# Deep Research

Research a topic across many web sources and deliver a cited report.

- Repository: https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC (294725 stars)
- Category: Data and ML
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill deep-research -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill deep-research -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill deep-research -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add affaan-m/ECC --skill deep-research -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add affaan-m/ECC`

## Description

Multi-source deep research using firecrawl and exa MCPs. Searches the web, synthesizes findings, and delivers cited reports with source attribution. Use when the user wants thorough research on any topic with evidence and citations.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Deep Research

Produce thorough, cited research reports from multiple web sources using firecrawl and exa MCP tools.

## When to Activate

- User asks to research any topic in depth
- Competitive analysis, technology evaluation, or market sizing
- Due diligence on companies, investors, or technologies
- Any question requiring synthesis from multiple sources
- User says "research", "deep dive", "investigate", or "what's the current state of"

## MCP Requirements

At least one of:
- **firecrawl**, `firecrawl_search`, `firecrawl_scrape`, `firecrawl_crawl`
- **exa**, `web_search_exa`, `web_search_advanced_exa`, `crawling_exa`

Both together give the best coverage. Configure in `~/.claude.json` or `~/.codex/config.toml`.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Understand the Goal

Ask 1-2 quick clarifying questions:
- "What's your goal, learning, making a decision, or writing something?"
- "Any specific angle or depth you want?"

If the user says "just research it", skip ahead with reasonable defaults.

### Step 2: Plan the Research

Break the topic into 3-5 research sub-questions. Example:
- Topic: "Impact of AI on healthcare"
  - What are the main AI applications in healthcare today?
  - What clinical outcomes have been measured?
  - What are the regulatory challenges?
  - What companies are leading this space?
  - What's the market size and growth trajectory?

### Step 3: Execute Multi-Source Search

For EACH sub-question, search using available MCP tools:

**With firecrawl:**
```
firecrawl_search(query: "<sub-question keywords>", limit: 8)
```

**With exa:**
```
web_search_exa(query: "<sub-question keywords>", numResults: 8)
web_search_advanced_exa(query: "<keywords>", numResults: 5, startPublishedDate: "2025-01-01")
```

**Search strategy:**
- Use 2-3 different keyword variations per sub-question
- Mix general and news-focused queries
- Aim for 15-30 unique sources total
- Prioritize: academic, official, reputable news > blogs > forums

### Step 4: Deep-Read Key Sources

The rest: https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC/blob/HEAD/.agents/skills/deep-research/SKILL.md