Tech Trend Researcher

This skill provides a systematic workflow for researching technical topics, analyzing trends, and documenting findings in a structured format.

Purpose

Research technical topics or trends by:

1. Conducting targeted web searches
2. Analyzing multiple authoritative sources
3. Synthesizing information into comprehensive summaries
4. Saving structured documentation to local files

This skill solves the problem of ad-hoc research that lacks structure, often resulting in incomplete coverage or poor documentation quality.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users request:

• Technology trend analysis (e.g., "Research TypeScript trends")
• Industry developments (e.g., "Latest AI advancements")
• Framework/library updates (e.g., "What's new in React 19")
• Technical topic overviews (e.g., "Kubernetes best practices 2025")
• Comparative analyses (e.g., "Python vs Go for microservices")
• Market research on technical products or tools

Trigger phrases include:

• "Research [topic] and save to file"
• "What are the latest trends in [technology]"
• "Summarize recent developments in [field]"
• "Create a report on [topic]"

Workflow

Follow this systematic four-phase workflow:

Phase 1: Initial Web Search

Conduct broad web search to identify key themes and authoritative sources.

Steps:

1. Formulate search query targeting latest information (include current/recent year when relevant)
2. Use web_search tool with appropriate max_results (typically 8-12)
3. Scan results to identify:
   • Major themes and trends
   • Authoritative sources (official docs, major tech publications, industry leaders)
   • Specific statistics or data points
   • Key terminology and concepts

Search Query Guidelines:

• Include temporal indicators: "2024", "2025", "latest", "recent"
• Add context keywords: "trends", "developments", "updates", "new features"
• Be specific but not overly narrow
• Examples:
  • Good: "TypeScript latest trends 2024 2025"
  • Good: "React 19 new features release"
  • Too narrow: "TypeScript 5.3.2 specific bug fixes"
  • Too broad: "programming languages"

Phase 2: Deep Source Analysis

Fetch and analyze 2-4 most relevant sources for detailed information.

Steps:

1. Select sources based on:

   • Recency (prefer 2024-2025 content)
   • Authority (official docs, major publications, recognized experts)
   • Comprehensiveness (detailed articles over brief mentions)
   • Relevance to user's specific question

2. Use fetch tool to retrieve full content:

   • Set appropriate max_length (6000-10000 for detailed articles)
   • Fetch multiple sources in parallel when possible
   • Prioritize sources that provide different perspectives or complementary information

3. Extract key information:

   • Specific features, versions, or capabilities
   • Statistics, adoption rates, or metrics
   • Expert opinions or industry consensus
   • Code examples or technical details
   • Future roadmap or predictions

Phase 3: Information Synthesis

Organize and synthesize information into a structured summary.

Structure Guidelines:

Always include these core sections:

1. Header: Title, date, sources
2. Overview: 2-3 paragraph executive summary
3. Main Trends/Topics: Numbered sections with clear headings
4. Key Features/Details: Bullet points or subsections
5. Market Context: Adoption rates, industry impact, statistics
6. Future Outlook: Predictions, roadmap, or upcoming changes
7. Conclusion: Key takeaways and recommendations
8. References: Source links or citations

Formatting Standards:

• Use clear hierarchy: Headers (===), subheaders (---), bullet points
• Include specific data: percentages, dates, version numbers
• Provide examples: code snippets, use cases, scenarios
• Add visual separation: line breaks, section dividers
• Use symbols for emphasis: checkmarks, bullets, arrows
• Keep paragraphs concise: 3-5 sentences maximum

Content Quality Standards:

• Accuracy: Verify claims across multiple sources
• Completeness: Cover all major themes identified in Phase 1
• Balance: Include both benefits and limitations/challenges
• Specificity: Avoid vague statements; provide concrete details
• Actionability: Include practical implications or recommendations

Phase 4: File Documentation

Save the synthesized summary to the user's specified file path.

Steps:

1. Confirm file path from user request (use absolute paths)
2. Use write_file tool with mode='rewrite'
3. Include the complete structured summary from Phase 3
4. For files over 50 lines, consider chunking (write first chunk, then append)

File Naming Conventions:

• Use descriptive names: typescript_trends.txt, react_19_features.md
• Include date if relevant: ai_trends_2025.txt
• Use underscores for spaces: kubernetes_best_practices.txt
• Prefer .txt or .md extensions for readability

Best Practices

Search Strategy

• Cast wide net first: Initial search should be broad to capture ecosystem
• Then go deep: Follow up with targeted searches if gaps remain
• Multiple queries: Consider 2-3 different search angles for comprehensive coverage
• Validate recency: Prioritize sources from past 6-12 months for trend analysis

Source Selection

• Official over community: Official docs and announcements trump blog posts
• Data over opinion: Sources with statistics or benchmarks are more valuable
• Multiple perspectives: Do not rely on single source; cross-reference
• Original over secondary: Link to primary sources when available

Synthesis Quality

• Structure matters: Well-organized content is more valuable than comprehensive but chaotic information
• Context is key: Explain why trends matter, not just what they are
• Be critical: Note limitations, controversies, or competing viewpoints
• Stay objective: Present balanced view even if sources are biased

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-reliance on first search: Do not stop after initial search if coverage is incomplete
• Ignoring dates: Outdated information can mislead users about current trends
• Too much detail: Focus on signal over noise; summarize rather than transcribe
• Poor structure: Wall of text reduces value; use hierarchy and formatting
• Missing context: Statistics without context are meaningless
• No conclusion: Always provide synthesis and takeaways

Output Quality Checklist

Before saving the file, verify:

• All major themes from initial search are covered
• At least 2-3 authoritative sources are cited
• Specific data points (dates, versions, percentages) are included
• Structure follows standard format with clear sections
• Content is well-formatted with headers and bullets
• Conclusion provides actionable insights
• File path is correct and absolute
• No placeholder text or TODOs remain

Examples

Example 1: Technology Trend Research

User Request: "Research TypeScript trends and save to /Users/user/Desktop/typescript_trends.txt"

Workflow Execution:

1. Search: "TypeScript latest trends 2024 2025" with 10 results
2. Fetch: 2 detailed articles from authoritative sources
3. Synthesize: 10-section structured summary covering adoption rates, new features, ecosystem changes
4. Save: Complete formatted document to specified path

Key Success Factors:

• Included specific statistics (12% to 35% adoption growth)
• Covered multiple dimensions (features, tooling, ecosystem)
• Provided actionable conclusion
• Well-structured with clear hierarchy

Example 2: Framework Update Research

User Request: "What's new in React 19? Save summary to ~/Documents/react19.md"

Workflow Execution:

1. Search: "React 19 new features release 2024"
2. Fetch: Official React blog post plus community analysis
3. Synthesize: Feature-by-feature breakdown with code examples
4. Save: Markdown format with syntax highlighting

Example 3: Comparative Analysis

User Request: "Compare Rust vs Go for web services and document findings"

Workflow Execution:

1. Search: "Rust vs Go web services 2024 comparison"
2. Fetch: Multiple benchmark articles and developer surveys
3. Synthesize: Side-by-side comparison with use case recommendations
4. Save: Structured comparison table with detailed sections

Adaptation for Different Domains

This workflow can be adapted for non-technical research:

Business/Market Research:

• Search industry reports and market analyses
• Focus on market size, growth rates, key players
• Include competitive landscape and trends

Policy/Regulatory Research:

• Search official government or regulatory sources
• Focus on timeline, requirements, implications
• Include compliance considerations

Scientific/Academic Research:

• Search academic publications and research papers
• Focus on methodologies, findings, citations
• Include limitations and future research directions

Notes

• Objectivity: Present balanced view; avoid promotional language
• Timeliness: Always check publication dates; trends evolve quickly
• User's Language: If user requests in non-English, consider translating summary
• File Permissions: Verify user has write access to specified path
• Follow-up: If user requests clarification, be prepared to expand specific sections