--- title: "Research Information Lookup" description: "This skill provides real-time research information lookup with **intelligent backend routing**:" type: skill canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/skill-322 source: "Claudary" difficulty: intermediate author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack" date: 2026-07-10T11:44:32.822Z license: CC-BY-4.0 attribution: "Research Information Lookup — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/skill-322)" --- # Research Information Lookup This skill provides real-time research information lookup with **intelligent backend routing**: ## Overview --- name: research-lookup description: Look up current research information using parallel-cli search (primary, fast web search), the Parallel Chat API (deep research), or Perplexity sonar-pro-search (academic paper searches). Automatically routes queries to the best backend. Use for finding papers, gathering research data, and verifying scientific information. allowed-tools: Read Write Edit Bash license: MIT license compatibility: parallel-cli required (primary); PARALLEL_API_KEY and OPENROUTER_API_KEY optional for deep/academic backends metadata: skill-author: K-Dense Inc. --- # Research Information Lookup ## Overview This skill provides real-time research information lookup with **intelligent backend routing**: - **parallel-cli search** (parallel-web skill): **Primary and default backend** for all research queries. Fast, cost-effective web search with academic source prioritization. Uses `parallel-cli search` with `--include-domains` for scholarly sources. - **Parallel Chat API** (`core` model): Secondary backend for complex, multi-source deep research requiring extended synthesis (60s-5min latency). Use only when explicitly needed. - **Perplexity sonar-pro-search** (via OpenRouter): Used only for academic-specific paper searches where scholarly database access is critical. The skill automatically detects query type and routes to the optimal backend. ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need: - **Current Research Information**: Latest studies, papers, and findings - **Literature Verification**: Check facts, statistics, or claims against current research - **Background Research**: Gather context and supporting evidence for scientific writing - **Citation Sources**: Find relevant papers and studies to cite - **Technical Documentation**: Look up specifications, protocols, or methodologies - **Market/Industry Data**: Current statistics, trends, competitive intelligence - **Recent Developments**: Emerging trends, breakthroughs, announcements ## Visual Enhancement with Scientific Schematics **When creating documents with this skill, always consider adding scientific diagrams and schematics to enhance visual communication.** If your document does not already contain schematics or diagrams: - Use the **scientific-schematics** skill to generate AI-powered publication-quality diagrams - Simply describe your desired diagram in natural language ```bash python scripts/generate_schematic.py "your diagram description" -o figures/output.png ``` --- ## Automatic Backend Selection The skill automatically routes queries to the best backend based on content: ### Routing Logic ``` Query arrives | +-- Contains academic keywords? (papers, DOI, journal, peer-reviewed, etc.) | YES --> Perplexity sonar-pro-search (academic search mode) | +-- Needs deep multi-source synthesis? (user says "deep research", "exhaustive") | YES --> Parallel Chat API (core model, 60s-5min) | +-- Everything else (general research, market data, technical info, analysis) --> parallel-cli search (fast, default) ``` ### Default: parallel-cli search (parallel-web skill) **Primary backend for all standard research queries.** Fast, cost-effective, and supports academic source prioritization. For scientific/technical queries, run two searches to ensure academic coverage: ```bash # 1. Academic-focused search parallel-cli search "your research query" -q "keyword1" -q "keyword2" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ --include-domains "scholar.google.com,arxiv.org,pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,semanticscholar.org,biorxiv.org,medrxiv.org,ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,nature.com,science.org,ieee.org,acm.org,springer.com,wiley.com,cell.com,pnas.org,nih.gov" \\ -o sources/research_-academic.json # 2. General search (catches non-academic sources) parallel-cli search "your research query" -q "keyword1" -q "keyword2" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ -o sources/research_-general.json ``` Options: - `--after-date YYYY-MM-DD` for time-sensitive queries - `--include-domains domain1.com,domain2.com` to limit to specific sources Merge results, leading with academic sources. For non-scientific queries, a single general search is sufficient. All other queries route here by default, including: - General research questions - Market and industry analysis - Technical information and documentation - Current events and recent developments - Comparative analysis - Statistical data retrieval - Fact-checking and verification ### Academic Keywords (Routes to Perplexity) Queries containing these terms are routed to Perplexity for academic-focused search: - Paper finding: `find papers`, `find articles`, `research papers on`, `published studies` - Citations: `cite`, `citation`, `doi`, `pubmed`, `pmid` - Academic sources: `peer-reviewed`, `journal article`, `scholarly`, `arxiv`, `preprint` - Review types: `systematic review`, `meta-analysis`, `literature search` - Paper quality: `foundational papers`, `seminal papers`, `landmark papers`, `highly cited` ### Deep Research (Routes to Parallel Chat API) Only used when the user explicitly requests deep, exhaustive, or comprehensive research. Much slower and more expensive than parallel-cli search. ### Manual Override You can force a specific backend: ```bash # Force parallel-cli search (fast web search) parallel-cli search "your query" -q "keyword" --json --max-results 10 -o sources/research_.json # Force Parallel Deep Research (slow, exhaustive) python research_lookup.py "your query" --force-backend parallel # Force Perplexity academic search python research_lookup.py "your query" --force-backend perplexity ``` --- ## Core Capabilities ### 1. General Research Queries (parallel-cli search — DEFAULT) **Primary backend.** Fast, cost-effective web search with academic source prioritization via the parallel-web skill. ``` Query Examples: - "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2025" - "Compare mRNA vaccines vs traditional vaccines for cancer treatment" - "AI adoption in healthcare industry statistics" - "Global renewable energy market trends and projections" - "Explain the mechanism underlying gut microbiome and depression" ``` ```bash # Example: research on CRISPR advances parallel-cli search "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2025" \\ -q "CRISPR" -q "gene editing" -q "2025" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ --include-domains "scholar.google.com,arxiv.org,pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,nature.com,science.org,cell.com,pnas.org,nih.gov" \\ -o sources/research_crispr_advances-academic.json parallel-cli search "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2025" \\ -q "CRISPR" -q "gene editing" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ -o sources/research_crispr_advances-general.json ``` **Response includes:** - Synthesized findings with inline citations from search results - Academic sources prioritized (peer-reviewed, preprints) - Specific facts, numbers, and dates - Sources section listing all referenced URLs grouped by type ### 2. Academic Paper Search (Perplexity sonar-pro-search) **Used for academic-specific queries.** Prioritizes scholarly databases and peer-reviewed sources. Use when queries specifically ask for papers, citations, or DOIs. ``` Query Examples: - "Find papers on transformer attention mechanisms in NeurIPS 2024" - "Foundational papers on quantum error correction" - "Systematic review of immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer" - "Cite the original BERT paper and its most influential follow-ups" - "Published studies on CRISPR off-target effects in clinical trials" ``` **Response includes:** - Summary of key findings from academic literature - 5-8 high-quality citations with authors, titles, journals, years, DOIs - Citation counts and venue tier indicators - Key statistics and methodology highlights - Research gaps and future directions ### 3. Deep Research (Parallel Chat API — on request only) **Used only when user explicitly requests deep/exhaustive research.** Provides comprehensive, multi-source synthesis via the Chat API (`core` model). 60s-5min latency. ``` Query Examples: - "Deep research on the current state of quantum computing error correction" - "Exhaustive analysis of mRNA vaccine platforms for cancer immunotherapy" ``` ### 4. Technical and Methodological Information Use parallel-cli search (default) for quick lookups: ```bash parallel-cli search "Western blot protocol for protein detection" \\ -q "western blot" -q "protocol" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ -o sources/research_western_blot.json ``` ### 5. Statistical and Market Data Use parallel-cli search (default) for current data: ```bash parallel-cli search "Global AI market size and growth projections 2025" \\ -q "AI market" -q "statistics" -q "growth" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ --after-date 2024-01-01 \\ -o sources/research_ai_market.json ``` --- ## Paper Quality and Popularity Prioritization **CRITICAL**: When searching for papers, ALWAYS prioritize high-quality, influential papers. ### Citation-Based Ranking | Paper Age | Citation Threshold | Classification | |-----------|-------------------|----------------| | 0-3 years | 20+ citations | Noteworthy | | 0-3 years | 100+ citations | Highly Influential | | 3-7 years | 100+ citations | Significant | | 3-7 years | 500+ citations | Landmark Paper | | 7+ years | 500+ citations | Seminal Work | | 7+ years | 1000+ citations | Foundational | ### Venue Quality Tiers **Tier 1 - Premier Venues** (Always prefer): - **General Science**: Nature, Science, Cell, PNAS - **Medicine**: NEJM, Lancet, JAMA, BMJ - **Field-Specific**: Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Methods - **Top CS/AI**: NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, CVPR **Tier 2 - High-Impact Specialized** (Strong preference): - Journals with Impact Factor > 10 - Top conferences in subfields (EMNLP, NAACL, ECCV, MICCAI) **Tier 3 - Respected Specialized** (Include when relevant): - Journals with Impact Factor 5-10 --- ## Technical Integration ### Prerequisites ```bash # Primary backend (parallel-cli) - REQUIRED # Install parallel-cli if not already available: curl -fsSL https://parallel.ai/install.sh | bash # Or: uv tool install "parallel-web-tools[cli]" # Authenticate: parallel-cli auth # Or: export PARALLEL_API_KEY="your_parallel_api_key" ``` ### Environment Variables ```bash # Primary backend (parallel-cli search) - REQUIRED export PARALLEL_API_KEY="your_parallel_api_key" # Deep research backend (Parallel Chat API) - optional, for deep research only # Uses the same PARALLEL_API_KEY # Academic search backend (Perplexity) - optional, for academic paper queries export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your_openrouter_api_key" ``` ### API Specifications **parallel-cli search (PRIMARY):** - Command: `parallel-cli search` with `--json` output - Latency: 2-10 seconds (fast) - Output: JSON with title, URL, publish_date, excerpts - Academic domains: Use `--include-domains` for scholarly sources - Saves results: `-o filename.json` for follow-up and reproducibility **Parallel Chat API (deep research only):** - Endpoint: `https://api.parallel.ai` (OpenAI SDK compatible) - Model: `core` (60s-5min latency, complex multi-source synthesis) - Output: Markdown text with inline citations - Citations: Research basis with URLs, reasoning, and confidence levels - Rate limits: 300 req/min - Python package: `openai` **Perplexity sonar-pro-search (academic only):** - Model: `perplexity/sonar-pro-search` (via OpenRouter) - Search mode: Academic (prioritizes peer-reviewed sources) - Search context: High (comprehensive research) - Response time: 5-15 seconds ### Command-Line Usage ```bash # Fast web search via parallel-cli (DEFAULT — recommended) — ALWAYS save to sources/ parallel-cli search "your query" -q "keyword1" -q "keyword2" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ -o sources/research_.json # Academic-focused search via parallel-cli — ALWAYS save to sources/ parallel-cli search "your query" -q "keyword1" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ --include-domains "scholar.google.com,arxiv.org,pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,semanticscholar.org,biorxiv.org,medrxiv.org,nature.com,science.org,cell.com,pnas.org,nih.gov" \\ -o sources/research_-academic.json # Time-sensitive search via parallel-cli parallel-cli search "your query" -q "keyword" \\ --json --max-results 10 --after-date 2024-01-01 \\ -o sources/research_.json # Extract full content from a specific URL (use parallel-web extract) parallel-cli extract "https://example.com/paper" --json # Force Parallel Deep Research (slow, exhaustive) — via research_lookup.py python research_lookup.py "your query" --force-backend parallel -o sources/research_.md # Force Perplexity academic search — via research_lookup.py python research_lookup.py "your query" --force-backend perplexity -o sources/papers_.md # Auto-routed via research_lookup.py (legacy) — ALWAYS save to sources/ python research_lookup.py "your query" -o sources/research_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_.md # Batch queries via research_lookup.py — ALWAYS save to sources/ python research_lookup.py --batch "query 1" "query 2" "query 3" -o sources/batch_research_.md ``` --- ## MANDATORY: Save All Results to Sources Folder **Every research-lookup result MUST be saved to the project's `sources/` folder.** This is non-negotiable. Research results are expensive to obtain and critical for reproducibility. ### Saving Rules | Backend | `-o` Flag Target | Filename Pattern | |---------|-----------------|------------------| | parallel-cli search (default) | `sources/research_.json` | `research_.json` or `research_-academic.json` | | Parallel Deep Research | `sources/research_.md` | `research_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_.md` | | Perplexity (academic) | `sources/papers_.md` | `papers_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_.md` | | Batch queries | `sources/batch_.md` | `batch_research_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_.md` | ### How to Save **CRITICAL: Every search MUST save results to the `sources/` folder using the `-o` flag.** **CRITICAL: Saved files MUST preserve all citations, source URLs, and DOIs.** ```bash # parallel-cli search (DEFAULT) — save JSON to sources/ parallel-cli search "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2025" \\ -q "CRISPR" -q "gene editing" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ --include-domains "scholar.google.com,arxiv.org,pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,nature.com,science.org,cell.com,pnas.org,nih.gov" \\ -o sources/research_crispr_advances-academic.json parallel-cli search "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2025" \\ -q "CRISPR" -q "gene editing" \\ --json --max-results 10 --excerpt-max-chars-total 27000 \\ - --- Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/skill-322) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com