research-and-summarize

Overview

Information overload is the default state. This skill transforms any research task into a structured summary: headline insight first, context second, detail third, action last. Designed for decision-makers who need clarity, not comprehensiveness.

When to Use

• Summarizing technical documentation or papers
• Researching a technology choice
• Briefing a team on a topic
• Distilling a long document for a specific decision

Process

Step 1: Define the Research Question

1. State the specific question being answered: "Should we use Kafka or RabbitMQ for our event pipeline?"
2. State who the answer is for and what decision it enables.
3. This scopes the research — don't gather information beyond what the decision needs.

Verify: Research question is specific enough to have a clear answer.

Step 2: Gather and Evaluate Sources

4. Identify 3–5 high-quality, authoritative sources.
5. For each source, note: recency, authority, potential bias.
6. Cross-reference key claims across sources.
7. Flag conflicting information — don't silently pick one side.

Verify: Key claims are supported by at least 2 independent sources.

Step 3: Write the Layered Summary

8. Headline (1 sentence): The single most important insight.
9. Key findings (3–5 bullets): Supporting evidence for the headline.
10. Context and nuance (1–2 paragraphs): Caveats, tradeoffs, conditions under which the headline doesn't hold.
11. What we don't know: Gaps in the available information.
12. Recommended action: Given the findings, what should the reader do next?

Deliver: A structured summary with all 5 sections.

Step 4: Cite Sources

13. Every factual claim is linked to a source.
14. Include the date of each source (recency matters in fast-moving fields).

Verify: Every claim has a citation.

Common Rationalizations (and Rebuttals)

Excuse	Rebuttal
"The topic is too complex to summarize"	The goal is to enable a decision, not to be comprehensive. Scope to the decision.
"I'll just share the links"	Links are not summaries. Distillation is the value.

Verification

• Research question defined before research begins
• Key claims cross-referenced across 2+ sources
• Summary has: headline, findings, context, unknowns, action
• Every factual claim has a citation with date

References

• think-before-coding skill
• idea-to-spec skill