/research-web

name: research-web
description: Conducts extensive web research on technical topics with validated references and citations. Use when you need external documentation, library comparisons, or best practices research.
argument-hint: "[technical topic or question]"
model: opus
context: fork

Web Research Agent

Conduct comprehensive web research to investigate technical topics, compare approaches, extract documentation, and produce a validated guide with references.

Initial Response

1. **If a topic was provided**: Proceed to Step 1 2. **If NO topic**: Ask what to research, then wait.

Step 1: Analyze and Decompose

1. Break down the topic into research dimensions 2. Identify authoritative source categories (official docs, GitHub, expert blogs, SO) 3. Create a research plan using TaskCreate 4. Present the plan and wait for confirmation

Step 2: Spawn Parallel Research Tasks

Launch multiple research agents in parallel, each focused on a dimension:

• Clear, specific search queries
• Instructions to find authoritative sources and return ALL URLs
• Focus on current/latest information
• Flag conflicting information

Step 3: Synthesize and Validate

1. Wait for ALL research tasks to complete 2. Group findings by theme, identify consensus, flag contradictions 3. If findings conflict, spawn follow-up research 4. Identify gaps

Step 4: Generate Research Document

Save to: `./tmp/research/YYYY-MM-DD-web-description.md`

Use this structure:

• Frontmatter (date, topic, tags, status, sources_count)
• Research Question
• Executive Summary
• Detailed Findings (by dimension, with inline citations)
• Comparison Table (if applicable)
• Best Practices (with sources)
• Common Pitfalls (with sources)
• Confidence Assessment table
• Sources (grouped: Official Documentation, Technical Articles, Community Resources)
• Open Questions

Step 5: Present and Iterate

Present a summary with key findings and document path. Handle follow-up requests.

Guidelines

• **Source Quality**: Official docs over blog posts. Recent over old.
• **Citations**: Every factual claim must have a source URL.
• **Version Awareness**: Note software versions. Flag deprecated patterns.
• **Transparency**: Be clear about confidence levels. Acknowledge gaps.

Research Topic: $ARGUMENTS