auto-research

Auto Research

Systematic research orchestration for pi. Replaces Claude CoWork research workflows with a native pi skill set.

Workflow

Clarify → Investigate → Synthesize → Validate → Output

1. Clarify Scope

Before researching, confirm with the user:

What questions need answering?
What are the boundaries?
What depth is needed?
What format for output?

2. Investigate

Use the best tool for the source type:

Source Type	Tool
Web docs, APIs, current info	`intelli_research` from intelli-search skill
Specific URLs	`web_fetch` from pi-browse
Local files	`read`
Multiple local files	Batch `read` or `rg`
GitHub repos	Clone and `read`

Always use intelli_research with a focusPrompt. Without it, extractions are generic.

3. Synthesize

Organize findings:

Group by theme or question
Identify patterns, consensus, debates
Note contradictions between sources
Distinguish fact from interpretation

4. Validate

Cross-reference key claims across multiple sources
Assess source reliability (peer-reviewed > official > journalism > blog > forum)
Flag uncertainty rather than guessing
Mark speculative claims as such

5. Output

Choose the right output format based on depth needed.

Output Formats

Research Brief (Quick)

## Research Brief: [Topic]
**Date**: [Date] | **Confidence**: [Level]

### Key Findings
1. [Finding with source]
2. [Finding with source]

### Sources
- [Source](url) - [Brief description]

### Next Steps
- [Follow-up recommendations]

Comprehensive Report (Deep)

## [Title]

### Executive Summary
[2-3 paragraph overview]

### Background
[Context and importance]

### Methodology
[How research was conducted]

### Findings
[Detailed with inline citations]

### Analysis
[Interpretation and synthesis]

### Limitations
[Acknowledged constraints]

### References
[Full citations]

Verification Report (Fact-Check)

## Verification: [Claim]

**Verdict**: [VERIFIED / PARTIALLY VERIFIED / UNVERIFIED / CONTRADICTED]

### Evidence
| Source | Claim | Confidence |
|--------|-------|------------|
| [Name] | [Quote] | H/M/L |

**Confidence**: [H/M/L with reasoning]

Source Markers

Use inline markers to indicate source type:

[A] Academic / peer-reviewed
[O] Official / government / primary
[N] News / journalism
[I] Industry / technical docs
[E] Expert opinion / blog

Knowledge Types

Label every factual claim:

FACT: Verifiable with direct source
LIKELY: Consistent with multiple sources
SPECULATIVE: Based on reasoning, not direct evidence
UNKNOWN: Beyond current knowledge, stated clearly

File Organization

For multi-session research, use this structure:

/Research/
└── [Project]/
    ├── 01-sources/      # PDFs, notes, source materials
    ├── 02-analysis/     # Analysis documents
    ├── 03-synthesis/    # Synthesized findings
    └── 04-output/       # Final reports

Naming conventions:

Sources: YYYY-MM-DD_[topic]_source.[ext]
Analysis: YYYY-MM-DD_[topic]_analysis.md
Outputs: [topic]_report_[version]_[date].md

Research Task Templates

Literature Review

Analyze all documents in this folder as a literature review on [topic]. For each source, extract: main thesis, methodology, key findings, and how it connects to other sources. Identify consensus and debates.

Competitive Analysis

Research [topic/competitor] using all available sources. Create a competitive analysis covering: market position, key offerings, strengths, weaknesses, and differentiation. Include source citations.

Fact Verification

Verify the following claims: [list claims]. For each, provide: verification status, supporting evidence, source quality assessment, and confidence level.

Deep Research

Conduct comprehensive research on [topic]. Include: executive summary, key findings with source attribution, analysis and implications, limitations and uncertainties, recommendations for further research. Cite all sources with URLs.