---
name: research-loom-search-plan
description: Use when designing source-specific research queries and multiple search branches for a focused question or several research goals.
---

# Search Planning

Require an agreed question and scope for each goal. Translate its concepts into synonyms, related terminology, alternate spellings, and narrower/broader terms. Build separate search plans per goal; never let a convenient source redefine the question.

Select sources suited to discipline and evidence needs: academic indexes, preprint repositories, domain databases, publisher/institutional sites, theses, datasets, standards, patents, trial registries, and general web search where useful. Examples include Scholar, arXiv, PubMed, Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, Crossref, IEEE, and ACM. Verify current interfaces/query syntax before relying on source-specific features.

For each branch, record goal ID, branch ID, purpose, source, selected search skill, exact initial queries, filters with reasons, intended evidence type, access/tool constraints, and stopping criterion. Use multiple branches within one source when useful. Include queries for contradictory findings, relevant reviews, original evidence, and terminology discovery as needed.

Offer query variants and explain which goal each serves. Expand source `auto` from project configuration into concrete branches; do not leave execution with an undefined source. Respect budget and deadline constraints. Record the plan before executing. Specialized selected skills must exist; flag inaccessible sources and suggest accessible alternatives without claiming equivalent coverage.