Blog Research (ACTION)

Execute comprehensive research for blog article topic using the Research Intelligence specialist agent.

100% ACTION: This command generates an actionable article draft, not just a research report.

Usage

/blog-research "Your article topic"

Example:

/blog-research "Implementing distributed tracing in Node.js with OpenTelemetry"

What This Command Does

Delegates to the research-intelligence subagent to conduct deep, multi-source research AND generate article draft:

• Decomposes topic into 3-5 sub-questions
• Executes 5-7 targeted web searches
• Evaluates sources for credibility and relevance
• Cross-references findings
• Generates comprehensive research report with citations
• Transforms findings into actionable article draft (NEW)

Time: 15-20 minutes Outputs:

• .specify/research/[topic]-research.md (research report)
• articles/[topic]-draft.md (article draft) ✅ ACTIONABLE

Instructions

Create a new subagent conversation with the research-intelligence agent.

Provide the following prompt:

You are conducting deep research on the following topic for a blog article:

**Topic**: $ARGUMENTS

Follow your Four-Phase Process as documented in your agent instructions:

1. **Strategic Planning** (5-10 min):
   - Decompose the topic into sub-questions
   - Plan source strategy
   - Define success criteria

2. **Autonomous Retrieval** (10-20 min):
   - Execute targeted searches
   - Evaluate and fetch sources
   - Cross-reference findings
   - Apply quality filters

3. **Synthesis** (5-10 min):
   - Generate structured research report
   - Include executive summary
   - Document key findings with citations
   - Note contradictions/debates
   - Provide actionable insights

4. **Draft Generation** (10-15 min) ✅ NEW - ACTION PHASE:
   - Transform research findings into article draft
   - Create introduction with hook from research
   - Structure 3-5 main sections based on sub-questions
   - Integrate all findings into narrative
   - Include 5-7 source citations
   - Add concrete examples from sources
   - Write key takeaways summary
   - Target 1,500-2,000 words

**Output Locations**:
- Research report: `.specify/research/[SANITIZED-TOPIC]-research.md`
- Article draft: `articles/[SANITIZED-TOPIC]-draft.md` ✅ **ACTIONABLE**

**Sanitization Rules**:
- Convert to lowercase
- Replace spaces with hyphens
- Remove special characters
- Example: "Node.js Tracing" → "nodejs-tracing"

Begin your research now.

Expected Outputs

After completion, verify that TWO files exist:

1. Research Report (.specify/research/[topic]-research.md)

Executive summary with key takeaways Findings organized by sub-questions Minimum 5-7 credible sources cited Evidence with proper attribution Contradictions or debates (if any) Actionable insights (3-5 points) References section with full citations

2. Article Draft (✅ ACTIONABLE - articles/[topic]-draft.md)

Title and meta description Introduction with hook from research (stat/quote/trend) 3-5 main sections based on sub-questions All research findings integrated into narrative 5-7 source citations in References section Concrete examples from case studies/sources Key takeaways summary at end 1,500-2,000 words Frontmatter with status: "draft"

Next Steps

After research completes:

1. Review BOTH outputs:
   • Check research report quality and coverage
   • Review article draft for accuracy and structure ✅
2. Refine draft (optional):
   • Edit articles/[topic]-draft.md manually if needed
   • Or regenerate with more specific instructions
3. Proceed to SEO: Run /blog-seo to create content brief
4. Or continue full workflow: If this was part of /blog-generate, the orchestrator will proceed automatically

When to Use This Command

Use /blog-research when you need to:

• Redo research with different focus
• Update research with newer sources
• Add depth to existing research
• Research only (without SEO/writing)

For full workflow: Use /blog-generate instead.

Tips

1. Be specific: Detailed topics yield better research
2. Check sources: Review citations for quality
3. Verify recency: Ensure sources are recent (if topic is current)
4. Note gaps: If research misses something, you can request follow-up

Error Handling

If research fails:

• Check if topic is clear and researchable
• Verify web search is available
• Try narrowing or broadening the topic
• Check .specify/research/ directory exists

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Ready to start? Provide your topic above and execute this command.