Deep Research (Firecrawl)

Purpose

Deliver verifiable research reports with explicit citations, clear fact-vs-analysis boundaries, and user-selectable depth.

Tooling requirements

• Use Firecrawl MCP for web retrieval:
  • firecrawl:firecrawl_search for discovery
  • firecrawl:firecrawl_scrape for page extraction
  • firecrawl:firecrawl_map for URL discovery on known domains
  • firecrawl:firecrawl_crawl for controlled multi-page capture
  • firecrawl:firecrawl_agent for autonomous broad collection when scope is unclear
• Prefer parallel retrieval whenever tasks are independent.
• Hard-stop policy: if Firecrawl MCP is unavailable, pause and ask the user to re-enable it. Do not switch to other web retrieval tools.

When to use

Use this skill when the request needs multiple sources, synthesis, and evidence quality controls.

Do not use this skill for:

• Simple one-off lookups
• Debugging or code-only tasks
• Questions answerable with 1-2 sources

Mode selection

If the user does not specify a mode, default to standard.

Execution workflow

1) Scope

• Restate the research question.
• Capture explicit constraints (time window, geography, sector, audience).
• Define assumptions only when missing.

2) Retrieval plan

• Break the topic into 5-10 search angles.
• Include opposing viewpoints and recent developments.
• Mark which angles need domain deep-dives.

3) Retrieve with Firecrawl

• Run parallel firecrawl:firecrawl_search queries for all angles.
• Scrape top results with firecrawl:firecrawl_scrape for primary evidence.
• For known high-value sites:
  • discover URLs via firecrawl:firecrawl_map
  • crawl key paths with bounded firecrawl:firecrawl_crawl limits
• Use firecrawl:firecrawl_agent when the topic is open-ended or highly fragmented.

4) Triangulate

• Verify important claims across at least 3 independent sources.
• Prefer primary sources over commentary when possible.
• Flag conflicts and unresolved uncertainty.

5) Synthesize

• Separate facts from interpretation.
• Explain what is known, what is likely, and what is uncertain.
• Include alternative explanations for contested topics.

6) Critique and refine (required for deep/ultradeep)

• Stress-test weak claims.
• Check for recency bias and survivorship bias.
• Add missing counterevidence.

7) Package output

Use templates/report_template.md and include:

• Executive Summary
• Method and Scope
• Key Findings
• Counterevidence and Risks
• Recommendations
• Bibliography

Citation and quality rules

• Every major factual claim must include a citation marker like [1].
• Bibliography entries must map one-to-one with cited markers.
• If evidence is weak or contradictory, say so explicitly.
• Never invent citations.

Stop conditions

Pause and report limitations when:

• Required Firecrawl MCP tools are unavailable (hard-stop policy).
• Source count stays below minimum for the selected mode after broad retrieval attempts.
• Core claims cannot be verified from reliable sources.

Progressive disclosure

Load only what is needed:

• Method details: reference/methodology.md
• Output template: templates/report_template.md

Quick invocation examples

• "Use deep-research-firecrawl in quick mode on edge AI chip trends in 2025."
• "Run deep-research-firecrawl in deep mode comparing Auth0, Clerk, and Supabase Auth."
• "Use deep-research-firecrawl in ultradeep mode for US longevity biotech funding and risks."