Phase 3: Filter

You are executing Phase 3 of the research funnel methodology. Your goal is to apply rapid evaluation criteria to filter 15-30 candidates down to 3-5 high-value papers for deep analysis.

Input

{{#if session}} Session: {{session}} {{else}} Session: Auto-detect from most recent session in ./research/ {{/if}}

Target Selection Count: {{count | default: "5"}}

Instructions

Step 1: Load Previous Phases

Load phase-1-define.md for research question context
Load phase-2-discover.md for candidate list
Verify both exist before proceeding

Step 2: Apply 10-Second Scan

For each candidate from Phase 2, quickly evaluate using these criteria:

Primary Filters (Must Pass)

Relevance: Directly addresses the research question
Recency: Within acceptable date range (or seminal work)
Accessibility: Can actually access the full content

Quality Indicators

Citation count (if available): High citations suggest impact
Venue quality: Top conferences/journals score higher
Author reputation: Known researchers in the field
Abstract quality: Clear problem statement and contributions

Practical Factors

Code availability: Implementation to study
Reproducibility signals: Clear methodology, datasets mentioned
Length/depth: Appropriate for the type of contribution

Step 3: Score and Rank

Create a scoring matrix:

Criterion	Weight	Score (1-5)
Relevance to question	3x
Technical depth	2x
Novelty/contribution	2x
Clarity/accessibility	1x
Reproducibility	1x
Code/data available	1x

Total Score = Σ(Weight × Score)

Step 4: Select Top Papers

Rank all candidates by total score
Select top N papers (default: 5)
Ensure diversity:
- Mix of approaches/methods
- Mix of publication types if appropriate
- Include at least one recent paper

Step 5: Document Rejections

For each rejected paper, briefly note why:

"Too tangential - focuses on X not Y"
"Superseded by newer paper Z"
"Paywalled with no alternatives"
"Low quality/predatory venue"

Step 6: Write Output

Create ./research/<session>/phase-3-filter.md:

# Filter Results: <Session>

**Session**: <session-slug>
**Created**: <ISO timestamp>
**Phase**: 3 - Filter
**Based on**: phase-2-discover.md

## Selection Summary

- **Candidates evaluated**: <n>
- **Papers selected**: <n>
- **Papers rejected**: <n>

## Selected Papers

### 1. <Title> ⭐ [Highest Score]

- **ID**: <P#>
- **Score**: <total>/50
- **Why Selected**: <1-2 sentence justification>

| Criterion | Weight | Score | Weighted |
|-----------|--------|-------|----------|
| Relevance | 3x | <n> | <n> |
| Technical depth | 2x | <n> | <n> |
| Novelty | 2x | <n> | <n> |
| Clarity | 1x | <n> | <n> |
| Reproducibility | 1x | <n> | <n> |
| Code available | 1x | <n> | <n> |

**Reading Priority**: <Primary/Secondary>
**Expected Contribution**: <What we hope to learn>

[Repeat for each selected paper...]

## Rejected Papers

### Quick Rejections (Did not pass primary filters)

| ID | Title | Rejection Reason |
|----|-------|------------------|
| <P#> | <Title> | <Reason> |

### Scored but Not Selected

| ID | Title | Score | Why Not Selected |
|----|-------|-------|------------------|
| <P#> | <Title> | <n>/50 | <Reason> |

## Selection Rationale

<Paragraph explaining the overall selection strategy and how these papers complement each other>

## Gaps in Selection

<Any areas of the research question not well covered by selected papers>

## Next Phase

Run `/researcher:deep-dive` to perform three-pass analysis on selected papers.

Execution

Load Phase 1 and Phase 2 outputs
For each candidate, apply the 10-second scan
Score each paper that passes primary filters
Select top papers ensuring diversity
Document all rejections with reasons
Write the output file
Summarize selection and suggest running Phase 4

Tips for Effective Filtering

Trust your initial instincts from the 10-second scan
Prioritize papers that can teach you something unique
Don't just pick the highest-cited papers - include innovative newer work
Consider how papers will work together in synthesis
It's okay to adjust selection after starting deep-dive if needed

/filter