Overview

Research a topic and produce a structured summary with key findings. It identifies the core question, breaks the topic into 3-5 subtopics, collects factual information with reasoning for each, notes uncertainties or debates, and synthesizes a coherent summary.

How This Skill Works

Identify the core question. Break the topic into 3-5 subtopics and gather factual information with reasoning for each subtopic. Note areas of uncertainty or debate and synthesize findings into a coherent summary following the TL;DR, Research Findings, Open Questions, and Suggested Follow-ups structure.

When to Use It

• When starting a literature review or background briefing
• Before writing a report or briefing that requires structured findings
• To synthesize multiple sources with potential conflicting viewpoints
• To identify gaps or open questions in a topic
• When planning follow-up research or experiments

Quick Start

1. Step 1: Define the core question you want to answer
2. Step 2: Break the topic into 3-5 subtopics and collect factual information with reasoning for each
3. Step 3: Synthesize the findings into a TL;DR, structured Research Findings, Open Questions, and Suggested Follow-ups

Best Practices

• Define a single, clear core question
• Limit the scope to 3-5 subtopics
• Support each subtopic with factual information and reasoning
• Explicitly note uncertainties, debates, and conflicting evidence
• Conclude with a TL;DR, cohesive synthesis, open questions, and suggested follow-ups

Example Use Cases

• Assessing AI alignment research: core questions, subtopics like objective definitions, failure modes, evaluation, ethics, policy implications
• Privacy trends on social platforms: data collection, encryption, regulation, user behavior, risk assessment
• Climate adaptation strategies: infrastructure, finance, governance, equity, implementation barriers
• CRISPR debate: safety, efficacy, ethics, regulation, long-term impacts
• Renewable energy integration: grid stability, storage, policy incentives, cost trajectories, deployment challenges

Frequently Asked Questions