Request Analysis
├─ Simple lookup? → STOP: Use WebSearch, not this skill
├─ Debugging? → STOP: Use standard tools, not this skill
└─ Complex analysis needed? → CONTINUE

Mode Selection
├─ Initial exploration? → quick (3 phases, 2-5 min)
├─ Standard research? → standard (6 phases, 5-10 min) [DEFAULT]
├─ Critical decision? → deep (8 phases, 10-20 min)
└─ Comprehensive review? → ultradeep (8+ phases, 20-45 min)

Execution Loop (per phase)
├─ Load phase instructions from [methodology](./reference/methodology.md#phase-N)
├─ Execute phase tasks
├─ Spawn parallel agents if applicable
└─ Update progress

Validation Gate
├─ Run `python scripts/validate_report.py --report [path]`
├─ Pass? → Deliver
└─ Fail? → Fix (max 2 attempts) → Still fails? → Escalate

[Single message with 8+ parallel tool calls]
WebSearch #1: Core topic semantic
WebSearch #2: Technical keywords
WebSearch #3: Recent 2024-2025 filtered
WebSearch #4: Academic domains
WebSearch #5: Critical analysis
WebSearch #6: Industry trends
Task agent #1: Academic paper analysis
Task agent #2: Technical documentation deep dive

WebSearch #1 → wait for results → WebSearch #2 → wait → WebSearch #3...

All searches + agents launched simultaneously in one message

python scripts/verify_citations.py --report [path]

python scripts/validate_report.py --report [path]

undefined

**Phase 8.2: Progressive Section Generation**

**CRITICAL STRATEGY:** Generate and write each section individually to file using Write/Edit tools.
This allows unlimited report length while keeping each generation manageable.

**OUTPUT TOKEN LIMIT SAFEGUARD (CRITICAL - Claude Code Default: 32K):**

Claude Code default limit: 32,000 output tokens (≈24,000 words total per skill execution)
This is a HARD LIMIT and cannot be changed within the skill.

**What this means:**
- Total output (your text + all tool call content) must be <32,000 tokens
- 32,000 tokens ≈ 24,000 words max
- Leave safety margin: Target ≤20,000 words total output

**Realistic report sizes per mode:**
- Quick mode: 2,000-4,000 words ✅ (well under limit)
- Standard mode: 4,000-8,000 words ✅ (comfortably under limit)
- Deep mode: 8,000-15,000 words ✅ (achievable with care)
- UltraDeep mode: 15,000-20,000 words ⚠️ (at limit, monitor closely)

**For reports >20,000 words:**
User must run skill multiple times:
- Run 1: "Generate Part 1 (sections 1-6)" → saves to part1.md
- Run 2: "Generate Part 2 (sections 7-12)" → saves to part2.md
- User manually combines or asks Claude to merge files

**Auto-Continuation Strategy (TRUE Unlimited Length):**

When report exceeds 18,000 words in single run:
1. Generate sections 1-10 (stay under 18K words)
2. Save continuation state file with context preservation
3. Spawn continuation agent via Task tool
4. Continuation agent: Reads state → Generates next batch → Spawns next agent if needed
5. Chain continues recursively until complete

This achieves UNLIMITED length while respecting 32K limit per agent

**Initialize Citation Tracking:**

**Section Generation Loop:**

**Pattern:** Generate section content → Use Write/Edit tool with that content → Move to next section
Each Write/Edit call contains ONE section (≤2,000 words per call)

1. **Executive Summary** (200-400 words)
   - Generate section content
   - Tool: Write(file, content=frontmatter + Executive Summary)
   - Track citations used
   - Progress: "✓ Executive Summary"

2. **Introduction** (400-800 words)
   - Generate section content
   - Tool: Edit(file, old=last_line, new=old + Introduction section)
   - Track citations used
   - Progress: "✓ Introduction"

3. **Finding 1** (600-2,000 words)
   - Generate complete finding
   - Tool: Edit(file, append Finding 1)
   - Track citations used
   - Progress: "✓ Finding 1"

4. **Finding 2** (600-2,000 words)
   - Generate complete finding
   - Tool: Edit(file, append Finding 2)
   - Track citations used
   - Progress: "✓ Finding 2"

... Continue for ALL findings (each finding = one Edit tool call, ≤2,000 words)

**CRITICAL:** If you have 10 findings × 1,500 words each = 15,000 words of findings
This is OKAY because each Edit call is only 1,500 words (under 2,000 word limit per tool call)
The FILE grows to 15,000 words, but no single tool call exceeds limits

4. **Synthesis & Insights**
   - Generate: Novel insights beyond source statements (as long as needed for synthesis)
   - Tool: Edit (append to file)
   - Track: Extract citations, append to citations_used
   - Progress: "Generated Synthesis ✓"

5. **Limitations & Caveats**
   - Generate: Counterevidence, gaps, uncertainties (appropriate depth)
   - Tool: Edit (append to file)
   - Track: Extract citations, append to citations_used
   - Progress: "Generated Limitations ✓"

6. **Recommendations**
   - Generate: Immediate actions, next steps, research needs (appropriate depth)
   - Tool: Edit (append to file)
   - Track: Extract citations, append to citations_used
   - Progress: "Generated Recommendations ✓"

7. **Bibliography (CRITICAL - ALL Citations)**
   - Generate: COMPLETE bibliography with EVERY citation from citations_used list
   - Format: [1], [2], [3]... [N] - each citation gets full entry
   - Verification: Check citations_used list - if list contains [1] through [73], generate all 73 entries
   - NO ranges ([1-50]), NO placeholders ("Additional citations"), NO truncation
   - Tool: Edit (append to file)
   - Progress: "Generated Bibliography ✓ (N citations)"

8. **Methodology Appendix**
   - Generate: Research process, verification approach (appropriate depth)
   - Tool: Edit (append to file)
   - Progress: "Generated Methodology ✓"

**Phase 8.3: Auto-Continuation Decision Point**

After generating sections, check word count:

**If total output ≤18,000 words:** Complete normally
- Generate Bibliography (all citations)
- Generate Methodology
- Verify complete report
- Save copy to /code/research_output/
- Done! ✓

**If total output will exceed 18,000 words:** Auto-Continuation Protocol

**Step 1: Save Continuation State**
Create file: `/code/research_output/continuation_state_[report_id].json`

```json
{
  "version": "2.1.1",
  "report_id": "[unique_id]",
  "file_path": "[absolute_path_to_report.md]",
  "mode": "[quick|standard|deep|ultradeep]",

  "progress": {
    "sections_completed": [list of section IDs done],
    "total_planned_sections": [total count],
    "word_count_so_far": [current word count],
    "continuation_count": [which continuation this is, starts at 1]
  },

  "citations": {
    "used": [1, 2, 3, ..., N],
    "next_number": [N+1],
    "bibliography_entries": [
      "[1] Full citation entry",
      "[2] Full citation entry",
      ...
    ]
  },

  "research_context": {
    "research_question": "[original question]",
    "key_themes": ["theme1", "theme2", "theme3"],
    "main_findings_summary": [
      "Finding 1: [100-word summary]",
      "Finding 2: [100-word summary]",
      ...
    ],
    "narrative_arc": "[Current position in story: beginning/middle/conclusion]"
  },

  "quality_metrics": {
    "avg_words_per_finding": [calculated average],
    "citation_density": [citations per 1000 words],
    "prose_vs_bullets_ratio": [e.g., "85% prose"],
    "writing_style": "technical-precise-data-driven"
  },

  "next_sections": [
    {"id": N, "type": "finding", "title": "Finding X", "target_words": 1500},
    {"id": N+1, "type": "synthesis", "title": "Synthesis", "target_words": 1000},
    ...
  ]
}

Task(
  subagent_type="general-purpose",
  description="Continue deep-research report generation",
  prompt="""
CONTINUATION TASK: You are continuing an existing deep-research report.

CRITICAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Read continuation state file: /code/research_output/continuation_state_[report_id].json
2. Read existing report to understand context: [file_path from state]
3. Read LAST 3 completed sections to understand flow and style
4. Load research context: themes, narrative arc, writing style from state
5. Continue citation numbering from state.citations.next_number
6. Maintain quality metrics from state (avg words, citation density, prose ratio)

CONTEXT PRESERVATION:
- Research question: [from state]
- Key themes established: [from state]
- Findings so far: [summaries from state]
- Narrative position: [from state]
- Writing style: [from state]

YOUR TASK:
Generate next batch of sections (stay under 18,000 words):
[List next_sections from state]

Use Write/Edit tools to append to existing file: [file_path]

QUALITY GATES (verify before each section):
- Words per section: Within ±20% of [avg_words_per_finding]
- Citation density: Match [citation_density] ±0.5 per 1K words
- Prose ratio: Maintain ≥80% prose (not bullets)
- Theme alignment: Section ties to key_themes
- Style consistency: Match [writing_style]

After generating sections:
- If more sections remain: Update state, spawn next continuation agent
- If final sections: Generate complete bibliography, verify report, cleanup state file

HANDOFF PROTOCOL (if spawning next agent):
1. Update continuation_state.json with new progress
2. Add new citations to state
3. Add summaries of new findings to state
4. Update quality metrics
5. Spawn next agent with same instructions
"""
)

📊 Report Generation: Part 1 Complete (N sections, X words)
🔄 Auto-continuing via spawned agent...
   Next batch: [section list]
   Progress: [X%] complete

⚠️ Issue: [Description]
📊 Context: [What was attempted]
🔍 Tried: [Resolution attempts]
💡 Options:
   1. [Option 1]
   2. [Option 2]
   3. [Option 3]