Researcher

Researcher Skill

Guide users through researching identified knowledge gaps in course plans using the CRAAP test and 4-tier source hierarchy.

When to Use

After running coursekit.plan, if research needs are identified, this skill guides the user through:

1. Understanding the research needs
2. Finding credible sources
3. Evaluating source quality
4. Documenting findings
5. Updating the course plan with research

Prerequisites

• Course plan has been created with coursekit.plan
• Research needs have been identified (stored in .coursekit/research_needs.json)
• User is ready to conduct research

Stage 1: Review Research Needs

First, call the coursekit.research MCP tool to understand what research is needed:

Use coursekit.research to review all identified research needs

Then present the research needs to the user, grouped by:

• Priority: Critical > High > Medium > Low
• Type: Data, Example, Evidence, Concept

Ask the user:

I've found [N] research needs for your course plan. The highest priority items are:

[List top 3-5 critical/high priority needs]

Would you like to:

1. Research these systematically (recommended)
2. Focus on critical/high priority only
3. Skip research and proceed with current information

Stage 2: Research Each Need

For each research need, guide the user through this process:

2.1 Understand the Need

Present the specific research need:

Need: [need.need]
Type: [need.type]
Priority: [need.priority]
Context: [need.context]
Suggested search: [need.suggested_search]

2.2 Source Quality Framework

Explain the 4-tier source hierarchy for this type of need:

For Data/Evidence needs:

• Tier 1 (Best): Peer-reviewed academic papers, meta-analyses, systematic reviews
• Tier 2 (Good): Industry reports from reputable firms, government statistics, academic books
• Tier 3 (Fair): Practitioner blogs from recognized experts, conference talks, reputable tech blogs
• Tier 4 (Verify): General blogs, social media, marketing materials (use with caution)

For Example/Concept needs:

• Tier 1 (Best): Official documentation, academic textbooks, established tutorials
• Tier 2 (Good): GitHub repos with high stars, case studies from known companies
• Tier 3 (Fair): Blog posts from practitioners, Stack Overflow high-voted answers
• Tier 4 (Verify): Random tutorials, unverified examples (validate thoroughly)

2.3 CRAAP Test

For each source the user finds, apply the CRAAP test:

Currency: When was it published? Is it current for this topic?

• Data/stats: Prefer last 2 years
• Examples: Prefer last 3 years unless classic
• Concepts: Foundational knowledge can be older

Relevance: Does it directly address the need?

• Exact match or requires interpretation?
• Appropriate depth for target audience?

Authority: Who created it? What are their credentials?

• Author's expertise in the field
• Institutional affiliation
• Publication venue quality

Accuracy: Is the information reliable and verified?

• Claims supported by evidence
• References to other credible sources
• Transparent about limitations

Purpose: Why was it created? Any bias?

• Educational vs. marketing intent
• Potential conflicts of interest
• Balanced perspective

2.4 Document Findings

For each validated source, collect:

{
  "research_id": "research_X",
  "source_url": "https://...",
  "source_title": "Title of source",
  "source_type": "academic paper|industry report|blog|documentation|etc",
  "tier": 1-4,
  "craap_score": {
    "currency": "high|medium|low",
    "relevance": "high|medium|low",
    "authority": "high|medium|low",
    "accuracy": "high|medium|low",
    "purpose": "high|medium|low"
  },
  "key_findings": [
    "Specific finding 1",
    "Specific finding 2"
  ],
  "quotes": [
    "Direct quote if useful"
  ],
  "how_to_use": "How this addresses the research need"
}

Stage 3: Save Research Notes

After researching each need, update the research notes file:

Create or update .coursekit/research_notes.json:

{
  "findings": [
    {
      "research_id": "research_1",
      "need_id": "research_1",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://example.com/paper",
          "title": "Study on X",
          "type": "academic paper",
          "tier": 1,
          "craap_score": {
            "currency": "high",
            "relevance": "high",
            "authority": "high",
            "accuracy": "high",
            "purpose": "high"
          },
          "key_findings": ["Finding 1", "Finding 2"],
          "quotes": ["Quote if relevant"],
          "accessed_date": "2025-11-09"
        }
      ],
      "synthesis": "Summary of what was learned and how it addresses the need",
      "recommendation": "How to incorporate this into the course plan",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "totalFindings": 1,
    "researchedBy": "User name",
    "lastUpdated": "2025-11-09T00:00:00.000Z"
  }
}

After documenting findings, also update .coursekit/research_needs.json to mark the need as completed:

{
  "id": "research_1",
  "type": "data",
  "priority": "high",
  "need": "...",
  "context": "...",
  "suggested_search": "...",
  "location": "...",
  "status": "completed"  // Changed from "pending"
}

Stage 4: Integrate Findings into Plan

After research is complete, guide the user to:

1. Review all findings

2. Identify how to integrate them into the plan:

   • Add statistics to strengthen claims
   • Include examples in materials list
   • Reference evidence in rationale
   • Expand on concepts with sources

3. Suggest specific plan updates:

Based on your research, I recommend updating the plan:

Module 2:
- Add citation: [Author, Year] found that [statistic]
- Include example: [Company] case study (source: [URL])
- Materials: Add reference to [documentation]

Module 3:
- Strengthen claim about [X] with evidence from [source]

4. Ask if user wants to regenerate the plan with research incorporated, or manually update it

Stage 5: Summary

Provide a research summary:

Research Summary:
- Total needs identified: [N]
- Needs researched: [N]
- Sources found: [N]
- Tier breakdown:
  - Tier 1 (peer-reviewed/official): [N]
  - Tier 2 (reputable industry): [N]
  - Tier 3 (practitioner): [N]
  - Tier 4 (verify carefully): [N]

All findings saved to .coursekit/research_notes.json

Next steps:
1. Review research_notes.json for complete findings
2. Update course plan to incorporate research
3. Run coursekit.plan again to regenerate with improvements (optional)
4. Proceed to coursekit.tasks to begin content development

Best Practices

1. Prioritize: Start with critical and high priority needs
2. Quality over Quantity: One Tier 1 source beats five Tier 4 sources
3. Document thoroughly: Future you will thank you for good notes
4. Be skeptical: Always apply CRAAP test, even to sources you like
5. Synthesize: Don't just collect links, extract actionable insights
6. Cite properly: Note URLs, authors, dates for proper attribution
7. Know when to stop: Diminishing returns after 3-5 good sources per need

Error Handling

If coursekit.research returns "No research needs found":

• Verify that coursekit.plan has been run
• Check if .coursekit/research_needs.json exists
• The plan might not have identified any gaps (rare but possible)

If user can't find good sources:

• Suggest broadening search terms
• Consider adjacent topics or foundational concepts
• Check if the need is actually critical or can be addressed with general knowledge
• Recommend consulting with subject matter experts

Output Files

This skill helps create/update:

• .coursekit/research_notes.json - All research findings with sources
• .coursekit/research_needs.json - Updated to mark completed research

These files are then used by subsequent phases (tasks, implement) to ensure course content is well-researched and credible.