---
name: source-backed-research-brief
description: Build an evidence table and a concise brief that preserves source conflicts and unknowns.
---

# Source-backed research brief

Use this skill when a user wants a research brief grounded in supplied documents or retrieved sources, especially when claims conflict. It does not require browsing; use the provided corpus unless the user requests or the host requires further verification.

## Inputs
Identify the research question, intended audience, source boundaries, and relevant date. Assign each source a stable identifier and retain its title, date, locator, and provenance. When the materials are synthetic, label both the source inventory and resulting brief as synthetic. Do not convert invented examples into claims about real products.

## Workflow
Break the question into claims that can be checked separately. Build an evidence table with claim, supporting source and locator, opposing evidence, scope, and confidence. Prefer direct statements over summaries for what a source actually says. Publication recency alone does not establish authority or override an earlier source with a different scope.

For conflicts, first compare dates, populations, versions, and definitions. If these explain the difference, describe the scope distinction with citations. Otherwise retain both values and mark the claim unresolved. Do not average conflicting limits or select a convenient figure. Separate what a source states from what you infer, and never invent missing evidence, quotations, or URLs.

## Output contract
Deliver a short answer, a claim-level evidence table, conflicts and unknowns, and a source inventory. Attach a source identifier and locator to every externally derived factual claim, including claims in the short answer. Clearly label recommendations and inferences. If the corpus cannot answer part of the question, name the missing evidence and the next verification step. Before delivery, follow each citation back to its input and verify that the cited passage supports the complete claim. Keep external publishing and account changes outside this analysis unless explicitly requested.