Research Report

State the research question precisely before anything else.

Capture:

• The question — the specific thing this report must answer
• Why it matters — the decision or need behind it
• The audience for the report
• Any constraints — depth, deadline, sources to use or avoid

A fuzzy question produces a fuzzy report. If the operator's ask is
broad, narrow it with them before advancing.

Save the question and its context as a task note with task_notes_add.
The next step — Scope — reads this note.

Read the task notes with task_notes_list — the note from the Question
step contains the question and its context. Work from it.

Scope the research. What good looks like:

• The sub-questions that, answered, answer the main question
• What is in scope and explicitly out of scope
• The kinds of sources you will use
• The shape of the final report — sections and depth

Save the scope as a task note with task_notes_add. Then ask the operator
to approve the scope before gathering begins. This is a checkpoint —
scope drift wastes the most time in research, so the AI cannot advance
until you approve.

Read the task notes with task_notes_list — the note from the Scope
step contains the sub-questions and boundaries. Work from it.

Gather evidence against each sub-question. For every finding capture:

• The finding itself, stated plainly
• The source — a link or citation
• How reliable the source is and any caveat
• Which sub-question it answers

Stay inside the approved scope. Note where evidence is thin or
conflicting rather than papering over it.

Save the gathered findings and sources as a task note with
task_notes_add. If it exceeds 10,000 characters, split across notes or
store where the operator keeps documents and record the location. The
Synthesize step reads this note.

Read the task notes with task_notes_list — the Gather note holds the
findings and sources, and the Scope note holds the sub-questions to
answer. Work from them.

Write the report:

• A direct answer to the main question up front
• Each sub-question answered with its evidence and sources cited
• Conflicting evidence and uncertainty stated honestly
• A short conclusion and, if asked for, a recommendation
• Sources listed so claims can be checked

Do not assert beyond the evidence. Distinguish fact from inference.

Save the full report as a task note with task_notes_add. If it exceeds
10,000 characters, split across notes or store where the operator keeps
documents and record the location. The Final Review step reads this note.

Read the task notes with task_notes_list — the Synthesize note holds
the report, the Gather note holds the sources, and the Question note
holds what was asked. Work from them.

Review the report:

• It answers the original question directly
• Every claim is backed by a recorded source
• Uncertainty and conflicting evidence are surfaced, not hidden
• It stays within the approved scope and matches the planned shape

Ask the operator to approve the report. This is a checkpoint — once
shared the report informs decisions, so the AI cannot advance until you
approve. If you reject, the workflow returns to Synthesize.

The research report is approved and ready to share. Confirm the final
report, with its sources, is saved as a task note, then close out the
task. This note is the named input for a Decision Memo workflow if a
decision follows.