# Research Tool Enhancement Proposal

## Problem Statement

The current research tools in the wg environment lack proper source tracking and citation capabilities, which significantly limits their utility for academic and professional applications.

## Current Limitations

1. **No Source Preservation**: Research outputs contain synthesized information but lack original source citations
2. **Limited Traceability**: Users cannot access or verify the sources that informed research results
3. **Missing Environment Integration**: No clear mechanism to discover conversation data locations via environment variables
4. **Inadequate Metadata**: Lack of bibliographic information (PMIDs, DOIs, URLs) in research outputs

## Proposed Enhancements

### 1. Enhanced Research Tool Outputs

Research tools should include:
- Original source URLs
- Citation metadata (authors, titles, publication dates)
- Database identifiers (PMID, arXiv IDs, etc.)
- Source type indicators (journal article, preprint, web page)

### 2. Environment Variable Integration

Add environment variables for:
- `WORKGRAPH_RESEARCH_SOURCE_TRACKING=true` - Enable source tracking
- `WORKGRAPH_CONVERSATION_DATA_DIR` - Location of conversation data storage
- `WORKGRAPH_RESEARCH_LOG_PATH` - Path to research logs

### 3. Persistent Source Logging

Implement logging mechanisms that:
- Track all sources consulted during a session
- Maintain source metadata for each research operation
- Provide easy access to source materials when needed

## Implementation Plan

### Phase 1: Immediate Improvements
- Modify `deep_research` output format to include source URLs
- Add basic citation formatting to results
- Implement source tracking flag

### Phase 2: Advanced Features
- Add environment variable discovery for conversation data
- Create source metadata database
- Implement source verification mechanisms

### Phase 3: User Experience
- Develop source browsing interface
- Add citation export functionality
- Create source comparison tools

## Benefits

1. **Academic Integrity**: Proper attribution of sources
2. **Verification**: Easy access to original research materials  
3. **Reproducibility**: Other researchers can replicate studies
4. **Professional Compliance**: Meets standards for scholarly work

## Testing Requirements

1. Verify source URL inclusion in research outputs
2. Test environment variable accessibility
3. Confirm citation format compliance
4. Validate source metadata preservation

## Priority Level: High

This enhancement is critical for users who need to:
- Generate academic publications
- Conduct peer-reviewed research
- Maintain intellectual property documentation
- Share findings with collaborators requiring source verification