research

Comprehensive research, analysis, and content extraction system. USE WHEN user says 'do research', 'do extensive research', 'quick research', 'minor research', 'research this', 'find information', 'investigate', 'extract wisdom', 'extract alpha', 'analyze content', 'can't get this content', 'use fabric', OR requests any web/content research. Supports three research modes (quick/standard/extensive), deep content analysis, intelligent retrieval, and 242+ Fabric patterns. NOTE: For due diligence, OSINT, or background checks, use OSINT skill instead.

11,146 stars

bydanielmiessler

View on GitHub Installation ↓

Best use case

research is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Teams using research should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/Research/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/danielmiessler/Personal_AI_Infrastructure/main/Releases/v2.3/.claude/skills/Research/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

Download SKILL.md from GitHub
Place it in .claude/skills/Research/SKILL.md inside your project
Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How research Compares

Feature / Agent	research	Standard Approach
Platform Support	Not specified	Limited / Varies
Context Awareness	High	Baseline
Installation Complexity	Unknown	N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

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SKILL.md Source

## Customization

**Before executing, check for user customizations at:**
`~/.claude/skills/CORE/USER/SKILLCUSTOMIZATIONS/Research/`

If this directory exists, load and apply any PREFERENCES.md, configurations, or resources found there. These override default behavior. If the directory does not exist, proceed with skill defaults.

# Research Skill

Comprehensive research, analysis, and content extraction system.

## MANDATORY: URL Verification

**READ:** `UrlVerificationProtocol.md` - Every URL must be verified before delivery.

Research agents hallucinate URLs. A single broken link is a catastrophic failure.

---

## Voice Notification

**When executing a workflow, do BOTH:**

1. **Send voice notification**:
   ```bash
   curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8888/notify \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"message": "Running the WORKFLOWNAME workflow from the Research skill"}' \
     > /dev/null 2>&1 &
   ```

2. **Output text notification**:
   ```
   Running the **WorkflowName** workflow from the **Research** skill...
   ```

**Full documentation:** `~/.claude/skills/CORE/SkillNotifications.md`

## Workflow Routing

Route to the appropriate workflow based on the request.

**CRITICAL:** For due diligence, company/person background checks, or vetting -> **INVOKE OSINT SKILL INSTEAD**

### Research Modes (Primary Workflows)
- Quick/minor research (1 Perplexity, 1 query) -> `Workflows/QuickResearch.md`
- Standard research - DEFAULT (3 agents: Perplexity + Claude + Gemini) -> `Workflows/StandardResearch.md`
- Extensive research (4 types x 3 threads = 12 agents) -> `Workflows/ExtensiveResearch.md`

### Deep Content Analysis
- Extract alpha / deep analysis / highest-alpha insights -> `Workflows/ExtractAlpha.md`

### Content Retrieval
- Difficulty accessing content (CAPTCHA, bot detection, blocking) -> `Workflows/Retrieve.md`
- YouTube URL extraction (use `fabric -y URL` immediately) -> `Workflows/YoutubeExtraction.md`
- Web scraping -> `Workflows/WebScraping.md`

### Specific Research Types
- Claude WebSearch only (free, no API keys) -> `Workflows/ClaudeResearch.md`
- Perplexity API research (use Quick for single-agent) -> `Workflows/QuickResearch.md`
- Interview preparation (Tyler Cowen style) -> `Workflows/InterviewResearch.md`
- AI trends analysis -> `Workflows/AnalyzeAiTrends.md`

### Fabric Pattern Processing
- Use Fabric patterns (242+ specialized prompts) -> `Workflows/Fabric.md`

### Content Enhancement
- Enhance/improve content -> `Workflows/Enhance.md`
- Extract knowledge from content -> `Workflows/ExtractKnowledge.md`

---

## Quick Reference

**READ:** `QuickReference.md` for detailed examples and mode comparison.

| Trigger | Mode | Speed |
|---------|------|-------|
| "quick research" | 1 Perplexity agent | ~10-15s |
| "do research" | 3 agents (default) | ~15-30s |
| "extensive research" | 12 agents | ~60-90s |

---

## Integration

### Feeds Into
- **blogging** - Research for blog posts
- **newsletter** - Research for newsletters
- **xpost** - Create posts from research

### Uses
- **be-creative** - deep thinking for extract alpha
- **OSINT** - MANDATORY for company/people comprehensive research
- **BrightData MCP** - CAPTCHA solving, advanced scraping
- **Apify MCP** - RAG browser, specialized site scrapers

---

## File Organization

**Scratch (temporary work artifacts):** `~/.claude/MEMORY/WORK/{current_work}/scratch/`
- Read `~/.claude/MEMORY/STATE/current-work.json` to get the `work_dir` value
- All iterative work artifacts go in the current work item's scratch/ subdirectory
- This ties research artifacts to the work item for learning and context

**History (permanent):** `~/.claude/History/research/YYYY-MM/YYYY-MM-DD_[topic]/`

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