memory-research

Memory Research

Research an external subject, synthesize what you find, and create a structured Basic Memory entity — with the user's approval.

Workflow

Step 1: Web Research

Basic Memory does not include a web search tool. If this host already has one, use it. If it does not, the user can add any web search tool or MCP server, for example Parallel Search MCP. Search queries go to that provider, so keep private note content out of them. Still ask before saving a note.

Search for current information across multiple sources. Aim for 3-5 searches to build a well-rounded picture:

[subject name] site
[subject name] overview
[subject name] news [current year]
[subject name] [relevant domain keywords]

What to gather by entity type:

Entity Type	Key Information
Organization	What they do, products/services, stage (startup/growth/public), funding, leadership, headquarters, employee count, notable partnerships or contracts
Person	Current role, organization, background, expertise, notable work, public presence
Technology	What it does, who maintains it, maturity, ecosystem, alternatives, adoption
Topic/Domain	Definition, current state, key players, trends, relevance to user's context

Step 2: Check Existing Knowledge

Before proposing a new entity, search Basic Memory:

bm_search(query="Acme Corp")
bm_search(query="acme")

Try name variations — full name, abbreviation, acronym, domain name.

If the entity already exists:

• Report what you found in Basic Memory alongside your web research
• Offer to update the existing note with new information
• Use bm_edit to append new observations or update outdated ones

If the entity doesn't exist, proceed to evaluation.

Step 3: Evaluate and Summarize

Present your findings in a structured summary. Include all relevant information organized by section:

## [Subject Name]

**Type:** [Organization / Person / Technology / Topic]

**Summary:** [2-4 sentences: what this is, why it matters, key distinguishing facts]

**Key Details:**
- [Organized by what's relevant for the entity type]
- [Stage, funding, leadership for orgs]
- [Role, expertise, affiliations for people]
- [Maturity, ecosystem, alternatives for tech]

**Relevance:** [Why this matters to the user — connection to their work, domain, or interests.
If no obvious connection: "No specific connection identified."]

**Sources:**
- [URLs of key sources consulted]

Evaluation Guidelines

Use hedging language. Web research is a snapshot, not ground truth:

• "Appears to be", "Based on public information", "Estimated"
• "As of [date]", "According to [source]"
• Put the as-of date on the observation, so a later search by date finds it (see memory-notes): - [stage] @valid:2026-10 Series B, about 200 employees (public information)
• Never state funding amounts, employee counts, or revenue as exact unless citing a primary source

Don't fabricate. If information isn't available, say so:

• "Leadership information not publicly available"
• "Funding details not disclosed"

Let the user define relevance. Don't impose a fixed evaluation framework. Instead, highlight facts and let the user draw conclusions. If the user has a specific evaluation rubric (strategic fit, buy/partner/compete, etc.), they'll tell you — apply it when asked.

Step 4: Propose Entity Creation

After presenting the summary, ask for approval:

Create Basic Memory entity for [Subject]?
  Location: [suggested-folder]/[entity-name].md
  Type: [entity type]

  [yes / no / modify]

If the user provided context with their request ("saw them at the conference"), include that context in the proposed entity.

Step 5: Create the Entity

After approval, create a structured note. Adapt the template to the entity type:

Organization

bm_write(
  title="Acme Corp",
  directory="organizations",
  note_type="organization",
  tags=["organization", "relevant-tags"],
  content="""# Acme Corp

## Overview
[2-3 sentence description from research]

## Products & Services
- [Key offerings discovered in research]

## Background
**Stage:** [Startup / Growth / Public]
**Headquarters:** [Location]
**Employees:** [Estimate, hedged]
**Leadership:** [Key people if found]
**Founded:** [Year if found]

## Observations
- [relevance] Why this entity matters in user's context
- [source] Researched on YYYY-MM-DD
- [additional observations from research findings]

## Relations
- [Link to related entities already in the knowledge graph]"""
)

Person

bm_write(
  title="Jane Smith",
  directory="people",
  note_type="person",
  tags=["person", "relevant-tags"],
  content="""# Jane Smith

## Overview
[Current role and affiliation. Brief background.]

## Background
**Role:** [Title at Organization]
**Expertise:** [Key domains]
**Notable:** [Publications, talks, projects if found]

## Observations
- [role] Title at Organization
- [expertise] Key technical or domain expertise
- [source] Researched on YYYY-MM-DD

## Relations
- works_at [[Organization]]"""
)

Technology

bm_write(
  title="Technology Name",
  directory="concepts",
  note_type="concept",
  tags=["concept", "technology", "relevant-tags"],
  content="""# Technology Name

## Overview
[What it is and what problem it solves]

## Key Details
**Maintained by:** [Organization or community]
**Maturity:** [Experimental / Stable / Mature]
**License:** [If applicable]
**Alternatives:** [Comparable tools or approaches]

## Observations
- [definition] What this technology does in one sentence
- [maturity] Current state and adoption level
- [source] Researched on YYYY-MM-DD

## Relations
- [Link to related concepts, tools, or projects in the knowledge graph]"""
)

Adapt these templates freely. The key elements are: note_type/tags parameters, an overview, structured details, observations with categories, and relations.

If bm_write reports similar existing notes, check whether one of them is this entity before keeping the new note; merge or link instead of duplicating.

Step 6: Store Source Context

If the user provided context with their request, capture it in the entity:

# User said: "Acme Corp — saw their demo at the conference last week"
bm_edit(
  identifier="Acme Corp",
  command="insert_after_section",
  section="Observations",
  content="- [context] Saw their demo at conference, week of 2026-02-17"
)

This context is often the most valuable part — it's the user's relationship to the entity, which web research can't provide.

Guidelines

• Always web search. Don't rely on training data alone. Research should reflect current, verifiable information.
• Search Basic Memory first. Check for existing entities before creating new ones. Update rather than duplicate.
• Hedge uncertain information. Use qualifiers for estimates, unverified claims, and inferred details.
• Store source URLs. Include the URLs you consulted, either in observations or a Sources section. This enables the user to verify and dig deeper.
• Get approval before creating. Present your findings and let the user decide whether to create the entity and what to include.
• Capture user context. If the user told you why they're researching (met at a conference, evaluating as a vendor, etc.), that context belongs in the entity.
• Don't over-research. 3-5 web searches is usually enough. The goal is a useful knowledge graph entry, not an exhaustive report.
• Link to existing knowledge. Relate the new entity to things already in the knowledge graph. Connections compound value.