Research Information Lookup

Overview

This skill enables real-time research information lookup using Perplexity's Sonar models through OpenRouter. It intelligently selects between Sonar Pro Search (fast, efficient lookup) and Sonar Reasoning Pro (deep analytical reasoning) based on query complexity. The skill provides access to current academic literature, recent studies, technical documentation, and general research information with proper citations and source attribution.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need:

• Current Research Information: Latest studies, papers, and findings in a specific field
• Literature Verification: Check facts, statistics, or claims against current research
• Background Research: Gather context and supporting evidence for scientific writing
• Citation Sources: Find relevant papers and studies to cite in manuscripts
• Technical Documentation: Look up specifications, protocols, or methodologies
• Recent Developments: Stay current with emerging trends and breakthroughs
• Statistical Data: Find recent statistics, survey results, or research findings
• Expert Opinions: Access insights from recent interviews, reviews, or commentary

Visual Enhancement with Scientific Schematics

When creating documents with this skill, always consider adding scientific diagrams and schematics to enhance visual communication.

If your document does not already contain schematics or diagrams:

• Use the scientific-schematics skill to generate AI-powered publication-quality diagrams
• Simply describe your desired diagram in natural language
• Nano Banana Pro will automatically generate, review, and refine the schematic

For new documents: Scientific schematics should be generated by default to visually represent key concepts, workflows, architectures, or relationships described in the text.

How to generate schematics:

python scripts/generate_schematic.py "your diagram description" -o figures/output.png

The AI will automatically:

• Create publication-quality images with proper formatting
• Review and refine through multiple iterations
• Ensure accessibility (colorblind-friendly, high contrast)
• Save outputs in the figures/ directory

When to add schematics:

• Research information flow diagrams
• Query processing workflow illustrations
• Model selection decision trees
• System integration architecture diagrams
• Information retrieval pipeline visualizations
• Knowledge synthesis frameworks
• Any complex concept that benefits from visualization

For detailed guidance on creating schematics, refer to the scientific-schematics skill documentation.

Core Capabilities

1. Academic Research Queries

Search Academic Literature: Query for recent papers, studies, and reviews in specific domains:

Query Examples:
- "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2024"
- "Latest clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease treatment"
- "Machine learning applications in drug discovery systematic review"
- "Climate change impacts on biodiversity meta-analysis"

Expected Response Format:

• Summary of key findings from recent literature
• Citation of 3-5 most relevant papers with authors, titles, journals, and years
• Key statistics or findings highlighted
• Identification of research gaps or controversies
• Links to full papers when available

2. Technical and Methodological Information

Protocol and Method Lookups: Find detailed procedures, specifications, and methodologies:

Query Examples:
- "Western blot protocol for protein detection"
- "RNA sequencing library preparation methods"
- "Statistical power analysis for clinical trials"
- "Machine learning model evaluation metrics"

Expected Response Format:

• Step-by-step procedures or protocols
• Required materials and equipment
• Critical parameters and considerations
• Troubleshooting common issues
• References to standard protocols or seminal papers

3. Statistical and Data Information

Research Statistics: Look up current statistics, survey results, and research data:

Query Examples:
- "Prevalence of diabetes in US population 2024"
- "Global renewable energy adoption statistics"
- "COVID-19 vaccination rates by country"
- "AI adoption in healthcare industry survey"

Expected Response Format:

• Current statistics with dates and sources
• Methodology of data collection
• Confidence intervals or margins of error when available
• Comparison with previous years or benchmarks
• Citations to original surveys or studies

4. Citation and Reference Assistance

Citation Finding: Locate relevant papers and studies for citation in manuscripts:

Query Examples:
- "Foundational papers on transformer architecture"
- "Seminal works in quantum computing"
- "Key studies on climate change mitigation"
- "Landmark trials in cancer immunotherapy"

Expected Response Format:

• 5-10 most influential or relevant papers
• Complete citation information (authors, title, journal, year, DOI)
• Brief description of each paper's contribution
• Citation impact metrics when available (h-index, citation count)
• Journal impact factors and rankings

Automatic Model Selection

This skill features intelligent model selection based on query complexity:

Model Types

1. Sonar Pro Search (perplexity/sonar-pro-search)

• Use Case: Straightforward information lookup
• Best For:
  • Simple fact-finding queries
  • Recent publication searches
  • Basic protocol lookups
  • Statistical data retrieval
• Speed: Fast responses
• Cost: Lower cost per query

2. Sonar Reasoning Pro (perplexity/sonar-reasoning-pro)

• Use Case: Complex analytical queries requiring deep reasoning
• Best For:
  • Comparative analysis ("compare X vs Y")
  • Synthesis of multiple studies
  • Evaluating trade-offs or controversies
  • Explaining mechanisms or relationships
  • Critical analysis and interpretation
• Speed: Slower but more thorough
• Cost: Higher cost per query, but provides deeper insights

Complexity Assessment

The skill automatically detects query complexity using these indicators:

Reasoning Keywords (triggers Sonar Reasoning Pro):

• Analytical: compare, contrast, analyze, analysis, evaluate, critique
• Comparative: versus, vs, vs., compared to, differences between, similarities
• Synthesis: meta-analysis, systematic review, synthesis, integrate
• Causal: mechanism, why, how does, how do, explain, relationship, causal relationship, underlying mechanism
• Theoretical: theoretical framework, implications, interpret, reasoning
• Debate: controversy, conflicting, paradox, debate, reconcile
• Trade-offs: pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages, trade-off, tradeoff, trade offs
• Complexity: multifaceted, complex interaction, critical analysis

Complexity Scoring:

• Reasoning keywords: 3 points each (heavily weighted)
• Multiple questions: 2 points per question mark
• Complex sentence structures: 1.5 points per clause indicator (and, or, but, however, whereas, although)
• Very long queries: 1 point if >150 characters
• Threshold: Queries scoring ≥3 points trigger Sonar Reasoning Pro

Practical Result: Even a single strong reasoning keyword (compare, explain, analyze, etc.) will trigger the more powerful Sonar Reasoning Pro model, ensuring you get deep analysis when needed.

Example Query Classification:

✅ Sonar Pro Search (straightforward lookup):

• "Recent advances in CRISPR gene editing 2024"
• "Prevalence of diabetes in US population"
• "Western blot protocol for protein detection"

✅ Sonar Reasoning Pro (complex analysis):

• "Compare and contrast mRNA vaccines vs traditional vaccines for cancer treatment"
• "Explain the mechanism underlying the relationship between gut microbiome and depression"
• "Analyze the controvers