Research and Analysis Workflow

This guide shows how to use Rawi for research tasks, data analysis, and information synthesis.

Overview

Rawi can assist with various research and analysis tasks:

• Information gathering and synthesis
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Competitive research
• Academic research assistance
• Market analysis
• Technical research

Research Setup

1. Configure Research Profile

# Create a research-focused profile
rawi configure --profile research --provider anthropic --model claude-3-5-sonnet --temperature 0.2

# Academic research profile
rawi configure --profile academic --provider openai --model gpt-4 --temperature 0.1

# Data analysis profile
rawi configure --profile data-analysis --provider openai --model gpt-4 --temperature 0.3

2. Research Session Management

# Start a research session with a clear topic
rawi ask --new-session --act researcher "I'm researching the impact of AI on software development productivity"

# Continue with focused questions
rawi ask "What are the current metrics used to measure developer productivity?"
rawi ask "How do AI coding assistants affect these productivity metrics?"

Research Workflows

Information Gathering

Topic Exploration Workflow

#!/bin/bash
# research-exploration.sh - Comprehensive topic exploration

TOPIC="$1"
SESSION_ID="research-$(date +%Y%m%d)-$(echo "$TOPIC" | tr ' ' '-')"

echo "🔍 Starting research exploration: $TOPIC"

# 1. Initial overview
rawi ask --new-session --session "$SESSION_ID" --act researcher \
    "Provide a comprehensive overview of '$TOPIC' including key concepts, current state, and recent developments"

# 2. Key stakeholders and experts
rawi ask --session "$SESSION_ID" --act researcher \
    "Who are the leading researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders in '$TOPIC'?"

# 3. Research questions
rawi ask --session "$SESSION_ID" --act researcher \
    "What are the most important research questions currently being investigated in '$TOPIC'?"

# 4. Methodological approaches
rawi ask --session "$SESSION_ID" --act researcher \
    "What research methodologies are commonly used to study '$TOPIC'?"

# 5. Knowledge gaps
rawi ask --session "$SESSION_ID" --act researcher \
    "What are the current knowledge gaps and future research directions in '$TOPIC'?"

echo "✅ Initial exploration complete. Session: $SESSION_ID"

Source Analysis

# Analyze academic papers
analyze_paper() {
    local paper_file="$1"

    cat "$paper_file" | rawi ask --act academic-researcher \
        "Analyze this research paper and provide:
        1. Main research question and hypothesis
        2. Methodology and sample size
        3. Key findings and statistical significance
        4. Limitations and future research suggestions
        5. Relevance to current literature"
}

# Compare multiple sources
compare_sources() {
    local source1="$1"
    local source2="$2"
    local source3="$3"

    cat "$source1" "$source2" "$source3" | rawi ask --act meta-analyst \
        "Compare these three research sources:
        1. Areas of agreement and disagreement
        2. Methodological differences
        3. Strength of evidence
        4. Synthesis of findings"
}

# Extract specific data
extract_data() {
    local document="$1"
    local data_type="$2"

    cat "$document" | rawi ask --act data-analyst \
        "Extract all $data_type from this document and present in a structured format"
}

Data Analysis

Quantitative Analysis Workflow

# Comprehensive data analysis
analyze_dataset() {
    local data_file="$1"
    local research_question="$2"

    echo "📊 Analyzing dataset: $data_file"

    # 1. Data overview
    cat "$data_file" | rawi ask --act data-scientist \
        "Provide an overview of this dataset including variables, data types, and basic statistics" \
        > analysis-overview.md

    # 2. Exploratory analysis
    cat "$data_file" | rawi ask --act data-scientist \
        "Perform exploratory data analysis and identify patterns, outliers, and relationships" \
        > exploratory-analysis.md

    # 3. Hypothesis testing
    cat "$data_file" | rawi ask --act statistician \
        "Test hypotheses related to: $research_question. Suggest appropriate statistical tests" \
        > hypothesis-testing.md

    # 4. Visualization suggestions
    cat "$data_file" | rawi ask --act data-visualization-expert \
        "Suggest appropriate visualizations for this data and research question" \
        > visualization-plan.md

    # 5. Interpretation
    rawi ask --act data-scientist \
        "Based on the analysis, interpret findings in context of: $research_question" \
        > interpretation.md
}

Qualitative Analysis

# Thematic analysis workflow
thematic_analysis() {
    local qualitative_data="$1"

    echo "🎯 Performing thematic analysis..."

    # 1. Initial coding
    cat "$qualitative_data" | rawi ask --act qualitative-researcher \
        "Perform initial coding of this qualitative data. Identify preliminary themes and patterns" \
        > initial-coding.md

    # 2. Theme development
    cat initial-coding.md | rawi ask --act qualitative-researcher \
        "Develop themes from these initial codes. Group related codes and identify overarching themes" \
        > theme-development.md

    # 3. Theme refinement
    cat theme-development.md | rawi ask --act qualitative-researcher \
        "Refine these themes, check for overlap, and ensure they capture the data accurately" \
        > final-themes.md

    # 4. Narrative synthesis
    cat final-themes.md "$qualitative_data" | rawi ask --act qualitative-researcher \
        "Create a narrative synthesis that explains how these themes answer the research question" \
        > narrative-synthesis.md
}

# Sentiment and content analysis
sentiment_analysis() {
    local text_data="$1"

    cat "$text_data" | rawi ask --act sentiment-analyst \
        "Perform comprehensive sentiment analysis including:
        1. Overall sentiment distribution
        2. Key topics and their associated sentiments
        3. Temporal trends if timestamps available
        4. Notable quotes or examples"
}

Literature Review

Systematic Literature Review

#!/bin/bash
# systematic-review.sh - Systematic literature review workflow

TOPIC="$1"
REVIEW_DIR="systematic-review-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$REVIEW_DIR"

echo "📚 Starting systematic literature review: $TOPIC"

# 1. Search strategy development
rawi ask --act librarian \
    "Develop a comprehensive search strategy for '$TOPIC' including:
    1. Key search terms and synonyms
    2. Boolean operators and search strings
    3. Database selection criteria
    4. Inclusion/exclusion criteria" \
    > "$REVIEW_DIR/search-strategy.md"

# 2. Quality assessment criteria
rawi ask --act academic-researcher \
    "Create quality assessment criteria for studies on '$TOPIC'" \
    > "$REVIEW_DIR/quality-criteria.md"

# 3. Data extraction template
rawi ask --act academic-researcher \
    "Design a data extraction template for systematically reviewing studies on '$TOPIC'" \
    > "$REVIEW_DIR/extraction-template.md"

echo "✅ Review framework complete. Continue with paper screening and analysis."

Literature Synthesis

# Synthesize findings across studies
synthesize_literature() {
    local papers_dir="$1"

    echo "🔄 Synthesizing literature findings..."

    # Combine all papers
    cat "$papers_dir"/*.txt > combined-papers.txt

    # Thematic synthesis
    cat combined-papers.txt | rawi ask --act meta-analyst \
        "Perform a thematic synthesis of these research papers:
        1. Identify common themes across studies
        2. Note contradictory findings
        3. Assess quality of evidence
        4. Identify research gaps" \
        > literature-synthesis.md

    # Create evidence matrix
    cat combined-papers.txt | rawi ask --act systematic-reviewer \
        "Create an evidence matrix showing how each study contributes to different themes" \
        > evidence-matrix.md
}

Competitive Research

Market Analysis Workflow

#!/bin/bash
# market-analysis.sh - Comprehensive market research

MARKET="$1"
ANALYSIS_DIR="market-analysis-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$ANALYSIS_DIR"

echo "🏢 Starting market analysis: $MARKET"

# 1. Market overview
rawi ask --act market-researcher \
    "Provide a comprehensive overview of the $MARKET market including size, growth, key players" \
    > "$ANALYSIS_DIR/market-overview.md"

# 2. Competitive landscape
rawi ask --act competitive-analyst \
    "Analyze the competitive landscape in $MARKET including major players, market share, positioning" \
    > "$ANALYSIS_DIR/competitive-landscape.md"

# 3. Trend analysis
rawi ask --act trend-analyst \
    "Identify current and emerging trends in $MARKET with supporting evidence" \
    > "$ANALYSIS_DIR/trend-analysis.md"

# 4. Opportunity identification
rawi ask --act business-strategist \
    "Based on market analysis, identify potential opportunities and threats in $MARKET" \
    > "$ANALYSIS_DIR/opportunities.md"

Product Research

# Comprehensive product analysis
analyze_product() {
    local product_data="$1"

    cat "$product_data" | rawi ask --act product-analyst \
        "Analyze this product information including:
        1. Feature set and capabilities
        2. Target market and positioning
        3. Pricing strategy
        4. Strengths and weaknesses
        5. Competitive advantages"
}

# User feedback analysis
analyze_user_feedback() {
    local feedback_file="$1"

    cat "$feedback_file" | rawi ask --act ux-researcher \
        "Analyze user feedback to identify:
        1. Common pain points and frustrations
        2. Most requested features
        3. User journey issues
        4. Satisfaction drivers
        5. Improvement recommendations"
}

Advanced Research Techniques

Cross-Domain Research

Interdisciplinary Analysis

# Multi-perspective analysis
interdisciplinary_analysis() {
    local research_topic="$1"
    local domain1="$2"
    local domain2="$3"

    rawi ask --act interdisciplinary-researcher \
        "Analyze '$research_topic' from both $domain1 and $domain2 perspectives:
        1. How does each field approach this topic?
        2. What methodologies does each use?
        3. Where do insights overlap or conflict?
        4. How can approaches be integrated?"
}

# Method transfer analysis
analyze_method_transfer() {
    local source_domain="$1"
    local target_domain="$2"
    local method="$3"

    rawi ask --act methodology-expert \
        "Assess the feasibility of transferring '$method' from $source_domain to $target_domain:
        1. Theoretical compatibility
        2. Practical considerations
        3. Necessary adaptations
        4. Potential benefits and limitations"
}

Research Methodology

Study Design

# Research design consultation
design_study() {
    local research_question="$1"
    local domain="$2"

    rawi ask --act research-methodologist \
        "Design a study to investigate: '$research_question' in $domain
        1. Appropriate research design (experimental, observational, etc.)
        2. Sample size and selection criteria
        3. Data collection methods
        4. Analysis plan
        5. Potential confounding variables"
}

# Survey development
create_survey() {
    local research_objectives="$1"

    rawi ask --act survey-methodologist \
        "Create a survey instrument for: '$research_objectives'
        1. Clear, unbiased questions
        2. Appropriate response scales
        3. Logical flow and organization
        4. Validation considerations
        5. Pilot testing recommendations"
}

Research Validation

Fact-Checking Workflow

# Comprehensive fact-checking
fact_check_research() {
    local claims_file="$1"

    echo "✅ Fact-checking research claims..."

    # Check individual claims
    cat "$claims_file" | rawi ask --act fact-checker \
        "Fact-check these claims and provide sources for verification or correction" \
        > fact-check-results.md

    # Source credibility assessment
    cat "$claims_file" | rawi ask --act information-analyst \
        "Assess the credibility of sources cited for these claims" \
        > source-assessment.md

    # Alternative evidence
    cat "$claims_file" | rawi ask --act researcher \
        "Find alternative sources that support or contradict these claims" \
        > alternative-evidence.md
}

Bias Analysis

# Research bias assessment
assess_bias() {
    local study_file="$1"

    cat "$study_file" | rawi ask --act methodology-critic \
        "Assess potential biases in this research:
        1. Selection bias
        2. Confirmation bias
        3. Publication bias
        4. Methodological limitations
        5. Recommendations for addressing biases"
}

Research Documentation

Research Management

# Research session documentation
document_research_session() {
    local session_id="$1"
    local topic="$2"

    # Export session history
    rawi history --session "$session_id" --export --format markdown > "research-log-$topic.md"

    # Create research summary
    rawi ask --act research-coordinator \
        "Summarize this research session into a structured research log with key findings and next steps" \
        < "research-log-$topic.md" > "research-summary-$topic.md"
}

# Bibliography management
create_bibliography() {
    local sources_file="$1"
    local citation_style="$2"

    cat "$sources_file" | rawi ask --act librarian \
        "Create a properly formatted bibliography in $citation_style style from these sources"
}

Report Generation

# Research report workflow
generate_research_report() {
    local topic="$1"
    local findings_dir="$2"

    echo "📄 Generating research report for: $topic"

    # Combine all findings
    cat "$findings_dir"/*.md > combined-findings.txt

    # Generate executive summary
    cat combined-findings.txt | rawi ask --act research-writer \
        "Create an executive summary of this research highlighting key findings and implications" \
        > executive-summary.md

    # Create detailed report
    cat combined-findings.txt | rawi ask --act academic-writer \
        "Structure this research into a comprehensive report with:
        1. Introduction and objectives
        2. Methodology
        3. Findings and analysis
        4. Discussion and implications
        5. Conclusions and recommendations" \
        > detailed-report.md

    # Generate presentation slides outline
    cat detailed-report.md | rawi ask --act presentation-designer \
        "Create an outline for presentation slides summarizing this research report" \
        > presentation-outline.md
}

Integration with Research Tools

Reference Management

# Zotero integration
prepare_for_zotero() {
    local citation_data="$1"

    cat "$citation_data" | rawi ask --act librarian \
        "Format these citations for import into Zotero reference manager"
}

# Mendeley preparation
prepare_for_mendeley() {
    local references="$1"

    cat "$references" | rawi ask --act reference-manager \
        "Prepare these references for Mendeley including tags and annotations"
}

Data Analysis Tools

# R script generation
generate_r_analysis() {
    local analysis_plan="$1"

    cat "$analysis_plan" | rawi ask --act r-programmer \
        "Generate R code to perform this analysis including data loading, cleaning, analysis, and visualization"
}

# Python analysis script
generate_python_analysis() {
    local data_description="$1"

    cat "$data_description" | rawi ask --act python-data-scientist \
        "Create Python code using pandas and scipy to analyze this dataset"
}

Research Quality Assurance

Peer Review Simulation

# Simulate peer review
simulate_peer_review() {
    local research_paper="$1"

    cat "$research_paper" | rawi ask --act peer-reviewer \
        "Provide a constructive peer review of this research paper including:
        1. Strengths and contributions
        2. Methodological concerns
        3. Areas for improvement
        4. Minor and major revision suggestions"
}

Research Ethics

# Ethics assessment
assess_research_ethics() {
    local study_protocol="$1"

    cat "$study_protocol" | rawi ask --act research-ethicist \
        "Assess the ethical considerations of this research protocol:
        1. Participant safety and consent
        2. Data privacy and confidentiality
        3. Potential risks and benefits
        4. Vulnerable populations
        5. Recommendations for ethical approval"
}

Troubleshooting Research Workflows

Common Research Challenges

Information overload:

# Prioritize sources
cat source-list.txt | rawi ask --act research-coordinator \
    "Help me prioritize these sources based on relevance, credibility, and recency for my research on [topic]"

Conflicting findings:

# Reconcile contradictions
cat conflicting-studies.txt | rawi ask --act meta-analyst \
    "Analyze why these studies have conflicting results and suggest how to reconcile the differences"

Methodology selection:

# Method guidance
rawi ask --act methodology-expert \
    "What research methodology would be most appropriate for investigating [research question] given these constraints: [constraints]"

See Also

• Data Analysis Workflow — Specialized data analysis patterns
• Content Creation Workflow — Research-driven writing
• Shell Integration — Automation for research tasks
• Act Templates — Research and analysis templates
• Session Management — Managing research conversations