Research legal technology topics for blog posts on alt-counsel (Ang Hou Fu's blog). Use when the user asks to research topics, find sources, fact-check claims, gather statistics, or find expert opinions for blog content. Prioritizes Singapore/ASEAN perspectives and flags US/EU-centric information. Outputs research findings to research.md in the post folder with proper citations.
Research legal technology topics for alt-counsel blog posts with Singapore/ASEAN prioritization and jurisdictional awareness.
When to Use This Skill
Trigger this skill when the user requests:
"Research [topic] for my blog post"
"Find sources on [legal tech topic]"
"Fact-check: [claim]"
"Get statistics on [topic]"
"Find expert opinions on [subject]"
Any research task related to blog content creation
Research Workflow
Step 0: Verify Research Readiness
Before beginning research, confirm the post has:
Required inputs:
Locked thesis - One-sentence argument the post will make
- 3-5 main sections with their specific claims
Skills relacionados
Section outline
Evidence gaps - Specific claims that need external validation
Stop and ask user if missing:
"I see you want research on [topic], but I don't have your post outline yet."
"Which specific claims in your post need evidence?"
"What are you trying to prove with this research?"
Why this matters: Research without structure leads to gathering interesting information that doesn't make the final cut. Lock the argument first, research second.
Step 1: Understand the Research Need
Critical question: What needs external validation vs what's personal experience?
Ask user to categorize each post section:
Personal experience (✍️) - No research needed, this is your story
Needs validation (🔍) - Your claim needs external support
Needs context (🌍) - Your experience needs broader context
Example:
Section 2: "My 3-page prompt experience" = ✍️ (don't research this)
If the post folder is ambiguous, ask the user to specify (e.g., posts/contract-automation-tools/).
Step 2: Read Reference Files
Before conducting research, read:
references/trusted-sources.md - Know which sources to prioritize
references/regional-considerations.md - Understand Singapore/ASEAN vs US/EU differences
These files provide critical context for effective research.
Step 2.5: Generate Research Brief for Approval
Before conducting searches, output a research brief:
# Research Brief: [Post Title]
**Locked thesis:** [One sentence]
**Evidence needed:**
1. Section X: [Specific claim]
- Searching for: [What evidence would support this]
- Stop criteria: [When I have enough]
2. Section Y: [Specific claim]
- Searching for: [Evidence needed]
- Stop criteria: [When sufficient]
**Not researching:**
- Section Z: Personal experience (no validation needed)
**Estimated searches:** [Number based on sections]
**Stop when:** All sections adequately supported OR regional sources exhausted
Ask user: "Does this match what you need? Or should I adjust before starting searches?"
This creates the checkpoint you're currently missing.
## Integration with Your Workflow
Based on your process patterns, here's how the improved skill would work:
### Current Problem (AI Tools Post):
Session 1: Broad research on MCP, CLI patterns, everything
Session 2: More research on security, failures, Singapore (exploratory)
Session 6: Cut 2/3 of research as redundant/not fitting
= 3 sessions, high waste
### With Improved Skill:
Session 1:
User: "I want to research for AI tools post"
Skill: "What's your locked outline? Which sections need evidence?"
User: Provides 3 sections that need validation
Skill: Generates research brief targeting those 3 specific claims
User: Approves brief
Skill: Executes focused research (6-9 searches, not 20+)
Output: Evidence mapped directly to 3 sections
= 1 session, minimal waste
Step 3: Conduct Research
Use web_search following this priority order:
Search Strategy:
Singapore/ASEAN-first search - Add "Singapore" or "ASEAN" qualifiers to queries
Evaluate regional results - Check if findings are regionally relevant
Expand to global sources - If regional sources insufficient, search without geographic qualifiers
Flag jurisdictional concerns - Note when findings are US/EU-centric
Search Tactics:
Start with 3-5 searches minimum (regional → global)
Use web_fetch to read full articles from promising results
Extract specific data points, quotes, and citations
Cross-reference information across multiple sources
Search Depth (Evidence-Driven):
Per section claim: 2-3 searches minimum
Stop when: Claim is supported by 2+ credible sources OR you've exhausted regional sources
Total research session: Based on outline
3 sections with specific claims = 6-9 searches
Stop when: All sections have adequate evidence OR regional sources exhausted
Red flag: If doing 10+ searches and outline still has evidence gaps, the problem is likely the outline (claims too broad/unsupported), not insufficient research.
Step 4: Evaluate Sources
Apply source evaluation criteria from references/trusted-sources.md:
Recency - Prefer sources from last 6-24 months for trends/pricing
Regional relevance - Singapore/ASEAN > Global > US/EU-specific
Credibility - Established publications > vendor blogs
Specificity - Actual data/examples > general claims
Independence - Journalism > vendor marketing
Step 5: Apply Regional Lens
For EVERY finding, assess:
Is this Singapore/ASEAN-relevant?
Is this US/EU-centric? If so, what differs locally?
What's the alt-counsel angle (resource-constrained perspective)?
Flag jurisdictional concerns using the protocol from references/regional-considerations.md.
Step 6: Map Findings to Post Structure
For EACH section in the user's outline, identify:
Section X claim: [The specific point this section makes]
Evidence needed: [What this claim requires for support]
Findings that support: [Which research findings apply here]
Findings that don't fit: [Interesting but not relevant to this section]
Red flag if: You have 5+ findings that don't map to any section.
Action: Ask user: "I found [X], but it doesn't support your outlined sections. Should I continue researching or is this exploratory?"
Quality check: Every finding should answer "Which section needs this?"
Step 7: Format Research Output
Load assets/research-template.md and populate it with findings:
Required sections:
Summary - 2-3 sentence executive summary
Key Findings - Detailed findings with sources and regional context icons
Statistics & Data Points - Specific data with citations
Expert Quotes - Direct quotes from credible sources
Jurisdictional Flags - US/EU-centric content flagged with explanations
Alt-Counsel Angle - How findings relate to blog's resource-conscious mission
Regional Context: ✅ Singapore/ASEAN | ⚠️ US/EU-centric | 🌍 Global
Step 8: Save Research Output
Create research.md in the specified post folder:
Path format:posts/[post-folder-name]/research.md
Always confirm the post folder path with the user if ambiguous
Regional Prioritization Rules
Always prioritize:
Straits Times, Channel News Asia for Singapore news
Artificial Lawyer for global legal tech (but flag when US/EU-centric)
Singapore government sources (Courts, Legal Service, IMDA)
ASEAN business and legal publications
Always flag when:
Information is US/EU-specific (ethics rules, regulations, market dynamics)
Pricing assumes enterprise budgets
Solutions require infrastructure uncommon in ASEAN
No Singapore/ASEAN-specific information available
Quality Standards
Good research includes:
Minimum 5-8 quality sources cited
Mix of regional and global perspectives
Specific statistics with dates
Expert quotes from credible sources
Clear jurisdictional flags where relevant
Alt-counsel angle articulated
Bad research avoids:
Vendor marketing without independent validation
Outdated sources (>2 years old for trends)
Pure US content without regional context
Vague claims without specific examples
Missing citations or broken links
Example Research Queries
Fact-check query:
"Fact-check: Contract lifecycle management systems typically cost $50K+ for enterprises"
Workflow: Search for CLM pricing, gather data points from multiple sources, note regional pricing if available, flag if US-centric pricing, provide alt-counsel perspective on accessible alternatives.
Topic research query:
"Research AI document review tools for small legal teams"
Workflow: Search for AI document review tools, prioritize solutions for small teams, compare pricing tiers, find Singapore/ASEAN adoption examples, flag enterprise-only solutions, identify practical alternatives.
Statistics query:
"Get statistics on legal tech adoption in Singapore law firms"
Workflow: Search Singapore-specific legal tech adoption data, check Law Society publications, look for regional surveys, note data gaps, compare to global trends where relevant.
Bundled Resources
References
trusted-sources.md - Curated list of reliable legal tech sources
regional-considerations.md - Singapore/ASEAN vs US/EU differences guide
Assets
research-template.md - Standard format for research.md output