---
name: deep-research
description: "Conduct in-depth, multi-step research by decomposing queries and synthesizing reports."
whenToUse: "User asks for thorough research on a topic, technology, or competitor"
---

# Skill: Deep Research

## Description
Conduct in-depth, multi-step research on a given topic by decomposing queries, gathering from diverse sources, cross-referencing, and synthesizing into a comprehensive report. Goes beyond simple web search.

## When to Use
- User asks for thorough research on a topic, technology, or competitor
- User says "深入调研一下" or "do a deep dive on"
- User needs more than a quick answer — needs analysis with sources
- Replaces and enhances the basic web-research skill for complex queries

## Workflow

### 1. Decompose the Query
Break the main question into 5-8 sub-questions:
```
Main: "How is AI changing the PM role?"
Sub-questions:
  1. What PM tasks can AI automate today?
  2. What new skills do PMs need in AI era?
  3. Which companies are restructuring PM teams?
  4. What do industry reports say about PM job outlook?
  5. What tools are PMs using for AI-assisted work?
  6. What are the risks of over-reliance on AI for PMs?
```

### 2. Multi-Source Research
For each sub-question:
```
web_search(sub_question)                    # Get initial results
web_search(sub_question + "2026")           # Recent info
web_search(sub_question + "research paper") # Academic sources
web_fetch(url, max_length=8000)             # Deep dive on key sources
```

Source diversity checklist:
- [ ] Industry reports (McKinsey, Gartner, Forrester)
- [ ] Tech company blogs (Google AI, Microsoft, Anthropic)
- [ ] News articles (TechCrunch, The Verge, Wired)
- [ ] Academic/research papers
- [ ] Community discussions (HackerNews, Reddit, Twitter/X)
- [ ] Product documentation / changelogs

### 3. Cross-Reference & Validate
- Check claims against multiple sources
- Note conflicting viewpoints
- Distinguish facts, opinions, and predictions
- Check source dates — flag anything > 6 months old
- Note potential biases (vendor reports favor their products)

### 4. Synthesize Report
```markdown
# [Topic] Deep Research Report
**Date:** [Date] | **Researcher:** Jon

## Executive Summary
[3-5 sentences capturing the key findings]

## Key Findings

### Finding 1: [Title]
**Evidence:** [What the data/sources say]
**Implication:** [What this means for us]
**Confidence:** High/Medium/Low
**Sources:** [1], [2]

### Finding 2: [Title]
...

## Conflicting Viewpoints
- [View A] vs [View B] — [Analysis of which is more credible and why]

## Gaps in Available Information
- [What we couldn't find or verify]

## Recommendations
1. [Actionable recommendation based on findings]
2. [Actionable recommendation based on findings]

## Sources
1. [Title](URL) — [Organization], [Date]
2. [Title](URL) — [Organization], [Date]
```

### 5. Quality Checks
- Every claim has a source
- Recent data prioritized over old
- Balanced viewpoints represented
- Clear separation of fact vs opinion
- Actionable recommendations included

### 6. Output Options
- Direct message response (for quick summaries)
- PDF report (use create-pdf-report skill)
- Email with attachment (use email-with-attachment skill)
