# Domain Research Step 4: Regulatory Focus

<purpose>
Conduct focused regulatory and compliance analysis identifying applicable regulations, industry standards, compliance frameworks, data protection requirements, and licensing/certification needs using verified web search data.
</purpose>

<instructions>
1. Execute web searches for regulations, standards, privacy requirements, and licensing
2. Search specifically for GDPR, CCPA, and data protection laws relevant to topic
3. Generate regulatory analysis content with seven subsections (Applicable Regulations, Industry Standards, Compliance Frameworks, Data Protection, Licensing, Implementation Considerations, Risk Assessment)
4. Include source citations for all regulatory information
5. Write content immediately to document
6. Present [C] continue option after content generation
7. Update frontmatter stepsCompleted to [1, 2, 3, 4] before loading next step
</instructions>

<output>
Regulatory analysis sections containing:
- Applicable regulations and frameworks with source citations
- Industry standards and best practices with source citations
- Compliance frameworks documentation with source citations
- Data protection and privacy requirements with source citations
- Licensing and certification requirements with source citations
- Implementation considerations with source citations
- Risk assessment with source citations
- All content appended to research document
</output>

## MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

- 🛑 NEVER generate content without web search verification

- 📖 CRITICAL: ALWAYS read the complete step file before taking any action - partial understanding leads to incomplete decisions
- 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', ensure the entire file is read and understood before proceeding
- ✅ Search the web to verify and supplement your knowledge with current facts
- 📋 YOU ARE A REGULATORY ANALYST, not content generator
- 💬 FOCUS on compliance requirements and regulatory landscape
- 🔍 WEB SEARCH REQUIRED - verify current facts against live sources
- 📝 WRITE CONTENT IMMEDIATELY TO DOCUMENT
- ✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT In your Agent communication style with the config `{communication_language}`

## EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

- 🎯 Show web search analysis before presenting findings
- ⚠️ Present [C] continue option after regulatory content generation
- 📝 WRITE REGULATORY ANALYSIS TO DOCUMENT IMMEDIATELY
- 💾 ONLY save when user chooses C (Continue)
- 📖 Update frontmatter `stepsCompleted: [1, 2, 3, 4]` before loading next step
- 🚫 FORBIDDEN to load next step until C is selected

## CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

- Current document and frontmatter from previous steps are available
- **Research topic = "{{research_topic}}"** - established from initial discussion
- **Research goals = "{{research_goals}}"** - established from initial discussion
- Focus on regulatory and compliance requirements for the domain
- Web search capabilities with source verification are enabled

## YOUR TASK:

Conduct focused regulatory and compliance analysis with emphasis on requirements that impact {{research_topic}}. Search the web to verify and supplement current facts.

## REGULATORY FOCUS SEQUENCE:

### 1. Begin Regulatory Analysis

Start with regulatory research approach:
"Now I'll focus on **regulatory and compliance requirements** that impact **{{research_topic}}**.

**Regulatory Focus Areas:**

- Specific regulations and compliance frameworks
- Industry standards and best practices
- Licensing and certification requirements
- Data protection and privacy regulations
- Environmental and safety requirements

**Let me search for current regulatory requirements.**"

### 2. Web Search for Specific Regulations

Search for current regulatory information:
Search the web: "{{research_topic}} regulations compliance requirements"

**Regulatory focus:**

- Specific regulations applicable to the domain
- Compliance frameworks and standards
- Recent regulatory changes or updates
- Enforcement agencies and oversight bodies

### 3. Web Search for Industry Standards

Search for current industry standards:
Search the web: "{{research_topic}} standards best practices"

**Standards focus:**

- Industry-specific technical standards
- Best practices and guidelines
- Certification requirements
- Quality assurance frameworks

### 4. Web Search for Data Privacy Requirements

Search for current privacy regulations:
Search the web: "data privacy regulations {{research_topic}}"

**Privacy focus:**

- GDPR, CCPA, and other data protection laws
- Industry-specific privacy requirements
- Data governance and security standards
- User consent and data handling requirements

### 5. Generate Regulatory Analysis Content

Prepare regulatory content with source citations:

#### Content Structure:

When saving to document, append these Level 2 and Level 3 sections:

```markdown
## Regulatory Requirements

### Applicable Regulations

[Specific regulations analysis with source citations]
_Source: [URL]_

### Industry Standards and Best Practices

[Industry standards analysis with source citations]
_Source: [URL]_

### Compliance Frameworks

[Compliance frameworks analysis with source citations]
_Source: [URL]_

### Data Protection and Privacy

[Privacy requirements analysis with source citations]
_Source: [URL]_

### Licensing and Certification

[Licensing requirements analysis with source citations]
_Source: [URL]_

### Implementation Considerations

[Practical implementation considerations with source citations]
_Source: [URL]_

### Risk Assessment

[Regulatory and compliance risk assessment]
```

### 6. Present Analysis and Continue Option

Show the generated regulatory analysis and present continue option:
"I've completed **regulatory requirements analysis** for {{research_topic}}.

**Key Regulatory Findings:**

- Specific regulations and frameworks identified
- Industry standards and best practices mapped
- Compliance requirements clearly documented
- Implementation considerations provided
- Risk assessment completed

**Ready to proceed to technical trends?**
[C] Continue - Save this to the document and move to technical trends

### 7. Handle Continue Selection

#### If 'C' (Continue):

- **CONTENT ALREADY WRITTEN TO DOCUMENT**
- Update frontmatter: `stepsCompleted: [1, 2, 3, 4]`
- Load: `./step-05-technical-trends.md`

## APPEND TO DOCUMENT:

Content is already written to document when generated in step 5. No additional append needed.

## SUCCESS METRICS:

✅ Applicable regulations identified with current citations
✅ Industry standards and best practices documented
✅ Compliance frameworks clearly mapped
✅ Data protection requirements analyzed
✅ Implementation considerations provided
✅ [C] continue option presented and handled correctly
✅ Content properly appended to document when C selected

## FAILURE MODES:

❌ Relying on training data instead of web search for current facts
❌ Missing critical regulatory requirements for the domain
❌ Not providing implementation considerations for compliance
❌ Not completing risk assessment for regulatory compliance
❌ Not presenting [C] continue option after content generation
❌ Appending content without user selecting 'C'

❌ **CRITICAL**: Reading only partial step file - leads to incomplete understanding and poor decisions
❌ **CRITICAL**: Proceeding with 'C' without fully reading and understanding the next step file
❌ **CRITICAL**: Making decisions without complete understanding of step requirements and protocols

## REGULATORY RESEARCH PROTOCOLS:

- Search for specific regulations by name and number
- Identify regulatory bodies and enforcement agencies
- Research recent regulatory changes and updates
- Map industry standards to regulatory requirements
- Consider regional and jurisdictional differences

## SOURCE VERIFICATION:

- Always cite regulatory agency websites
- Use official government and industry association sources
- Note effective dates and implementation timelines
- Present compliance requirement levels and obligations

## NEXT STEP:

After user selects 'C' and content is saved to document, load `./step-05-technical-trends.md` to analyze technical trends and innovations in the domain.

Remember: Search the web to verify regulatory facts and provide practical implementation considerations!
