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name: deep-research category: collaboration-communication/thinking-methodologies version: 1.0.0 description: Turn ambiguous questions into documented, executable plans with traceable artifacts author: blackbox5/core verified: true tags: [research, planning, documentation, traceability]

Deep Research

This skill is designed for "research work" where outcomes matter and you want traceability:

• what sources were used
• what decisions were made
• what remains to do

The key differentiator is traceability - anyone should be able to see what you researched, what sources you used, what you concluded, and why.

<output_format> Required outputs:

1. Plan folder in agents/.plans/
2. Run artifacts under plan folder (recommended: artifacts/)
3. Knowledge ledger entry if anything written outside .blackbox/

Optional outputs: 4. Research note in .knowledge/deepresearch/ if reusable </output_format>

<integration_notes> Use this skill when:

• User asks for "research", "investigate", "compare", "evaluate", "find options", "decide between"
• Task has unknowns and requires reading multiple docs/notes
• You expect follow-up iterations and want an audit trail

Triggers:

• "I need to research..."
• "What's the best approach for..."
• "Compare these options..."
• "Investigate whether..." </integration_notes>

<error_handling> If user prompt is missing critical context:

• Ask only what's needed to proceed (1-3 questions max)
• Don't ask everything at once
• Make reasonable assumptions if possible

If docs aren't available:

• Note what's missing in plan
• Proceed with available information
• Flag as assumption to verify later </error_handling>

<related_skills> first-principles-thinking docs-routing intelligent-routing </related_skills>

<see_also> agents/.plans/ - Plan storage location .knowledge/deepresearch/ - Reusable research storage .knowledge/LEDGER.md - Knowledge tracking ledger </see_also>