Diagnose research quality and guide systematic query expansion. Use when starting research on any topic, when stuck in research, or when unsure if research is complete.
Tool-assisted research with Tavily integration. Transforms basic questions into comprehensive search strategies using AI-optimized web search.
This skill includes a bundled Tavily CLI script at scripts/tavily-cli.ts.
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.
# 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 | 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 |
| Decision Stakes | Tavily Settings |
|-----------------|-----------------|
| Low, reversible | --depth basic --results 3 |
| Moderate | --depth basic --results 5 --answer |
| High, irreversible | --depth advanced --results 10 --answer |
Goal: Structure topic before searching. Prevents unfocused searches and scope mismatch.
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 |
# 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]
Goal: Discover expert terminology to unlock deeper search results.
| 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 |
Run initial terminology search:
tavily "[topic] terminology" --answer --results 5
From results, note:
Update vocabulary map (template below)
Re-run searches with expert terms:
tavily "[expert-term]" --answer
Compare result quality - expert terms should surface deeper content
## 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 |
Goal: Build foundational understanding with authoritative sources.
| 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 | 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] |
Start with expert terminology from Phase 1
Run foundational queries:
# Definition/overview
tavily "[expert-term] comprehensive overview" --answer --depth advanced
# Key perspectives
tavily "[expert-term] major approaches" --answer --results 7
For each major perspective found, get 2-3 authoritative sources:
tavily "[perspective-name] [expert-term]" --answer --results 5
Track sources in research notes
Goal: Explicitly find opposing viewpoints to avoid confirmation bias.
Single-perspective research:
| 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] |
Identify your current understanding/lean
Search for strongest counterargument:
tavily "[topic] strongest argument against" --answer --depth advanced
Exclude sources you've already seen:
tavily "[topic]" --exclude [domains-already-searched]
Search for failure modes:
tavily "[topic] when fails problems limitations" --answer
Document opposing perspectives in research notes
Goal: Synthesize findings with explicit confidence markers.
Stop when:
| 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..." |
## 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]
tavily "search query" [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 |
| 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 |
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 |
| 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 |
Before doing any other work:
context/output-config.md in the projectexplorations/research/ or a sensible location for this project| 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 |
Pattern: {topic}-research-{date}.md
Example: competency-frameworks-research-2025-01-15.md
| 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 |
During research, ask:
Derived from: references/research-framework.md
Category:web-search