Create Plan

Step 2: Scope & Discovery

1. If the user corrects any misunderstanding, verify the correction
2. Identify what's in scope and what's NOT
3. Flag overlaps or contradictions with existing research docs
4. Present approach options (depth vs. breadth, angle, audience)

Step 3: Plan Structure

1. Create initial plan outline with phases
2. Get feedback on structure before writing details

Step 4: Write the Plan

1. Ensure directory exists: mkdir -p thoughts/plans
2. Write plan to thoughts/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-description.md
3. Use the template below

Step 5: Iterate

Review and refine until the user is satisfied. The plan is not done until they say so.

Plan Template

# Research Plan: [Title]

**Created:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Target:** [What deliverable(s) — e.g., "8-doc series", "single explainer", "appendix to reserve_currency"]

## Research Question

[The core question, stated clearly]

## Current State

[What research already exists in this repo. Which docs are relevant. What gaps this plan fills.]

## What We're NOT Covering

[Explicit exclusions to prevent scope creep]

## Phases

### Phase 1: Scoping & Question Framing
- Define sub-questions and document boundaries
- Identify primary source types needed
- **Verify:** Sub-questions are specific enough to answer; no overlap with existing docs

### Phase 2: Source Gathering
- [Specific sources, data sets, or references to collect]
- **Verify:** Each sub-question has at least one credible source identified

### Phase 3: Drafting
- [Document-by-document plan: title, scope, key claims]
- **Verify:** Each doc has a clear thesis and doesn't duplicate another doc's coverage

### Phase 4: Cross-Referencing
- Verify factual consistency across all documents in the set
- Add navigation links between related docs
- Reconcile any data or terminology conflicts
- **Verify:** No contradictions across the document set

### Phase 5: Review
- Run `/review-docs` on the full document set
- Address all high-priority issues
- **Verify:** review-docs returns no high-priority issues

### Phase 6: Finalization
- Consolidated summary reflects all documents
- All factual claims are sourced
- Navigation and cross-references are complete
- **Verify:** A reader can navigate the full set without dead ends or confusion

## Sources & References

[Known sources, organized by sub-topic. Mark any that still need to be found.]

Guidelines

1. Be Skeptical — Question vague claims and identify gaps early
2. Be Interactive — Don't write the full plan in one shot; get feedback at each step
3. Be Thorough — Scan existing research before planning new work
4. Be Practical — Phases should be incremental and independently verifiable
5. No Open Questions in Final Plan — Resolve ambiguity before finishing