thoughtbox:research

Research this topic using Thoughtbox IRCoT: $ARGUMENTS

Protocol References

• Cipher notation for long sessions: thoughtbox://cipher
• IRCoT pattern background: thoughtbox://interleaved/research

Phase 1: Setup

Create a Thoughtbox session and assess available tools.

// thoughtbox_execute
async () => {
  await tb.thought({
    thought: "Research question: $ARGUMENTS. Available search tools: [list from ToolSearch]. Strategy: breadth-first scan, then depth on promising leads.",
    thoughtType: "context_snapshot",
    nextThoughtNeeded: true,
    thoughtNumber: 1,
    totalThoughts: 30,
    sessionTitle: "Research: $ARGUMENTS",
    sessionTags: ["research"],
    contextData: {
      toolsAvailable: [],
      constraints: ["primary sources preferred"]
    }
  });
}

Steps:

1. Use ToolSearch to discover available search tools (Exa, WebSearch, WebFetch, Grep, Read).
2. Record thought 1 as context_snapshot: state the research question, available tools, constraints.
3. If no search tools are available, note the limitation and rely on codebase/knowledge graph only.

Phase 2: IRCoT Loop (Think, Search, Integrate, Repeat)

Run this cycle until the question is answered or no productive search avenues remain.

2a: Reason

Record a reasoning thought: what do I need to find out next? What gaps remain?

// thoughtbox_execute
async () => {
  await tb.thought({
    thought: "Gap: I know X but not Y. Next search: [specific query]. Rationale: [why this fills the gap].",
    thoughtType: "reasoning",
    nextThoughtNeeded: true,
    thoughtNumber: N,
    totalThoughts: 30
  });
}

2b: Search

Use the best available tool for the current sub-question:

• Exa / WebSearch: external knowledge, recent publications, API docs
• Grep / Glob / Read: codebase evidence, local files, prior research
• Knowledge graph: tb.knowledge.searchEntities() for prior Thoughtbox findings

2c: Integrate

Record findings as a reasoning thought with evidence references. Include source URLs or file paths.