oxbshw Research Summarizer
When to use
- User asks "research X" / "what's the state of Y" / "summarize the literature on Z"
- The answer requires multiple sources, not one
- The user expects citations
When NOT to use
- Single-source summarization (use a plain summarize tool)
- Code search (use
repo-auditoror grep) - Opinion / recommendation requests (this skill produces neutral briefings)
Inputs
| Name | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
topic |
string | yes | the question to research |
depth |
"shallow" | "deep" | no | default "shallow" (5–7 sources); "deep" → 10–15 |
audience |
string | no | shapes vocabulary level (e.g., "executive", "engineer") |
Outputs
A Markdown file briefing.md following the structure in references/report-template.md.
Workflow
- Plan: produce 3–7 sub-questions covering breadth and depth
- Search + fetch: for each sub-question, run
web_searchthenfetch_urlfor top 2–3 hits - Cluster: group findings by claim; load
references/clustering-rules.md - Draft: fill
references/report-template.md— every claim needs a[n]citation - Validate: every citation resolves; no domain dominates (≥ 3 distinct domains for shallow, ≥ 5 for deep)
- Self-review against success criteria below
References
references/report-template.md— the output structure- (add
clustering-rules.md,domain-allowlist.mdas the skill matures)
Success criteria
- ≥ 5 sources for shallow, ≥ 10 for deep
- ≥ 3 distinct domains
- 0 unsourced claims (or all flagged
(unsourced)) - Open Questions section populated
Failure modes
- Fewer sources available than required → return partial result, flag at top
- All sources from one domain → reject, retry plan with broader scope
- Network error → fail loudly, don't fabricate
Examples
- See
references/examples/(TBD) for one shallow and one deep run