Research Methodology
Professional research process for a subagent. Three tracks based on the type of research:
- Journalistic — investigative pieces, primary source research, source-heavy narrative work
- Industry analysis — market research and strategy, signal detection
- Academic/Comprehensive — deep systematic research when depth matters most
All three share the same lifecycle (Scope → Gather → Evaluate → Analyze → Synthesize → Report) but differ in evidence standards, speed, and output format.
The Research Lifecycle
SCOPE → GATHER → EVALUATE → ANALYZE → SYNTHESIZE → REPORT
Reference Files
Tracks
| Track |
Reference |
When to load |
| Journalistic |
references/journalistic-research.md |
You're researching an investigative piece — primary sources, interviews, documents, series management, pre-publication verification |
| Industry analysis |
references/industry-analysis.md |
You're researching an industry analysis piece — signal detection, corporate evidence, competitive intelligence, case study standards |
| Academic / Comprehensive |
references/research-lifecycle.md |
You're doing deep systematic research — question scoping, search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria |
Shared Methodology
| Reference |
When to load |
references/source-evaluation.md |
You need to judge whether a source is credible — CRAAP test, triangulation, reliability tiers |
references/structured-analytic-techniques.md |
You need to evaluate competing explanations — ACH, driving forces, pre-mortem, indicators |
references/synthesis-patterns.md |
You need to combine findings from multiple sources into synthesized conclusions |
references/technical-verification.md |
You need to test a technical claim by reproducing it — benchmarks, API behavior, configuration |
Assets
| Asset |
What it produces |
assets/research-brief.md |
Structured brief with findings, confidence assessment, evidence table, open questions |
assets/research-log.md |
Traceable record of searches, sources, and decisions |
Pre-Publication Gateway
For any piece that makes factual claims, load the relevant track's verification protocol before reporting back:
- Journalistic: 7-step pre-publication protocol from
references/journalistic-research.md
- Industry: 7-step research protocol from
references/industry-analysis.md
- Technical: 5-step reproduction protocol from
references/technical-verification.md
1---2name: research-methodology-23description: Professional research methodology — journalistic investigation, industry analysis, technical verification, and academic-style systematic research. References codify source evaluation, ACH, synthesis, interview handling, signal detection, and reproduction standards.4license: MIT5---67# Research Methodology89Professional research process for a subagent. Three tracks based on the type of research:1011- **Journalistic** — investigative pieces, primary source research, source-heavy narrative work12- **Industry analysis** — market research and strategy, signal detection13- **Academic/Comprehensive** — deep systematic research when depth matters most1415All three share the same lifecycle (Scope → Gather → Evaluate → Analyze → Synthesize → Report) but differ in evidence standards, speed, and output format.1617## The Research Lifecycle1819```20SCOPE → GATHER → EVALUATE → ANALYZE → SYNTHESIZE → REPORT21```2223## Reference Files2425### Tracks2627| Track | Reference | When to load |28|-------|-----------|-------------|29| **Journalistic** | `references/journalistic-research.md` | You're researching an investigative piece — primary sources, interviews, documents, series management, pre-publication verification |30| **Industry analysis** | `references/industry-analysis.md` | You're researching an industry analysis piece — signal detection, corporate evidence, competitive intelligence, case study standards |31| **Academic / Comprehensive** | `references/research-lifecycle.md` | You're doing deep systematic research — question scoping, search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria |3233### Shared Methodology3435| Reference | When to load |36|-----------|-------------|37| `references/source-evaluation.md` | You need to judge whether a source is credible — CRAAP test, triangulation, reliability tiers |38| `references/structured-analytic-techniques.md` | You need to evaluate competing explanations — ACH, driving forces, pre-mortem, indicators |39| `references/synthesis-patterns.md` | You need to combine findings from multiple sources into synthesized conclusions |40| `references/technical-verification.md` | You need to test a technical claim by reproducing it — benchmarks, API behavior, configuration |4142### Assets4344| Asset | What it produces |45|-------|-----------------|46| `assets/research-brief.md` | Structured brief with findings, confidence assessment, evidence table, open questions |47| `assets/research-log.md` | Traceable record of searches, sources, and decisions |4849## Pre-Publication Gateway5051For any piece that makes factual claims, load the relevant track's verification protocol before reporting back:5253- **Journalistic:** 7-step pre-publication protocol from `references/journalistic-research.md`54- **Industry:** 7-step research protocol from `references/industry-analysis.md`55- **Technical:** 5-step reproduction protocol from `references/technical-verification.md`
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