Comprehensive research with cited sources. Use for complex research that should be verified and persist.
View on GitHubskills/researching/SKILL.md
January 18, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/evil-mind-evil-sword/alice/blob/main/skills/researching/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill researchingInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/researching/# Researching
Produce well-sourced research artifacts with verified citations.
## When to Use
- Complex research requiring multiple sub-queries
- Need documented research that persists beyond conversation
- Topic requires source verification and confidence calibration
- High-stakes decisions that need cited evidence
**Don't use for**: Quick lookups. Just search directly.
## Artifact Requirements
- **Minimum 3 independent evidence bundles** per research topic
- Each bundle must cite primary sources with URLs
- Source diversity required: official docs, peer-reviewed, reputable secondary
- Academic citations must be validated with `bibval`
## Quality Rubric
| Criterion | Requirement |
|-----------|-------------|
| **Citations** | Every claim has inline citation with URL |
| **Coverage** | Key perspectives included (not just first result) |
| **Recency** | Sources current (≤2 years for APIs/tech, flexible for fundamentals) |
| **Confidence** | Calibrated honestly; uncertainties stated explicitly |
| **Conflicts** | Disagreements between sources noted, not hidden |
## Source Credibility Hierarchy
Weight findings by source authority:
1. **Official documentation** - canonical, highest weight
2. **Peer-reviewed papers** - validated, high weight
3. **Reputable blogs/talks** - expert authors, medium weight
4. **Stack Overflow (accepted)** - community validated, medium weight
5. **Forums/unverified** - low weight, note uncertainty
## Output Schema
```json
{
"topic": "string",
"status": "COMPLETE | PARTIAL",
"confidence": "HIGH | MEDIUM | LOW",
"findings": [
{
"subtopic": "string",
"content": "string with inline citations",
"sources": ["url1", "url2"]
}
],
"sources": [
{
"url": "string",
"title": "string",
"authority": "official | peer-reviewed | blog | forum"
}
],
"gaps": ["string"]
}
```
## Constraints
- Prefer primary sources over secondary
- Cross-reference claims across multiple sources
- Fl