QUEST Matrix: Systematic Query Generation
A framework for generating comprehensive search queries that cover all angles of a topic.
Overview
QUEST = Questions + Universes + Expansions + Scopes + Types
| Dimension |
Purpose |
Output |
| Q - Questions |
Ensure question completeness |
5W1H decomposition |
| U - Universes |
Multi-stakeholder coverage |
Perspective-based queries |
| E - Expansions |
Semantic breadth |
Synonym/related term queries |
| S - Scopes |
Boundary exploration |
Geographic/temporal/scale queries |
| T - Types |
Source diversity |
Queries targeting different source types |
Goal: Generate 15-25 queries that ensure no major angle is missed.
Step 1: Questions (5W1H Decomposition)
For any topic, decompose into fundamental questions:
| Question |
Focus |
Example Queries |
| Who |
Actors, affected parties, experts, authorities |
"[topic] experts", "[topic] stakeholders" |
| What |
Definition, components, variations, examples |
"[topic] definition", "[topic] types" |
| When |
Timeline, evolution, milestones, current state |
"[topic] history", "[topic] 2025" |
| Where |
Geography, contexts, platforms, industries |
"[topic] by country", "[topic] use cases" |
| Why |
Causes, motivations, drivers, purpose |
"[topic] benefits", "[topic] reasons" |
| How |
Mechanisms, processes, methods, implementation |
"[topic] how it works", "[topic] implementation" |
Template
## 5W1H for "[TOPIC]"
- **Who:** [List actors, experts, affected parties]
- **What:** [Define, list components/variations]
- **When:** [Timeline, milestones, current state]
- **Where:** [Contexts, platforms, industries, regions]
- **Why:** [Drivers, motivations, benefits sought]
- **How:** [Mechanisms, processes, implementation methods]
Step 2: Universes (Stakeholder Perspectives)
Different stakeholders care about different aspects. Generate queries from each viewpoint:
| Stakeholder |
Key Concerns |
Query Pattern |
| End Users |
Pain points, benefits, experience |
"[topic] user experience reviews" |
| Providers/Vendors |
Challenges, opportunities, differentiation |
"[topic] implementation challenges" |
| Regulators |
Compliance, risks, policy |
"[topic] regulation policy 2025" |
| Competitors |
Benchmarks, alternatives |
"[topic] vs [alternative] comparison" |
| Experts/Researchers |
Best practices, innovations, studies |
"[topic] research paper" |
| Critics/Skeptics |
Limitations, failures, risks |
"[topic] criticism problems limitations" |
Template
## Stakeholder Queries for "[TOPIC]"
| Stakeholder | Question They'd Ask | Search Query |
|-------------|---------------------|--------------|
| End Users | "Is this worth it for me?" | "[topic] user reviews pros cons" |
| Providers | "How do I implement this well?" | "[topic] best practices implementation" |
| Regulators | "What are the risks?" | "[topic] risks compliance" |
| Competitors | "How does this compare?" | "[topic] vs alternatives comparison" |
| Experts | "What does research say?" | "[topic] research study findings" |
| Critics | "What could go wrong?" | "[topic] failures problems criticism" |
Step 3: Expansions (Semantic Breadth)
Expand terminology to catch content using different words:
| Expansion Type |
Method |
Example |
| Synonyms |
Alternative words for same concept |
"AI assistant" → "AI copilot", "AI helper" |
| Related Terms |
Adjacent concepts |
"AI coding" → "code generation", "autocomplete" |
| Domain Jargon |
Industry-specific terminology |
"productivity" → "developer velocity", "DORA metrics" |
| Alternative Framings |
Different perspectives on same thing |
"AI replacing jobs" → "AI augmenting work" |
Template
## Semantic Expansion for "[TOPIC]"
| Core Term | Synonyms | Related Terms | Domain Jargon |
|-----------|----------|---------------|---------------|
| [Main term] | [List 2-3] | [List 2-3] | [List 2-3] |
| [Sub-term 1] | [List] | [List] | [List] |
| [Sub-term 2] | [List] | [List] | [List] |
Step 4: Scopes (Boundary Exploration)
Explore different boundaries and contexts:
| Scope |
Dimensions |
Query Examples |
| Geographic |
Local vs Global vs Regional |
"[topic] Thailand", "[topic] Asia", "[topic] global trends" |
| Temporal |
Past vs Present vs Future |
"[topic] history evolution", "[topic] 2025", "[topic] future predictions" |
| Scale |
Micro vs Meso vs Macro |
"[topic] individual", "[topic] enterprise", "[topic] industry-wide" |
| Context |
Different application domains |
"[topic] in healthcare", "[topic] in finance", "[topic] for startups" |
Template
## Scope Variations for "[TOPIC]"
**Geographic:**
- Local: "[topic] [country/region]"
- Global: "[topic] global trends worldwide"
**Temporal:**
- Historical: "[topic] history evolution"
- Current: "[topic] 2025 state of the art"
- Future: "[topic] future trends predictions"
**Scale:**
- Individual: "[topic] for individuals personal"
- Organization: "[topic] enterprise business"
- Industry: "[topic] industry impact"
Step 5: Types (Source Diversity)
Target different source types for balanced information:
| Source Type |
Characteristics |
Query Modifier |
| Academic |
Peer-reviewed, rigorous, may be dated |
"[topic] research paper arxiv" |
| Industry |
Practical, current, may be biased |
"[topic] industry report gartner" |
| News |
Current, accessible, may lack depth |
"[topic] news 2025" |
| Official |
Authoritative, formal |
"[topic] official government" |
| User-Generated |
Real experiences, varied quality |
"[topic] reddit forum discussion" |
| Expert Opinion |
Informed views, may be subjective |
"[topic] expert analysis opinion" |
Template
## Source Type Queries for "[TOPIC]"
| Type | Query |
|------|-------|
| Academic | "[topic] research study peer-reviewed" |
| Industry | "[topic] industry report analysis" |
| News | "[topic] news latest 2025" |
| Official | "[topic] official guidelines" |
| User | "[topic] reddit user experience" |
| Expert | "[topic] expert interview opinion" |
Complete QUEST Workflow
Phase 2: PLAN - Query Generation Checklist
Before searching, complete this checklist:
## QUEST Query Generation for "[TOPIC]"
### Q - Questions (5W1H)
- [ ] Who queries generated (2+ queries)
- [ ] What queries generated (2+ queries)
- [ ] Why/How queries generated (2+ queries)
### U - Universes (Stakeholders)
- [ ] User perspective query
- [ ] Provider/expert perspective query
- [ ] Critic/skeptic perspective query
### E - Expansions (Semantics)
- [ ] At least 2 synonym variations used
- [ ] Domain-specific terms included
### S - Scopes (Boundaries)
- [ ] Temporal scope addressed (current year included)
- [ ] Geographic scope if relevant
### T - Types (Sources)
- [ ] Academic/research query included
- [ ] Practical/industry query included
- [ ] User experience query included
**Total Queries:** [Count] (Target: 15-25)
**Coverage Score:** [X/12 checklist items]
Example: "AI Coding Assistants 2025"
QUEST Application
Q - Questions:
- Who: "AI coding assistant developers users", "GitHub Copilot creators"
- What: "AI coding assistant features capabilities", "code completion vs generation"
- When: "AI coding assistants 2025", "GitHub Copilot evolution history"
- Why: "AI coding assistant benefits productivity", "why developers use AI coding"
- How: "how AI code generation works LLM", "AI coding assistant integration IDE"
U - Universes:
- Users: "AI coding assistant developer experience review"
- Providers: "AI coding assistant enterprise deployment challenges"
- Regulators: "AI generated code licensing intellectual property"
- Critics: "AI coding assistant limitations accuracy problems"
E - Expansions:
- Synonyms: "AI copilot", "code generation AI", "AI pair programmer"
- Related: "autocomplete", "code suggestions", "intelligent code completion"
S - Scopes:
- Temporal: "AI coding 2024 vs 2025", "future of AI coding"
- Scale: "AI coding individual developer", "AI coding enterprise adoption"
T - Types:
- Academic: "AI code generation research arxiv"
- Industry: "AI coding assistant market report"
- User: "GitHub Copilot reddit review"
Total: 22 queries across all dimensions
Integration with Standard Mode
When to use: Phase 2: PLAN, after hypotheses are formed
Minimum requirements by tier:
| Tier |
Min Queries |
Min Dimensions |
| Quick |
8-10 |
3 (Q, U, T) |
| Standard |
15-20 |
4 (Q, U, E, T) |
| Deep |
20-25 |
5 (all) |
| Exhaustive |
25+ |
5 (all, with depth) |
Output: List of queries ready for parallel WebSearch execution in Phase 3: RETRIEVE
1---2name: 1113-query-framework-99cbd4d43description: QUEST Matrix: Systematic Query Generation4---5# QUEST Matrix: Systematic Query Generation67A framework for generating comprehensive search queries that cover all angles of a topic.89## Overview1011**QUEST** = **Q**uestions + **U**niverses + **E**xpansions + **S**copes + **T**ypes1213| Dimension | Purpose | Output |14|-----------|---------|--------|15| **Q** - Questions | Ensure question completeness | 5W1H decomposition |16| **U** - Universes | Multi-stakeholder coverage | Perspective-based queries |17| **E** - Expansions | Semantic breadth | Synonym/related term queries |18| **S** - Scopes | Boundary exploration | Geographic/temporal/scale queries |19| **T** - Types | Source diversity | Queries targeting different source types |2021**Goal:** Generate 15-25 queries that ensure no major angle is missed.2223---2425## Step 1: Questions (5W1H Decomposition)2627For any topic, decompose into fundamental questions:2829| Question | Focus | Example Queries |30|----------|-------|-----------------|31| **Who** | Actors, affected parties, experts, authorities | "[topic] experts", "[topic] stakeholders" |32| **What** | Definition, components, variations, examples | "[topic] definition", "[topic] types" |33| **When** | Timeline, evolution, milestones, current state | "[topic] history", "[topic] 2025" |34| **Where** | Geography, contexts, platforms, industries | "[topic] by country", "[topic] use cases" |35| **Why** | Causes, motivations, drivers, purpose | "[topic] benefits", "[topic] reasons" |36| **How** | Mechanisms, processes, methods, implementation | "[topic] how it works", "[topic] implementation" |3738### Template3940```markdown41## 5W1H for "[TOPIC]"4243- **Who:** [List actors, experts, affected parties]44- **What:** [Define, list components/variations]45- **When:** [Timeline, milestones, current state]46- **Where:** [Contexts, platforms, industries, regions]47- **Why:** [Drivers, motivations, benefits sought]48- **How:** [Mechanisms, processes, implementation methods]49```5051---5253## Step 2: Universes (Stakeholder Perspectives)5455Different stakeholders care about different aspects. Generate queries from each viewpoint:5657| Stakeholder | Key Concerns | Query Pattern |58|-------------|--------------|---------------|59| **End Users** | Pain points, benefits, experience | "[topic] user experience reviews" |60| **Providers/Vendors** | Challenges, opportunities, differentiation | "[topic] implementation challenges" |61| **Regulators** | Compliance, risks, policy | "[topic] regulation policy 2025" |62| **Competitors** | Benchmarks, alternatives | "[topic] vs [alternative] comparison" |63| **Experts/Researchers** | Best practices, innovations, studies | "[topic] research paper" |64| **Critics/Skeptics** | Limitations, failures, risks | "[topic] criticism problems limitations" |6566### Template6768```markdown69## Stakeholder Queries for "[TOPIC]"7071| Stakeholder | Question They'd Ask | Search Query |72|-------------|---------------------|--------------|73| End Users | "Is this worth it for me?" | "[topic] user reviews pros cons" |74| Providers | "How do I implement this well?" | "[topic] best practices implementation" |75| Regulators | "What are the risks?" | "[topic] risks compliance" |76| Competitors | "How does this compare?" | "[topic] vs alternatives comparison" |77| Experts | "What does research say?" | "[topic] research study findings" |78| Critics | "What could go wrong?" | "[topic] failures problems criticism" |79```8081---8283## Step 3: Expansions (Semantic Breadth)8485Expand terminology to catch content using different words:8687| Expansion Type | Method | Example |88|----------------|--------|---------|89| **Synonyms** | Alternative words for same concept | "AI assistant" → "AI copilot", "AI helper" |90| **Related Terms** | Adjacent concepts | "AI coding" → "code generation", "autocomplete" |91| **Domain Jargon** | Industry-specific terminology | "productivity" → "developer velocity", "DORA metrics" |92| **Alternative Framings** | Different perspectives on same thing | "AI replacing jobs" → "AI augmenting work" |9394### Template9596```markdown97## Semantic Expansion for "[TOPIC]"9899| Core Term | Synonyms | Related Terms | Domain Jargon |100|-----------|----------|---------------|---------------|101| [Main term] | [List 2-3] | [List 2-3] | [List 2-3] |102| [Sub-term 1] | [List] | [List] | [List] |103| [Sub-term 2] | [List] | [List] | [List] |104```105106---107108## Step 4: Scopes (Boundary Exploration)109110Explore different boundaries and contexts:111112| Scope | Dimensions | Query Examples |113|-------|------------|----------------|114| **Geographic** | Local vs Global vs Regional | "[topic] Thailand", "[topic] Asia", "[topic] global trends" |115| **Temporal** | Past vs Present vs Future | "[topic] history evolution", "[topic] 2025", "[topic] future predictions" |116| **Scale** | Micro vs Meso vs Macro | "[topic] individual", "[topic] enterprise", "[topic] industry-wide" |117| **Context** | Different application domains | "[topic] in healthcare", "[topic] in finance", "[topic] for startups" |118119### Template120121```markdown122## Scope Variations for "[TOPIC]"123124**Geographic:**125- Local: "[topic] [country/region]"126- Global: "[topic] global trends worldwide"127128**Temporal:**129- Historical: "[topic] history evolution"130- Current: "[topic] 2025 state of the art"131- Future: "[topic] future trends predictions"132133**Scale:**134- Individual: "[topic] for individuals personal"135- Organization: "[topic] enterprise business"136- Industry: "[topic] industry impact"137```138139---140141## Step 5: Types (Source Diversity)142143Target different source types for balanced information:144145| Source Type | Characteristics | Query Modifier |146|-------------|-----------------|----------------|147| **Academic** | Peer-reviewed, rigorous, may be dated | "[topic] research paper arxiv" |148| **Industry** | Practical, current, may be biased | "[topic] industry report gartner" |149| **News** | Current, accessible, may lack depth | "[topic] news 2025" |150| **Official** | Authoritative, formal | "[topic] official government" |151| **User-Generated** | Real experiences, varied quality | "[topic] reddit forum discussion" |152| **Expert Opinion** | Informed views, may be subjective | "[topic] expert analysis opinion" |153154### Template155156```markdown157## Source Type Queries for "[TOPIC]"158159| Type | Query |160|------|-------|161| Academic | "[topic] research study peer-reviewed" |162| Industry | "[topic] industry report analysis" |163| News | "[topic] news latest 2025" |164| Official | "[topic] official guidelines" |165| User | "[topic] reddit user experience" |166| Expert | "[topic] expert interview opinion" |167```168169---170171## Complete QUEST Workflow172173### Phase 2: PLAN - Query Generation Checklist174175Before searching, complete this checklist:176177```markdown178## QUEST Query Generation for "[TOPIC]"179180### Q - Questions (5W1H)181- [ ] Who queries generated (2+ queries)182- [ ] What queries generated (2+ queries)183- [ ] Why/How queries generated (2+ queries)184185### U - Universes (Stakeholders)186- [ ] User perspective query187- [ ] Provider/expert perspective query188- [ ] Critic/skeptic perspective query189190### E - Expansions (Semantics)191- [ ] At least 2 synonym variations used192- [ ] Domain-specific terms included193194### S - Scopes (Boundaries)195- [ ] Temporal scope addressed (current year included)196- [ ] Geographic scope if relevant197198### T - Types (Sources)199- [ ] Academic/research query included200- [ ] Practical/industry query included201- [ ] User experience query included202203**Total Queries:** [Count] (Target: 15-25)204**Coverage Score:** [X/12 checklist items]205```206207---208209## Example: "AI Coding Assistants 2025"210211### QUEST Application212213**Q - Questions:**214- Who: "AI coding assistant developers users", "GitHub Copilot creators"215- What: "AI coding assistant features capabilities", "code completion vs generation"216- When: "AI coding assistants 2025", "GitHub Copilot evolution history"217- Why: "AI coding assistant benefits productivity", "why developers use AI coding"218- How: "how AI code generation works LLM", "AI coding assistant integration IDE"219220**U - Universes:**221- Users: "AI coding assistant developer experience review"222- Providers: "AI coding assistant enterprise deployment challenges"223- Regulators: "AI generated code licensing intellectual property"224- Critics: "AI coding assistant limitations accuracy problems"225226**E - Expansions:**227- Synonyms: "AI copilot", "code generation AI", "AI pair programmer"228- Related: "autocomplete", "code suggestions", "intelligent code completion"229230**S - Scopes:**231- Temporal: "AI coding 2024 vs 2025", "future of AI coding"232- Scale: "AI coding individual developer", "AI coding enterprise adoption"233234**T - Types:**235- Academic: "AI code generation research arxiv"236- Industry: "AI coding assistant market report"237- User: "GitHub Copilot reddit review"238239**Total: 22 queries across all dimensions**240241---242243## Integration with Standard Mode244245**When to use:** Phase 2: PLAN, after hypotheses are formed246247**Minimum requirements by tier:**248| Tier | Min Queries | Min Dimensions |249|------|-------------|----------------|250| Quick | 8-10 | 3 (Q, U, T) |251| Standard | 15-20 | 4 (Q, U, E, T) |252| Deep | 20-25 | 5 (all) |253| Exhaustive | 25+ | 5 (all, with depth) |254255**Output:** List of queries ready for parallel WebSearch execution in Phase 3: RETRIEVE