, none read	Phase 4: 3-source rule, synthesize before continuing
Single-Source	One source as final answer	Require 3 independent sources
Jargon Blind Spot	Missing other fields' terminology	Phase 1: Cross-domain vocabulary
Infinite Rabbit Hole	Lost original purpose	Phase 0: Return to scope/stakes
Echo Chamber	Same sources repeatedly	Phase 3: Use --exclude flag

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Output Persistence

Output Discovery

Before doing any other work:

1. Check for context/output-config.md in the project
2. If found, look for this skill's entry
3. If not found or no entry for this skill, ask the user first:
   • "Where should I save output from this research session?"
   • Suggest: explorations/research/ or a sensible location for this project
4. Store the user's preference

What to Store

Layer	Contents
Vocabulary Map	Terms, domains, depth levels
Sources	URLs, relevance scores, quality notes
Synthesis	Summary, confidence, findings, caveats
Query Log	Tavily commands that worked/failed
Gaps	What remains unknown

File Naming

Pattern: {topic}-research-{date}.md Example: competency-frameworks-research-2025-01-15.md

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Integration Points

Skill	Connection
doppelganger	Research informs decisions; apply /truth-check to findings
context-networks	Store research findings in appropriate network node
boundary-critique	Apply to advice and recommendations encountered

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Health Check Questions

During research, ask:

1. Am I searching to learn or to confirm?
2. What's the strongest argument against my current view?
3. Have I looked outside my familiar domains?
4. Am I using expert or outsider vocabulary?
5. Is my depth proportional to the stakes?
6. Have I stored what I've learned for future use?

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Source Framework

Derived from: frameworks/research/research-framework.md