Synthesize Research

# Synthesize Research

> If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../../CONNECTORS.md).

Synthesize user research from multiple sources into structured insights and recommendations.

## Usage

``` /synthesize-research $ARGUMENTS ```

## Workflow

### 1. Gather Research Inputs

Accept research from any combination of: - **Pasted text**: Interview notes, transcripts, survey responses, feedback - **Uploaded files**: Research documents, spreadsheets, recordings summaries - **~~knowledge base** (if connected): Search for research documents, interview notes, survey results - **~~user feedback** (if connected): Pull recent support tickets, feature requests, bug reports - **~~product analytics** (if connected): Pull usage data, funnel metrics, behavioral data - **~~meeting transcription** (if connected): Pull interview recordings, meeting summaries, and discussion notes

Ask the user what they have: - What type of research? (interviews, surveys, usability tests, analytics, support tickets, sales call notes) - How many sources / participants? - Is there a specific question or hypothesis they are investigating? - What decisions will this research inform?

### 2. Process the Research

For each source, extract: - **Key observations**: What did users say, do, or experience? - **Quotes**: Verbatim quotes that illustrate important points - **Behaviors**: What users actually did (vs what they said they do) - **Pain points**: Frustrations, workarounds, and unmet needs - **Positive signals**: What works well, moments of delight - **Context**: User segment, use case, experience level

### 3. Identify Themes and Patterns

Apply thematic analysis — see **Research Synthesis Methodology** below for detailed guidance on thematic analysis, affinity mapping, and triangulation techniques.

Group observations into themes, count frequency across participants, and assess impact severity. Note contradictions and surprises.

Create a priority matrix: - **High frequency + High impact**: Top priority findings - **Low frequency + High impact**: Important for specific segments - **High frequency + Low impact**: Quality-of-life improvements - **Low frequency + Low impact**: Note but deprioritize

### 4. Generate the Synthesis

Produce a structured research synthesis:

#### Research Overview - Methodology: what types of research, how many participants/sources - Research question(s): what we set out to learn - Timeframe: when the research was conducted

#### Key Findings For each major finding (aim for 5-8): - **Finding statement**: One clear sentence describing the insight - **Evidence**: Supporting quotes, data points, or observations (with source attribution) - **Frequency**: How many participants/sources support this finding - **Impact**: How significantly this affects the user experience or business - **Confidence level**: High (strong evidence), Medium (suggestive), Low (early signal)

Order findings by priority (frequency x impact).

#### User Segments / Personas If the research reveals distinct user segments: - Segment name and description - Key characteristics and behaviors - Unique needs and pain points - Size estimate if data is available

#### Opportunity Areas Based on the findings, identify opportunity areas: - What user needs are unmet or underserved - Where do current solutions fall short - What new capabilities would unlock value - Prioritized by potential impact

#### Recommendations Specific, actionable recommendations: - What to build, change, or investigate further - Tied back to specific findings - Prioritized by impact and feasibility

#### Open Questions What the research did not answer: - Gaps in understanding - Areas needing further investigation - Suggested follow-up research methods

### 5. Review and Extend

After generating the synthesis: - Ask if any findings need more detail or different framing - Offer to generate specific artifacts: persona documents, opportunity maps, research presentations - Offer to create follow-up research plans for open questions - Offer to draft product implications (how findings should influence the roadmap)

## Research Synthesis Methodology

### Thematic Analysis The core method for synthesizing qualitative research:

1. **Familiarization**: Read through all the data. Get a feel for the overall landscape before coding anything. 2. **Initial coding**: Go through the data systematically. Tag each observation, quote, or data point with descriptive codes. Be generous with codes — it is easier to merge than to split later. 3. **Theme development**: Group related codes into candidate themes. A theme captures something important about the data in relation to the research question. 4. **Theme review**: Check themes against the data. Does each theme have sufficient evidence? Are themes distinct from each other? Do they tell a coherent story? 5. **Theme refinement**: Define and name each theme clearly. Write a 1-2 sentence description of