Research to Study Guide

Transform any topic into a comprehensive, curated study guide through systematic research, quality validation, and audience-focused synthesis.

Inputs / Outputs

Quick Start

1. Get the topic and learner profile from the user
2. Create scratchpad at /pipeline/scratchpad/[topic]-research-scratchpad.md
3. Execute research using web search
4. Evaluate quality — iterate if gaps exist
5. Synthesize into study guide at /knowledge/[topic]-study-guide-v1.md

Phase 0: Setup

Ask the user (or infer from context):

topic: "[The subject to research]"
learner_profile:
  role: "[Who is learning — job title, experience level]"
  goal: "[What they want to achieve]"
  context: "[Why now, what they'll use it for]"
target_sources: 50  # Adjust based on topic breadth

Audience Analysis (Do This First)

Before ANY research, answer:

Phase 1: Generate Research Questions

Create 3-5 questions per category:

Required Categories

1. Foundations (Critical)

   • What is [topic] and why does it matter?
   • Core concepts and vocabulary
   • Mental models experts use
   • Common misconceptions

2. Frameworks & Models (Critical)

   • Established frameworks
   • Processes practitioners follow
   • Templates and tools

3. Key Practitioners (High)

   • Recognized experts
   • Their key contributions
   • Where experts agree/disagree

4. Source Discovery (High)

   • Essential books
   • Blogs/newsletters
   • Podcasts and videos
   • Courses

5. Real Examples (High)

   • Best documented examples
   • Instructive failures
   • Before/after transformations

6. Skills & Practice (Medium)

   • Skills that distinguish great practitioners
   • What to practice
   • Learning sequence

Question Format

Each question needs:

• Clear query with context
• Success criteria (what makes it complete)
• Priority (critical/high/medium/low)
• Source requirements

Phase 2: Execute Research

Use web search to answer each question. For each:

## Q[N]: [Question]

### Findings
[What you discovered]

### Sources
| Source | Type | Quality (1-5) | Notes |
|--------|------|---------------|-------|

### Gaps
[What's missing]

Source Quality Rubric

Phase 3: Quality Checkpoint

Before synthesis, evaluate:

Quality Bands:

• Bad (0-0.4): Must iterate — critical gaps
• Acceptable (0.4-0.7): Can proceed with limitations
• Great (0.7-1.0): Proceed to synthesis

If gaps exist, generate follow-up questions and iterate (max 3 times).

Phase 4: Synthesis

Create study guide with audience filtering:

# [Topic] Study Guide

> **For:** [Learner profile]
> **Goal:** [What they'll achieve]
> **Time Investment:** [Estimated hours]
> **Last Updated:** [Date]

## How to Use This Guide
[Brief instructions]

## Part 1: Foundations
[Core concepts, mental models, misconceptions]

## Part 2: Frameworks & Process
[Key frameworks with attribution and examples]

## Part 3-4: [Topic-Specific Sections]
[Adapt based on topic]

## Part 5: Skills & Practice
[How to get good]

## Appendix A: Curated Source Library
[Best sources organized by type]

## Appendix B: Templates & Tools
[Ready-to-use resources]

## Appendix C: Learning Path
[Recommended sequence]

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. NEVER guess URLs — Only cite verified sources
2. NEVER invent sources — No fabricated books, authors, or frameworks
3. NEVER fake statistics — Say "not found" if you don't have data
4. Trust web research — Don't flag recent info as dubious
5. Cite everything — Every claim needs a source

File Outputs

Subdirectory Routing

Place the final study guide in the subdirectory that matches its primary use case:

If the topic doesn't clearly fit one subdirectory, ask the user which one to use.

Example Usage

User: "I want to become an expert in company handbooks"

1. Create scratchpad: /pipeline/scratchpad/company-handbook-research-scratchpad.md
2. Audience: Founders at 10-100 person companies
3. Research: Public handbooks (Basecamp, GitLab, Valve, Netflix), structure patterns, expert advice
4. Evaluate: 24 sources, 6 frameworks, 10+ examples = Great (0.85)
5. Synthesize: /knowledge/building/company-handbook-study-guide-v1.md

User: "Research [industry topic] for our team"

1. Create scratchpad: /pipeline/scratchpad/[topic]-research-scratchpad.md
2. Define audience from user context
3. Research: Web search across trusted sources, follow citation trails
4. Evaluate: Score against quality bands
5. Synthesize: /knowledge/domain/[topic]-study-guide-v1.md

Deep Reference

Full prompt template: research-to-study-guide-prompt-v1.md