Research Lit

This skill checks multiple sources in priority order and degrades gracefully:

1. Auto Researcher library via MCP
2. Obsidian via MCP
3. Local PDFs
4. Web search

Compatibility note:

• If the MCP server is still registered under zotero, treat it as the same paper-library backend.
• The priority is the same either way: use the saved library before local PDFs or web search.

Workflow

Step 0a: Search Auto Researcher Library

Try mcp__auto-researcher__* tools first. If unavailable, try mcp__zotero__* as a compatibility alias.

If the library backend is available:

1. Search saved papers by topic.
2. For the most relevant items, read processed paper notes and manual notes.
3. Read reading-history entries when they add useful context.
4. Export BibTeX for directly relevant items when citation output is needed.
5. Compile results with:
   • title
   • authors
   • year
   • venue
   • tags
   • processed notes / summaries
   • user notes / reading annotations when available

The saved library is highest priority because it reflects what the user has already curated.

Step 0b: Search Obsidian Vault

If an Obsidian MCP server is configured:

1. Search vault notes related to the topic.
2. Pull relevant note summaries and wikilinks.
3. Use them as processed context in the final synthesis.

Step 0c: Scan Local Paper Library

Before external search:

1. Check papers/**/*.pdf and literature/**/*.pdf.
2. Skip papers already covered by the Auto Researcher library results.
3. Read the first few pages of relevant PDFs.
4. Summarize the most relevant local papers.

Step 1: Search the Web

• Search recent papers on the topic.
• Focus on last 2 years unless foundational work is relevant.
• Skip papers already found in the saved library, Obsidian, or local PDFs.

Step 2: Analyze Each Paper

For each relevant paper, extract:

• problem
• method
• results
• relevance to the current direction
• source: auto-researcher, obsidian, local, or web

Step 3: Synthesize

• group by approach/theme
• identify consensus and disagreements
• highlight open gaps
• incorporate the user's own notes when available

Step 4: Output

Present:

| Paper | Venue | Method | Key Result | Relevance to Us | Source |

Then provide a short landscape summary.

If citation export is available from the library backend, include a references.bib snippet for directly relevant papers.

Key Rules

• Always prefer the saved Auto Researcher library before local PDFs or web search.
• Never fail because an MCP server is missing; continue with remaining sources.
• Distinguish between curated saved-library context and newly discovered web papers.
• Include citations when possible.