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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.