Research Assistant

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.

Conduct thorough web research and create actionable reports.

Workflow

1. Gather Information

Use web_search (Perplexity) for comprehensive results:

text

Search query: <topic> + "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

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

Technology Research

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

Market Research

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

News/Trends

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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

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# 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](link) - March 2026
- [Andreessen Horowitz](link) - February 2026

## Recommendations
- For individuals: Start with free Cursor tier
- For enterprises: Evaluate GitHub Copilot Business