dotfiles/pi/.pi/agent/chains/research-brief.chain.md

name, description

name	description
research-brief	Parallel web research (ollama-researcher) + local code context (scout) + synthesis. Use /run-chain research-brief "<question>" to get a single tight research brief backed by web evidence and local code.

Research brief (Ollama Cloud)

A three-stage chain for "I need a well-sourced answer that combines what the web says and what our code does." Two parallel context builders, then a synthesis.

Stages

1. Parallel (async, fresh context)
   • ollama-researcher — task: "Research the external side: <question>.", output: research/web.md
   • scout (built-in) — task: "Map the local side: <question>. Identify the relevant files in this repo and how they would interact with the topic.", output: research/local.md
   • Concurrency 2.
2. synthesis — ollama-researcher (or the parent) reads both files and writes research/brief.md with: direct answer, evidence from web, evidence from local code, contradictions, recommendation, and confidence level.

When to use

• "Should we adopt library X?" — combine ecosystem evidence with our code patterns.
• "How does feature Y work in our app, and how does it compare to industry standard?"
• "What's the current best practice for Z, and where does our code diverge?"

When NOT to use

• Pure web research (no local code angle) → just run ollama-researcher directly.
• Pure local question → just run scout.
• Implementation → use feature-build instead.

Inputs

The chain task should include: the question, the repo path (for scout), and any constraints (time budget, must use free-tier models, etc.).

Stop rules

• If the web research surfaces a fact the local code contradicts, surface it in the brief and stop before recommending.
• If the question is underspecified, parent asks the user to scope it before launching.

Output

research/brief.md — direct answer first, then evidence, then recommendation, then confidence.