Deep Research
Universal deep research agent team. 13-agent pipeline for rigorous academic research on any topic. 8 modes: full research, quick brief, paper review, lit-review, fact-check, three-way literature scan, Socratic guided research dialogue, and systematic review with optional meta-analysis. Covers research question formulation, Socratic mentoring, methodology design, systematic literature search, source verification, cross-source synthesis, risk of bias assessment, meta-analysis, APA 7.0 report compilation, editorial review, devil's advocate challenges, ethics review, and post-research literature monitoring. Triggers on: research, deep research, literature review, systematic review, meta-analysis, PRISMA, evidence synthesis, fact-check, WHY HOW WHAT papers, 3W literature scan, guide my research, help me think through, 研究, 深度研究, 文獻回顧, 文獻探討, 系統性回顧, 後設分析, 事實查核, 三段式文獻掃描, 引導我的研究, 幫我釐清, 幫我想想, 我不確定要研究什麼, 研究方向, 研究主題, 심층 연구, 문헌 조사, 체계적 문헌고찰, 메타분석, 사실 확인, 연구 방향을 잡아줘, 연구 주제 정하는 것을 도와줘, revisión de literatura, metaanálisis
- Skill ID
- imbad0202/academic-research-skills/deep-research
- Publisher
- imbad0202
- Repository
- academic-research-skills
- Installs
- 0
- Files
- 53
- Synced
- Sep 23, 2026
Open any RiverX project, open the Skills panel in the chat, and search for this identifier. The files are fetched from the source repository at install time.
imbad0202/academic-research-skills/deep-researchInstalls these files- SKILL.md
- agents/bibliography_agent.md
- agents/devils_advocate_agent.md
- agents/editor_in_chief_agent.md
- agents/ethics_review_agent.md
- agents/meta_analysis_agent.md
- agents/monitoring_agent.md
- agents/report_compiler_agent.md
- agents/research_architect_agent.md
- agents/research_question_agent.md
- agents/risk_of_bias_agent.md
- agents/socratic_mentor_agent.md
- agents/source_verification_agent.md
- agents/synthesis_agent.md
- agents/timeline_extraction_agent.md
- examples/exploratory_research.md
- examples/fact_check_mode.md
- examples/handoff_to_paper.md
- examples/idea_diversity_coverage_gap_advisory.md
- examples/policy_analysis.md
- examples/review_mode.md
- examples/socratic_guided_research.md
- examples/systematic_review.md
- references/apa7_style_guide.md
- references/argumentation_reasoning_framework.md
- references/arxiv_api_protocol.md
- references/changelog.md
- references/chinese_literature_api_protocol.md
- references/cross_agent_quality_definitions.md
- references/crossref_api_protocol.md
- references/equator_reporting_guidelines.md
- references/ethics_checklist.md
- references/failure_paths.md
- references/interdisciplinary_bridges.md
- references/irb_decision_tree.md
- references/literature_monitoring_strategies.md
- references/logical_fallacies.md
- references/methodology_patterns.md
- references/mode_selection_guide.md
- references/openalex_api_protocol.md
- references/preregistration_guide.md
- references/semantic_scholar_api_protocol.md
- references/socratic_mode_protocol.md
- references/socratic_questioning_framework.md
- references/source_quality_hierarchy.md
- references/systematic_review_protocol.md
- references/systematic_review_toolkit.md
- templates/evidence_assessment_template.md
- templates/literature_matrix_template.md
- templates/preregistration_template.md
- templates/prisma_protocol_template.md
- templates/prisma_report_template.md
- templates/research_brief_template.md
What this skill tells the agent
Deep Research — Universal Academic Research Agent Team
Universal deep research tool — a domain-agnostic 13-agent team for rigorous academic research on any topic.
v2.4 adds writing quality improvements to the report compiler:
- Style Profile consumption (optional) — If a Style Profile is available from academic-paper intake, the report compiler applies it as a soft guide for the Executive Summary and Synthesis sections. Discipline conventions and report objectivity take priority.
- Writing Quality Check — The report compiler uses
academic-paper/references/writing_quality_check.mdas a diagnostic guide before finalizing (prompts for judgment subordinate to author and venue requirements, not quotas), and flags claims the cited sources do not support as[MATERIAL GAP]rather than hedging them (#825).
Routing discipline (v3.9.2): see.claude/CLAUDE.md"Routing Discipline (v3.9.2)" +shared/references/intent_clarification_protocol.mdfor cross-skill routing rules. This skill assumes routing has already settled — ambiguous cross-phase materials should have been clarified upstream.
Quick Start
Minimal command:
Research the impact of AI on higher education quality assuranceSocratic mode:
Guide my research on the impact of declining birth rates on private universities
引導我的研究:少子化對私立大學的影響
幫我釐清我的研究方向,我對高教品保有興趣但還不太確定Execution:
- Scoping — Research question + methodology blueprint
- Investigation — Systematic literature search + source verification
- Analysis — Cross-source synthesis + bias check
- Composition — Full APA 7.0 report
- Review — Editorial + ethics + vulnerability scan
- Revision — Final polished report
Trigger Conditions
Trigger Keywords
English: research, deep research, literature review, systematic review, meta-analysis, PRISMA, evidence synthesis, fact-check, methodology, APA report, academic analysis, policy analysis, WHY HOW WHAT papers, 3W literature scan, guide my research, help me think through, monitor this topic, set up alerts
Español: investigación profunda, revisión de literatura, revisión sistemática, metaanálisis, síntesis de evidencia, verificación de datos, informe APA, comparación de artículos WHY HOW WHAT, escaneo de tres vías, guía mi investigación, ayúdame a razonar, monitorear este tema, configurar alertas
繁體中文: 研究, 深度研究, 文獻回顧, 文獻探討, 系統性回顧, 後設分析, 證據綜整, 事實查核, 三段式文獻掃描, WHY HOW WHAT 論文比較, 研究方法, 學術分析, 政策分析, 引導我的研究, 幫我釐清, 監測這個主題, 設定追蹤
한국어: 심층 연구, 문헌 조사, 문헌 고찰, 체계적 문헌고찰, 메타분석, 근거 종합, 사실 확인, 팩트체크, 연구 방법 설계, 학술 분석, 연구 방향을 잡아줘, 연구 주제 정하는 것을 도와줘, 무엇을 연구할지 모르겠어, 이 주제 계속 모니터링해줘
Socratic Mode Activation
Activate socratic mode when the user's intent matches any of the following patterns, regardless of language. Detect meaning, not exact keywords.
Intent signals (any one is sufficient):
- User has no clear research question and wants guided thinking
- User asks to be "led", "guided", or "mentored" through research
- User expresses uncertainty about what to research or where to start
- User wants to brainstorm, explore, or clarify a research direction
- User describes a vague interest without a specific, answerable question
Default rule: When intent is ambiguous between socratic and full, prefer `socratic` — it is safer to guide first than to produce an unwanted report. The user can always switch to full later.
Example triggers (illustrative, not exhaustive): "guide my research", "help me think through", 「引導我的研究」「幫我釐清」, or equivalent in any language
Does NOT Trigger
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Writing a paper (not researching) | academic-paper |
| Reviewing a paper (structured review) | academic-paper-reviewer |
| Full research-to-paper pipeline | academic-pipeline |
Quick Mode Selection Guide
| Your Situation 你的狀況 | Recommended Mode | Spectrum |
|---|---|---|
| Vague idea, need guidance / 有模糊想法,需要引導 | socratic | originality |
| Clear RQ, need comprehensive research / 有明確 RQ,需要完整研究 | full | balanced |
| Need a quick brief (30 min) / 需要快速摘要 | quick | fidelity |
| Have a paper to evaluate before citing / 有論文需要評估 | review | balanced |
| Need literature review for a topic / 需要文獻回顧 | lit-review | fidelity |
| Need a fast paper-comparison scan / 需要快速比較多篇論文 | three-way-scan | fidelity |
| Need to verify specific claims / 需要查核特定事實 | fact-check | fidelity |
| Need systematic review / meta-analysis / 系統性回顧或後設分析 | systematic-review | fidelity |
Spectrum (v3.2): fidelity = template-heavy, predictable output; balanced = default; originality = exploratory, template-light. See shared/mode_spectrum.md for the full cross-skill spectrum table.
Not sure? Start with socratic — it will help you figure out what you need. 不確定?先用 socratic 模式——它會幫你釐清你需要什麼。
Agent Team (13 Agents)
| # | Agent | Role | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | research_question_agent | Transforms vague topics into precise, FINER-scored research questions with scope boundaries | Phase 1, Socratic Layer 1 |
| 2 | research_architect_agent | Designs methodology blueprint: paradigm, method, data strategy, analytical framework, validity criteria | Phase 1 |
| 3 | bibliography_agent | Systematic literature search, source screening, annotated bibliography in APA 7.0 | Phase 2 |
| 4 | source_verification_agent | Fact-checking, source grading (evidence hierarchy), predatory journal detection, conflict-of-interest flagging | Phase 2 |
| 5 | synthesis_agent | Cross-source integration, contradiction resolution, thematic synthesis, gap analysis | Phase 3 |
| 6 | report_compiler_agent | Drafts complete APA 7.0 report (Title -> Abstract -> Intro -> Method -> Findings -> Discussion -> References) | Phase 4, 6 |
| 7 | editor_in_chief_agent | Q1 journal editorial review: originality, rigor, evidence sufficiency, verdict (Accept/Revise/Reject) | Phase 5 |
| 8 | devils_advocate_agent | Challenges assumptions, tests for logical fallacies, finds alternative explanations, confirmation bias checks | Phase 1, 3, 5, Socratic Layer 2, 4 |
| 9 | ethics_review_agent | AI-assisted research ethics, attribution integrity, dual-use screening, fair representation | Phase 5 |
| 10 | socratic_mentor_agent | Q1 journal editor persona; guides research thinking through Socratic questioning across 5 layers | Socratic Mode (Layer 1-5) |
| 11 | risk_of_bias_agent | Assesses risk of bias using RoB 2 (RCTs) and ROBINS-I (non-randomized); traffic-light visualization | Systematic Review (Phase 2) |
| 12 | meta_analysis_agent | Designs and executes meta-analysis or narrative synthesis; effect sizes, heterogeneity, GRADE | Systematic Review (Phase 3) |
| 13 | monitoring_agent | Post-research literature monitoring: digests, retraction alerts, contradictory findings detection | Optional (post-pipeline) |
Mode Selection Guide
See references/mode_selection_guide.md for the detailed guide.
User Input
|
+-- Already have a clear research question?
| +-- Yes --> Need PRISMA-compliant systematic review / meta-analysis?
| | +-- Yes --> systematic-review mode
| | +-- No --> Need a full report?
| | +-- Yes --> full mode
| | +-- No --> Only need literature?
| | +-- Yes --> Need rapid paper comparison?
| | +-- Yes --> three-way-scan mode
| | +-- No --> lit-review mode
| | +-- No --> quick mode
| +-- No --> Want to be guided through thinking?
| +-- Yes --> socratic mode
| +-- No --> full mode (Phase 1 will be interactive)
|
+-- Already have text to review? --> review modeMore from imbad0202
Use this skill in a project
Open any RiverX project, search the Skills panel for imbad0202/academic-research-skills/deep-research, and install it in one click.
