Web Researcher

Overview

The Web Researcher skill provides a structured methodology for conducting effective online research. It covers advanced search strategies, source credibility evaluation using the CRAAP test, synthesis of findings across multiple sources, and organized note-taking. Whether exploring a new market, investigating a technical topic, or gathering competitive intelligence, this skill ensures thorough and reliable results.

When to Use

Researching a market landscape or competitive environment
Finding technical documentation or tutorials on a specific topic
Gathering background information before writing or presenting
Investigating current events or recent developments
Compiling information from multiple web sources into a coherent summary

When NOT to Use

When you need a systematic academic literature review (use literature-reviewer)
When verifying a specific factual claim (use fact-checker)
When searching only within a single database or proprietary system
When real-time or live data is required (stock prices, live scores)

Quick Reference

Task	Approach
Broad topic overview	Start with Wikipedia, then follow cited sources
Find recent news	Use `site:reuters.com` or `after:2024-01-01` filter
Academic sources	Google Scholar, PubMed, SSRN
Government data	`site:.gov` or `site:.edu` operators
Exclude noise	Use `-` operator: `python tutorial -w3schools`
Exact phrase	Wrap in quotes: `"machine learning fairness"`
Evaluate credibility	Apply CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose)

Instructions

Define your research question clearly
- Write a 1-2 sentence research question before searching
- Identify key concepts and synonyms for each concept
- Example: "What are the current market leaders in B2B SaaS CRM software and their pricing models?"
Construct effective search queries using Boolean operators
- AND: narrows results — CRM software AND pricing AND B2B
- OR: broadens results — CRM OR "customer relationship management"
- NOT/minus: excludes terms — CRM pricing -Salesforce
- Quotes for exact phrases: "market share" "CRM software"
- Wildcard (*): "best * for small business"
Use site-specific and advanced search filters
- site:domain.com — search within a specific site
- filetype:pdf — find PDFs (reports, whitepapers)
- intitle:keyword — keyword must appear in page title
- after:YYYY-MM-DD / before:YYYY-MM-DD — date range filtering
- Example: CRM market share filetype:pdf after:2023-01-01
Evaluate sources using the CRAAP test
- Currency: When was it published? Is it recent enough for your topic?
- Relevance: Does it directly address your research question?
- Authority: Who wrote it? What are their credentials? Is the domain reputable (.gov, .edu, peer-reviewed)?
- Accuracy: Is it supported by evidence? Are claims cited? Can you verify facts elsewhere?
- Purpose: Why was it written? Is there bias (commercial, political, ideological)?
Diversify your sources
- Aim for at least 5–7 independent sources
- Include: primary sources (original research, official data), secondary sources (analysis, journalism), and expert commentary
- Cross-reference key claims across multiple sources

Take structured notes Use this template for each source:

Source: [Title, Author, URL, Date]
Credibility: [CRAAP score: High/Medium/Low]
Key Finding 1: [quote or paraphrase]
Key Finding 2: [quote or paraphrase]
Relevance to question: [1-2 sentences]

Synthesize findings
- Group notes by theme, not by source
- Identify areas of consensus across sources
- Note contradictions and explain possible reasons
- Highlight gaps where information is missing or unclear

Examples

Example 1: Research a Market Landscape

Input: "Research the current landscape of AI-powered writing tools — key players, pricing, and differentiators."

Output:

Research Question: Who are the leading AI writing tools, what do they cost, and how do they differentiate?

Search queries used:
- "AI writing tools" market share 2024
- site:g2.com "AI writing" comparison
- "Jasper" OR "Copy.ai" OR "Writesonic" pricing filetype:pdf

Key Findings (synthesized by theme):

MARKET LEADERS:
- Jasper AI: Enterprise focus, starts at $49/mo, strong brand voice features (Source: Jasper.ai, G2 Reviews 2024)
- Copy.ai: Freemium model, $36/mo pro, workflow automation focus (Source: Copy.ai website)
- Writesonic: $16/mo starter, SEO integration via SurferSEO (Source: Writesonic.com)

DIFFERENTIATORS:
- Jasper: Brand voice training, team collaboration
- Copy.ai: Go-to-market workflows, CRM integrations
- Writesonic: Cost efficiency, built-in SEO tools

PRICING TREND: Most tools moving to seat-based + usage-credit hybrid model (multiple sources, 2024)

GAPS: Limited independent data on enterprise contract pricing; most pricing pages hide volume discounts.

Sources rated: 6/7 High credibility (1 Medium — blog post with no cited data)

Example 2: Find Information on a Technical Topic

Input: "Find information on WebAssembly performance compared to JavaScript for compute-intensive tasks."