--- namespace: aiwg platforms: [all] name: research-query description: Search the local research corpus, read matching findings, and synthesize an answer with inline citations to REF-XXX sources. The "query" operation for the research pipeline. commandHint: argumentHint: " [--depth quick|thorough] [--save] [--sources-only] [--max-sources N]" allowedTools: Read, Write, Glob, Grep, Bash model: sonnet category: research-retrieval --- # Research Query Ask a question against the local research corpus and get a synthesized answer with inline citations. ## Triggers - "what does the research say about X?" - "query the corpus for X" - "search research for X" - "what evidence do we have for X?" - "research query X" - `/research-query "question"` ## Parameters ### `` (required) A natural language question to answer from the corpus. ### `--depth` (optional) Search depth: `quick` (tag + title matching only) or `thorough` (full-text content search). Default: `thorough`. ### `--save` (optional) Save the synthesized answer as a new artifact in `.aiwg/research/synthesis/`. ### `--sources-only` (optional) List matching sources without synthesizing an answer. ### `--max-sources` (optional) Maximum number of sources to read and synthesize from. Default: 10. ## Execution Flow ### Phase 1: Corpus Search Search the local research corpus for relevant sources: 1. **Tag-based search**: Grep frontmatter `tags:` fields in `.aiwg/research/findings/REF-*.md` for topic matches 2. **Title search**: Match question keywords against `title:` frontmatter fields 3. **Full-text search** (if `--depth thorough`): Search body content of all REF-XXX notes for question terms 4. **Synthesis search**: Also check `.aiwg/research/synthesis/` for existing synthesis on the topic 5. **Knowledge search**: Check `.aiwg/research/knowledge/` for related concept notes **Search locations (priority order):** ``` .aiwg/research/findings/REF-*.md # Primary: literature notes .aiwg/research/synthesis/*.md # Secondary: existing synthesis .aiwg/research/knowledge/*.md # Tertiary: knowledge base entries ``` ### Phase 2: Source Reading For each matching source (up to `--max-sources`): 1. Read the full content of the REF-XXX note 2. Extract: - Key claims and findings - GRADE quality assessment - Methodology and evidence type - Related source references 3. Rank by relevance to the question ### Phase 3: Answer Synthesis Synthesize a comprehensive answer from the matched sources: 1. **Lead with the answer** — state the synthesized finding clearly 2. **Cite inline** — reference specific REF-XXX identifiers with the finding they support 3. **Note evidence quality** — use GRADE-appropriate hedging: - HIGH: "Evidence strongly supports..." - MODERATE: "Evidence suggests..." - LOW: "Limited evidence indicates..." - VERY LOW: "Preliminary findings hint at..." 4. **Flag contradictions** — if sources disagree, state both positions with citations 5. **Identify gaps** — if the question touches areas with sparse coverage, note what's missing **Answer format:** ```markdown ## Answer [Synthesized answer with inline citations] Evidence strongly supports that agent orchestration patterns improve task completion rates by 30-45% compared to single-agent approaches (REF-012, REF-034). However, this comes with increased latency — REF-067 measured a 2-3x slowdown for multi-agent coordination on tasks under 5 minutes. Limited evidence indicates that the breakeven point is approximately 15 minutes of task complexity (REF-042, GRADE: Low). ### Sources Consulted | REF | Title | GRADE | Relevance | |-----|-------|-------|-----------| | REF-012 | Multi-Agent Orchestration Patterns | High | Direct | | REF-034 | Agent Coordination Benchmarks | Moderate | Direct | | REF-067 | Latency Analysis of LLM Pipelines | Moderate | Supporting | | REF-042 | Cost-Benefit of Agent Architectures | Low | Tangential | ### Evidence Quality - 1 HIGH, 2 MODERATE, 1 LOW sources - Overall confidence: MODERATE ### Gaps - No sources address orchestration in resource-constrained environments - Missing: longitudinal studies on orchestration pattern stability ### Related Queries - "What are the latency costs of multi-agent systems?" - "How does orchestration affect token consumption?" ``` ### Phase 4: Save (if --save) If `--save` is specified, write the answer as a synthesis artifact: ``` .aiwg/research/synthesis/query--.md ``` With frontmatter: ```yaml --- type: query-synthesis question: "" date: YYYY-MM-DD sources: [REF-012, REF-034, REF-067, REF-042] confidence: moderate --- ``` ## Distinction from Other Skills | Skill | Purpose | Searches | |-------|---------|----------| | `research-query` | Answer questions from corpus | Local corpus only | | `research-discover` | Find new papers in external databases | External (arXiv, Semantic Scholar) | | `research-gap` | Identify missing coverage areas | Local corpus (intellectual gaps) | | `corpus-health` | Check structural integrity | Local corpus (structural health) | | `research-cite` | Format a citation | Single REF-XXX note | | `aiwg index query` | Generic artifact search | All `.aiwg/` artifacts | ## Examples ```bash # Ask a question /research-query "What are the security risks of LLM agents?" # Quick search (tags and titles only) /research-query "prompt injection defenses" --depth quick # Just list matching sources /research-query "multi-agent orchestration" --sources-only # Save the answer as a synthesis artifact /research-query "What evidence supports HITL gates?" --save # Limit sources consulted /research-query "cost optimization strategies" --max-sources 5 ``` ## References - @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/research-complete/skills/research-discover/SKILL.md — External search - @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/research-complete/skills/research-gap/SKILL.md — Gap analysis - @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/research-complete/skills/research-cite/SKILL.md — Citation formatting - @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/research-complete/skills/research-status/SKILL.md — Corpus health - @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/research-complete/elaboration/templates/REF-XXX-template.md — REF note format