loom-research

Loom Research

One skill for the full research pipeline: capture → read → synthesize.

Read First

• ../shared/references/schemas.md (all artifact formats)

Pipeline

Input (URLs, files, text, Material List)
  → Capture: preserve source + create inbox Daily Note
  → Read: deep-read each source into a Source Brief
  → Synthesize: combine Source Briefs into a Synthesis Pack

Stage 1 — Capture

Preserve source material before analysis.

Capture flow

1. Fetch source content using AI web tools (not external companion skills).
2. Detect content type: article, paper, tutorial, documentation, social thread, transcript.
3. Analyze structural elements: headings, lists, code blocks, tables, quotes.
4. Generate YAML frontmatter with type-appropriate fields (source_url, title, author, date_captured, capture_method).
5. Create descriptive title from content if missing.
6. Apply formatting: consistent heading hierarchy, proper list formatting, preserve code blocks.
7. Save as Raw Capture + create inbox Daily Note pointing to it.

Output

• Raw Capture with source identity and retrieval metadata.
• Inbox Daily Note: 01_Daily_Notes/YYYY/inbox/YYYY-MM-DD_slug.md.

Capture rules

• Preserve source wording and source meaning. No AI commentary, rhetorical framing, or title optimization.
• Distinguish Raw Capture (source) from Daily Note (reference).
• raw_path must resolve to a real file, original URL, or explicit local text marker.

Stage 2 — Read

Deep-read one source into a Source Brief.

Select reading variant

Source Type	Variant	When
Article / essay	4-phase reading	Narrative prose with argument structure
Academic paper	9-step extraction	Peer-reviewed, methodology-heavy
Concept / term	8-dimension anatomy	Single concept needing full decomposition
Any source needing depth	Vertical drilling	Follow a thread to its root

Read the detailed methodology in references/reading-variants.md for the selected variant.

Output

• Source Brief per core source, following schemas.md.

Read rules

• Separate source claims, evidence, limits, disputes, quotable lines, and claims to verify.
• Preserve source meaning and uncertainty.
• One source per Source Brief. Do not merge across sources.
• Each Source Brief is quarantined: reference only its own source. No cross-references to other sources' claims, frameworks, or terminology. Cross-source analysis belongs in the Synthesis Pack, never in Source Briefs.
• Apply 9 red lines quality check (in references/reading-variants.md) as final pass.

Stage 3 — Synthesize

Combine Source Briefs into a Synthesis Pack.

Synthesis flow

First pass — decomposition to generators:

1. Lay out phenomena: lay out observed phenomena from all sources.
2. List candidates: list candidate generators that could explain patterns.
3. Recursive questioning: recursively ask "why?" of each candidate.
4. Merge same-origin: merge candidates sharing the same root cause.
5. Cut: cut candidates derived from deeper ones.
6. Reverse generation: verify remaining generators can re-generate the phenomena.
7. Prediction + change dual test: predict what would change if each generator were altered.

Generator criteria: independence (not derivable from others), necessity (removing breaks explanation), generative power (explains multiple phenomena), simplicity (no unnecessary complexity), falsifiability (makes testable predictions). Explicitly evaluate each surviving generator against all 5 criteria in the output — do not apply them implicitly.

Second pass — multi-perspective stress test:

• Moderator is truth-seeking (not balanced — seeks best-supported position).
• Invite 3-5 perspectives (real traditions or named frameworks).
• Each perspective must cite supporting evidence from Source Briefs. Perspectives without source backing are excluded.
• Each perspective responds to evidence and to other perspectives.
• Moderator synthesis: identify convergence, remaining disagreements, ASCII framework diagrams.

Output

• Synthesis Pack following schemas.md: Working Thesis, Merged Conclusions, Conflicts, Evidence Weight, Consensus/Disagreement, Article Spine, High-Risk Claims, Source Coverage Checklist.

Synthesis rules

• Distinguish source consensus from user thesis.
• Do not hide unresolved conflicts or collapse them into false consensus.
• Mark high-risk claims before any drafting.
• Drafts can read this pack; they must not mutate it.

Full Pipeline Rules

• Do not draft publication prose except as outline or thesis notes in the Synthesis Pack.
• If the user provides a Material List from loom intake, use it as the source ledger.
• If no Material List exists, create one before starting capture.
• Every Daily Note must point to a real source via raw_path.