Literature Search & Ingest

Purpose

Search academic literature with AI and ingest approved results into Zotero. A blank query can start a guided conversation that turns a research need into a confirmed search brief.

Search Modes

Mode	Description
auto	Detect a suitable mode for a non-blank query; a blank query starts guided planning.
guided	Clarify the research need, inspect local Zotero/Synthesis coverage, and execute the confirmed brief directly.
topic_expansion	Search by research direction or topic.
paper_seed_expansion	Expand from a seed paper.
targeted_ingest	Precisely locate and ingest one paper.

Execution Flow

1. Guided planning (blank auto query or guided mode)
   └── Clarify the research goal in short rounds
   └── Read local Zotero/Synthesis coverage only
   └── Present a structured search brief
   └── Wait for confirmation; no web search or writes before confirmation

2. Candidate search and selection
   └── Search according to the confirmed brief or explicit mode
   └── Verify identifiers, authoritative metadata, landing pages, and legal public-PDF evidence
   └── User selects items to ingest

3. Ingest and completion
   └── Ingest each approved paper through zotero-bridge
   └── Output concise ingest JSON, including missing-PDF links

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Default
query	string	Search topic, paper identifier, seed, or an empty value for guided planning.	Empty
searchMode	string	auto, guided, topic_expansion, paper_seed_expansion, or targeted_ingest.	auto
targetCollection	string	Optional target Collection.	Empty

Outputs

• Candidate evidence is verified before a user can approve ingest.
• Each successful ingest is created or reused in Zotero; legal landing-page links remain available when no PDF is attached.
• Guided runs report search_mode: "guided"; other runs retain their concrete search mode.

Dependencies

• Backend: ACP backend with interactive execution
• Skill: literature-search-ingest