Deep Research Strategy

Topic Decomposition

Every topic can be broken into meaningful branches. The goal is comprehensive coverage without redundancy.

Universal Branch Types

Branch	What It Covers	Good For
Fundamentals	Core concepts, definitions, mechanisms	Understanding "what" and "how"
Players	Key people, companies, institutions	Understanding "who"
Applications	Use cases, implementations, examples	Understanding "where" and "why"
Timeline	History, current state, projections	Understanding "when"
Economics	Market size, costs, business models	Understanding value and scale
Controversies	Debates, risks, criticisms	Understanding tensions

Domain-Specific Branches

For Technologies:

• Technical architecture
• Competing approaches
• Adoption barriers
• Integration patterns

For Companies/Organizations:

• Leadership and culture
• Competitive positioning
• Financial health
• Strategic direction

For Events/Trends:

• Causes and catalysts
• Stakeholder perspectives
• Precedents and parallels
• Implications and ripple effects

For Decisions:

• Options and tradeoffs
• Success criteria
• Risk factors
• Implementation considerations

Search Query Formulation

Good Query Patterns

[topic] fundamentals explained
[topic] how it works
[topic] key players companies
[topic] market size 2024 2025
[topic] criticism problems risks
[topic] vs [alternative] comparison
[topic] future predictions outlook
"[exact phrase]" [topic]
[topic] site:arxiv.org OR site:nature.com (for academic topics)
[topic] site:techcrunch.com OR site:wired.com (for tech topics)

Query Refinement

After initial results, refine queries by:

• Adding specificity: "quantum computing" → "quantum error correction threshold"
• Narrowing timeframe: add "2024" or "recent" or "latest"
• Targeting perspectives: add "criticism" or "benefits" or "[company name] view"
• Seeking depth: add "technical" or "detailed" or "in-depth"

Depth Calibration

Quick Overview (1-2 rounds)

• 4 branches maximum
• 2-3 sources per branch
• Surface-level facts
• Stop when: Basic understanding achieved

Moderate (3-4 rounds)

• 5-6 branches
• 4-5 sources per branch
• Cross-reference claims
• Stop when: Can explain topic confidently to someone else

Comprehensive (5+ rounds)

• 6+ branches with sub-branches
• 6+ sources per branch
• Actively seek contradicting viewpoints
• Track confidence levels rigorously
• Stop when: No new significant information emerging (diminishing returns)

Detecting Diminishing Returns

Signs to stop going deeper:

• New searches return same sources
• Findings confirm but don't extend prior knowledge
• Questions raised are increasingly niche
• User's core questions are answered

Signs to keep going:

• Significant contradictions unresolved
• Major branch unexplored
• User expresses uncertainty
• High-stakes decision depends on findings

Source Quality Heuristics

High Quality

• Primary sources (official announcements, original research)
• Authoritative institutions (universities, established media)
• Recent and updated content
• Multiple independent sources agree

Medium Quality

• Secondary sources (news articles, analysis pieces)
• Single authoritative source
• Slightly dated but likely still accurate
• Expert opinion without primary data

Low Quality

• Unattributed claims
• Outdated information in fast-moving domains
• Single non-authoritative source
• Promotional content