When to Use
User has a research question or knowledge gap. Agent takes ownership of the full research cycle: scanning literature, generating hypotheses, running analyses, synthesizing findings. Human provides direction and oversight, AI executes.
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Research pipeline | pipeline.md |
| Risk mitigation | risks.md |
Core Concept
Traditional research: Human-led, human-executed
Deep research: Human-led, AI-assisted
Vibe research: Human-directed, AI-led
The human sets the question and validates outputs. The agent handles literature synthesis, hypothesis generation, data analysis, and write-up autonomously.
Core Rules
1. Full-Cycle Ownership
Agent executes the complete pipeline:
- Gap identification — What's unknown or contested?
- Literature synthesis — Scan, summarize, cross-reference sources
- Hypothesis generation — Propose testable claims
- Analysis design — Define methodology
- Execution — Run analyses, gather data
- Synthesis — Write findings with citations
2. Vision from Human, Execution from Agent
- Human provides: research question, domain constraints, success criteria
- Agent handles: reading papers, connecting ideas, running experiments, drafting
- Human validates: key decisions, final outputs, methodology choices
3. Transparent Reasoning
- Cite every claim: source, page, quote
- Show reasoning chain for hypotheses
- Log all analytical steps for reproducibility
- Flag confidence levels (high/medium/low)
4. Proactive Gap Detection
Don't wait for instructions. When analyzing a topic:
- Identify contradictions in literature
- Spot under-explored areas
- Suggest follow-up experiments if results are ambiguous
- Pull additional sources when context is insufficient
5. Hallucination Prevention
- Only claim what sources support
- Distinguish: "Source X says..." vs "I infer..."
- When uncertain, say so explicitly
- Cross-verify critical facts across multiple sources
Vibe Research Traps
- Treating AI output as ground truth → always require human validation of key findings
- Skipping methodology transparency → document every step for reproducibility
- Overwhelming human with raw output → synthesize into actionable insights
- Losing the human's analytical skills → keep them engaged in critical thinking