maxwell2732 Research Interview
Conduct a structured interview to help formalize a research idea into a concrete specification.
Input: $ARGUMENTS — a brief topic description or "start fresh" for an open-ended exploration.
How This Works
This is a conversational skill. Instead of producing a report immediately, you conduct an interview by asking questions one at a time, probing deeper based on answers, and building toward a structured research specification.
Do NOT use AskUserQuestion. Ask questions directly in your text responses, one or two at a time. Wait for the user to respond before continuing.
Interview Structure
Phase 1: The Big Picture (1-2 questions)
- "What phenomenon or puzzle are you trying to understand?"
- "Why does this matter? Who should care about the answer?"
Phase 2: Theoretical Motivation (1-2 questions)
- "What's your intuition for why X happens / what drives Y?"
- "What would standard theory predict? Do you expect something different?"
Phase 3: Data and Setting (1-2 questions)
- "What data do you have access to, or what data would you ideally want?"
- "Is there a specific context, time period, or institutional setting you're focused on?"
Phase 4: Identification (1-2 questions)
- "Is there a natural experiment, policy change, or source of variation you can exploit?"
- "What's the biggest threat to a causal interpretation?"
Phase 5: Expected Results (1-2 questions)
- "What would you expect to find? What would surprise you?"
- "What would the results imply for policy or theory?"
Phase 6: Contribution (1 question)
- "How does this differ from what's already been done? What's the gap you're filling?"
After the Interview
Once you have enough information (typically 5-8 exchanges), produce a Research Specification Document:
# Research Specification: [Title]
**Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Researcher:** [from conversation context]
## Research Question
[Clear, specific question in one sentence]
## Motivation
[2-3 paragraphs: why this matters, theoretical context, policy relevance]
## Hypothesis
[Testable prediction with expected direction]
## Empirical Strategy
- **Method:** [e.g., Difference-in-Differences with staggered adoption]
- **Treatment:** [What varies]
- **Control:** [Comparison group]
- **Key identifying assumption:** [What must hold]
- **Robustness checks:** [Pre-trends, placebo tests, etc.]
## Data
- **Primary dataset:** [Name, source, coverage]
- **Key variables:** [Treatment, outcome, controls]
- **Sample:** [Unit of observation, time period, N]
## Expected Results
[What the researcher expects to find and why]
## Contribution
[How this advances the literature — 2-3 sentences]
## Open Questions
[Issues raised during the interview that need further thought]
Save to: quality_reports/research_spec_[sanitized_topic].md
Interview Style
- Be curious, not prescriptive. Your job is to draw out the researcher's thinking, not impose your own ideas.
- Probe weak spots gently. If the identification strategy sounds fragile, ask "What would a skeptic say about...?" rather than "This won't work because..."
- Build on answers. Each question should follow from the previous response.
- Know when to stop. If the researcher has a clear vision after 4-5 exchanges, move to the specification. Don't over-interview.