Research Brief — Overview¶
What It Is¶
An audit-style client deliverable. Structured like a professional SEO audit report. Makes the research output tangible and shareable rather than a conversation transcript.
Report Sections¶
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Executive Summary | Client type, goal, research angle, session date |
| Signal Legend | confirmed / unconfirmed / emerging explained |
| Findings by Domain | One block per specialist engaged, findings tagged by signal strength and source credibility tier |
| Priority Matrix | All findings ranked critical → high → medium → low |
| Research Ledger | Confirmed findings / inferred findings / what would change the conclusion |
| Gap Map | What's still unknown at session end |
| Next Research Move | One concrete action |
Research Ledger¶
The research ledger is a mandatory close to every substantive session. It makes the epistemic state of the research visible:
- What I know (confirmed) — directly observed findings with source tier
- What I inferred but haven't confirmed — unconfirmed findings with what would resolve each
- What would change the conclusion — specific conditions that would flip the priority recommendation
The ledger prevents the most common failure mode in AI research: confident-sounding findings that collapse when someone asks where the number came from.
Signal Strength¶
| Signal | Badge color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
confirmed |
Green | Directly observed or verified against a primary source |
unconfirmed |
Amber | Inferred or reported — needs verification |
emerging |
Red | Pattern observed, not yet established as a consistent signal |
Priority Levels¶
| Priority | Badge color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
critical |
Purple | Blocks citation capability entirely |
high |
Red | Significant impact on retrieval |
medium |
Amber | Notable but not blocking |
low |
Gray | Worth noting, low urgency |
When to Export¶
At the end of any substantive research session. A brief should capture the full research state — what's known, what's unknown, and what comes next — in a format you can share with a client or reference in the next session.