---

name: obs-research description: "Cross-vault research synthesis - search vault for topic-relevant content, identify connections, and generate synthesized insights with citations."

Research Synthesis Skill

Workflow Position

Copy[Research question or topic]
        |
    personal:obs-research     <- YOU ARE HERE
        |
    [Search Phase] -> Keywords -> Tags -> Backlinks -> Semantic
        |
    [Connection Analysis] -> Shared tags -> Common links -> Themes
        |
    [Synthesis] -> Key insights -> Patterns -> Gaps
        |
    [Output] -> Research note with citations + Suggested links
        |
    [Optional: Create MOC or update existing]

---

Overview

Cross-vault research synthesis that searches your entire knowledge base for relevant content, identifies non-obvious connections, and generates synthesized insights. Best used after obs-backlinking has improved vault connectivity.

Key Features:

• Multi-strategy search (keywords, tags, backlinks, semantic)
• Connection mapping between related notes
• Synthesis generation with proper citations
• Gap analysis (what's missing from your knowledge base)
• Link suggestions to improve vault connectivity
• Optional MOC (Map of Content) generation

Primary Value: Surface buried knowledge and non-obvious connections across your vault.

---

When to Use

• Preparing a presentation or document
• Exploring a topic you've written about before
• Finding all notes related to a project
• Discovering connections you've forgotten
• Building a MOC for a subject area
• Research for writing or decision-making

When to Skip

• New topic - If you haven't written about it, there's nothing to find
• Single note lookup - Just search directly
• Quick reference - Use normal search instead

---

The Process

Step 1: Define Research Scope

Ask the user:

What would you like to research in your vault?

Please provide:

1. Topic or question - What are you trying to understand?
2. Scope - Full vault or specific folders?
3. Depth - Quick scan or deep synthesis?

Example inputs:

• "Everything I know about data governance"
• "All notes related to the LeanIX project"
• "What have I learned about productivity systems?"
• "Find connections between compliance and technology"

Step 2: Multi-Strategy Search

Keyword Search:

• Direct topic mentions in note content
• Title matches
• Heading matches

Tag Search:

• Relevant PARA tags (#p/, #a/, #r/)
• Domain tags (domain/compliance, tech/python)
• Related tags identified through co-occurrence

Backlink Search:

• Notes that link to topic-relevant notes
• Notes linked FROM topic-relevant notes
• Second-degree connections (notes that share links)

Semantic Search:

• Similar concepts even with different terminology
• Related themes and patterns
• Contextually related content

Present search results:

Copy## Search Results: "data governance"

**Direct Matches:** 12 notes
**Tag Matches:** 8 notes (domain/compliance, p/bcbs239)
**Backlink Connections:** 15 notes
**Semantic Matches:** 6 notes

### Top Results by Relevance

| Note | Match Type | Relevance | Last Modified |
|------|------------|-----------|---------------|
| [[Data Governance Framework]] | Title + Content | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 2024-01-10 |
| [[BCBS239 Data Mapping]] | Tag + Content | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 2024-01-08 |
| [[2024-01-05 - Compliance Review]] | Backlink | ⭐⭐⭐ | 2024-01-05 |
| [[Book - Data Management]] | Semantic | ⭐⭐⭐ | 2023-12-15 |

**Total notes found:** 41 (showing top 20)

Step 3: Connection Analysis

Map relationships between found notes:

Shared Tags:

Copy## Tag Overlap Analysis

Notes with multiple relevant tags:
- [[BCBS239 Data Mapping]] - #p/bcbs239, #domain/compliance, #r/data-governance
- [[Data Quality Standards]] - #domain/compliance, #r/data-governance, #tech/sql

Common tag combinations:
- domain/compliance + r/data-governance: 8 notes
- p/bcbs239 + domain/compliance: 5 notes

Link Clusters:

Copy## Link Clusters

### Cluster 1: Regulatory Framework (Hub: [[BCBS239 Index]])
- [[BCBS239 Data Mapping]]
- [[Data Lineage Requirements]]
- [[Compliance Checklist]]
Connected by: 12 internal links

### Cluster 2: Technical Implementation (Hub: [[Data Governance Framework]])
- [[SQL Data Validation]]
- [[ETL Pipeline Design]]
- [[Data Quality Metrics]]
Connected by: 8 internal links

### Orphan Notes (relevant but not connected):
- [[Meeting - Data Council 2023-11-15]] - No outgoing links
- [[Book - Data Management]] - Not linked from project notes

Theme Patterns:

Copy## Emerging Themes

Based on content analysis:

1. **Data Quality** - Mentioned in 15 notes
   - Validation rules, quality metrics, monitoring

2. **Regulatory Compliance** - Mentioned in 12 notes
   - BCBS239, data lineage, audit requirements

3. **Technical Implementation** - Mentioned in 8 notes
   - SQL, ETL, pipelines, automation

Step 4: Generate Synthesis

Create a synthesized research summary:

Copy## Research Synthesis: Data Governance

**Query:** "Everything I know about data governance"
**Notes Analyzed:** 41
**Date:** 2024-01-15

---

### Executive Summary

Your vault contains substantial knowledge about data governance, primarily centered around:
1. BCBS239 regulatory compliance work
2. Technical data quality implementation
3. Organizational data management frameworks

---

### Key Insights

#### 1. Regulatory Foundation
Your understanding of data governance is strongly anchored in BCBS239 requirements. Key notes:
- [[BCBS239 Data Mapping]] establishes the core data lineage requirements
- [[Compliance Checklist]] provides actionable implementation steps
- [[2024-01-05 - Compliance Review]] contains recent stakeholder feedback

**Quote:** "Data lineage must trace from source to report within 4 hops" - [[BCBS239 Data Mapping]]

#### 2. Technical Approach
You've documented several technical patterns:
- SQL-based validation in [[SQL Data Validation]]
- ETL design principles in [[ETL Pipeline Design]]
- Quality metrics framework in [[Data Quality Metrics]]

**Pattern observed:** Your technical notes focus on validation and monitoring, less on data modeling.

#### 3. Organizational Context
Meeting notes reveal organizational dynamics:
- [[Meeting - Data Council 2023-11-15]] - Stakeholder alignment challenges
- [[2023-12-01 - Data Ownership Discussion]] - Role clarity issues

---

### Knowledge Gaps

Areas where your vault has limited coverage:
1. **Data Modeling** - Few notes on conceptual/logical data models
2. **Data Catalog Tools** - No notes on tooling options
3. **Change Management** - Limited notes on rolling out governance

Consider:
- Creating [[Data Modeling Principles]] note
- Researching data catalog tools for [[Data Governance Framework]]

---

### Connection Opportunities

Notes that should be linked but aren't:
| Source | Should Link To | Reason |
|--------|----------------|--------|
| [[Book - Data Management]] | [[Data Governance Framework]] | Conceptual foundation |
| [[Meeting - Data Council]] | [[BCBS239 Index]] | Action items relate to project |
| [[ETL Pipeline Design]] | [[Data Lineage Requirements]] | Implementation of requirement |

---

### Sources

All notes referenced in this synthesis:
1. [[Data Governance Framework]] - Core framework document
2. [[BCBS239 Data Mapping]] - Regulatory mapping
3. [[BCBS239 Index]] - Project hub
4. [[Data Quality Metrics]] - Measurement framework
... (full list)

Step 5: Output Options

Offer output choices:

What would you like me to do with this research?

1. Create Research Note - Save synthesis as new note in vault
2. Update MOC - Add findings to existing Map of Content
3. Create MOC - Generate new MOC for this topic (runs obs-mocs)
4. Apply Link Suggestions - Add recommended connections (runs obs-backlinking)
5. Export Summary - Copy synthesis for use elsewhere

---

Search Strategies

Keyword Variations

When searching, automatically include:

• Plural/singular variations
• Common abbreviations
• Synonyms from your tag taxonomy

Tag Exploration

Follow tag hierarchy:

Copydomain/compliance
├── Specific: #p/bcbs239, #p/sox
└── Related: #r/data-governance, #r/audit

Backlink Depth

• Depth 1: Direct links to/from search results
• Depth 2: Notes that link to Depth 1 notes
• Depth 3: (Optional) Third-degree connections

---

Output Formats

Research Note

Saved to: 3-Resources/research/[Topic] - Research Synthesis.md

Copy---
type: resource
tags: [r/research, domain/[topic]]
title: "[Topic] - Research Synthesis"
date created: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
date modified: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
sources: [list of source notes]
---

Quick Summary

For conversational use - not saved to vault.

MOC Addition

Adds findings to existing MOC with new section:

Copy## Recent Research (2024-01-15)

### New Connections Found
- [[Note 1]] relates to [[Note 2]] via shared theme

---

After Research

1. Review synthesis - Verify insights match your understanding
2. Apply link suggestions - Run obs-backlinking on identified gaps
3. Fill knowledge gaps - Create notes for identified missing areas
4. Update MOCs - Keep navigation structures current
5. Use the insights - Apply findings to your actual work

---

Key Principles

• Search broadly, synthesize deeply - Cast a wide net, then analyze
• Citations matter - Every insight should trace back to a note
• Connections are value - Finding links is as valuable as finding content
• Gaps are insights - What's missing tells you what to learn next
• Research serves action - Synthesis should enable better decisions
• Link density improves results - Run obs-backlinking first for best results