Research Assistant

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name: research-assistant description: Conduct web research on any topic, summarize findings, and create structured reports. Use when user wants to (1) research a topic online, (2) get summaries of articles or documents, (3) create a report on a subject, (4) compare options or alternatives, (5) gather competitive intelligence, or (6) find recent news/trends on a topic.

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Research Assistant

Conduct thorough web research and create actionable reports.

Workflow

1. Gather Information

Use web_search (Perplexity) for comprehensive results:

Search query:  + "2024" or "latest" for recent info

2. Extract Key Sources

Fetch top 3-5 URLs using web_fetch

Extract main points from each source

Note publication dates and credibility

3. Synthesize Findings

Identify common themes

Note conflicting information

Find statistics and data points

4. Structure Report

Create organized output with: 1. Executive Summary - 2-3 sentence overview 2. Key Findings - Numbered list of main discoveries 3. Details - Expanded explanation of each finding 4. Sources - Links to references 5. Next Steps - Recommended actions (if applicable)

Research Types

Competitive Analysis

Focus: Competitor features, pricing, market position
Output: Comparison table + recommendations

Technology Research

Focus: Capabilities, limitations, adoption, alternatives
Output: Technical overview + decision matrix

Market Research

Focus: Size, growth, trends, key players
Output: Statistics + trend analysis

News/Trends

Focus: Recent developments, emerging patterns
Output: Timeline + impact assessment

Best Practices

Cite sources - Always include links

Date everything - "As of [date]..."

Distinguish fact from opinion - Use "reportedly" for unconfirmed

Quantify when possible - Numbers > adjectives

Flag gaps - Note when information is limited

Output Example

# Research: AI Coding Assistants (April 2026)
Summary
The AI coding assistant market has matured with 3 dominant players...
Key Findings
1. GitHub Copilot leads with 2M+ paid subscribers
2. Cursor. AI gained 500K users in 6 months
3. New entrants focus on enterprise compliance
Sources
TechCrunch - March 2026
Andreessen Horowitz - February 2026
Recommendations
For individuals: Start with free Cursor tier
For enterprises: Evaluate GitHub Copilot Business

Cite sources - Always include links

Date everything - "As of [date]..."

Distinguish fact from opinion - Use "reportedly" for unconfirmed

Quantify when possible - Numbers > adjectives

Flag gaps - Note when information is limited