C006 — Output Format Deliberately Separated from Methodology¶

Research: R0053 Run: 2026-03-31 Mode: claim

BLUF¶

The claim is substantially correct. The methodology prompt and the output format specification exist as two separate files (research.md and default.md). The methodology prompt defines the analytical process (Layers 1-2) and the report structure (Layer 3 / Step 10), while the output format specification defines the file layout, directory structure, markdown templates, rendering rules, and delivery modes. The separation is deliberate: the methodology's Layer 3 describes what to report, while the output format describes how and where to render it. You could replace default.md with a different output format without changing the analytical methodology in research.md.

Probability / Answer¶

Rating: Very likely / Highly probable (80-95%) Confidence: High Rationale: The two-file architecture is confirmed by direct inspection. The separation is clearly intentional -- the output format spec is in a separate directory (output-formats/) with its own file name (default.md), implying the existence of alternative output formats. However, a minor qualification: the methodology prompt's Step 10 and Layer 3 contain report structure requirements that overlap with the output format spec, creating some coupling. The separation is not perfectly clean -- changing the output format may require awareness of Step 10's requirements.

Reasoning Chain¶

The methodology prompt (research.md) is located at skills/research/prompts/research.md. The output format specification (default.md) is located at skills/research/output-formats/default.md. These are separate files in separate directories. [Source: SRC01 + SRC02, High reliability, High relevance]
The methodology prompt's Layer 3 ("Output Structure") defines the report contents: what sections to include, what each section must contain, and in what order. Step 10 ("Report") specifies the sections for claim mode and query mode reports. [Source: SRC01, High reliability, High relevance]
The output format specification (default.md) defines the directory structure, file naming conventions, markdown templates for each file type (assessment.md, sources.md, searches.md, self-audit.md), delivery modes (Mode A: filesystem, Mode B: HTML), and rendering rules (clickable links, section ordering, etc.). [Source: SRC02, High reliability, High relevance]
The output format spec explicitly opens with: "This output format produces clean, portable markdown that renders well in any markdown viewer." This framing positions it as a rendering/presentation concern, not a methodology concern. [Source: SRC02, High reliability, High relevance]
The directory name output-formats/ (plural) with the file default.md implies that alternative output formats are anticipated. A different format could be substituted. [Source: SRC02, High reliability, Medium relevance]
JUDGMENT: The claim accurately describes an intentional architectural decision. The methodology defines what to research and what to report. The output format defines how to render the report. The separation enables swapping output formats. The minor coupling via Step 10's report structure requirements means the separation is functional but not absolute.

Hypotheses¶

H1: The claim is substantially correct — output format is deliberately separated and independently replaceable.¶

Status: Supported Evidence for: Two separate files in separate directories. Output format focused on rendering, methodology focused on process. Directory name implies alternatives. Evidence against: Step 10 in the methodology defines report structure, creating some coupling.

H2: The claim is substantially incorrect — the output format is embedded in the methodology.¶

Status: Eliminated Evidence for: None. Evidence against: They are physically separate files in separate directories.

H3: The claim is partially correct — separation exists but is incomplete.¶

Status: Inconclusive Evidence for: Step 10's report structure requirements in the methodology overlap with the output format's section definitions. Changing the output format requires awareness of Step 10. Evidence against: The overlap is between what to include (methodology) and how to render it (output format), which is a natural and intentional boundary.

Evidence Summary¶

Source	Description	Reliability	Relevance	Key Finding
SRC01	research.md (methodology prompt)	High	High	Layer 3 / Step 10 define report contents; separate from rendering
SRC02	default.md (output format spec)	High	High	Defines directory structure, templates, delivery modes

Collection Synthesis¶

Dimension	Assessment
Evidence quality	Robust -- both primary source artifacts directly inspected
Source agreement	High -- both files confirm the separation
Source independence	N/A -- they are designed to work together
Outliers	None

Gaps¶

Missing Evidence	Impact on Assessment
Alternative output format implementations	Would confirm that the separation works in practice (not just in theory)
Author's stated design intent	Would confirm the deliberateness of the separation

Researcher Bias Check¶

Declared biases: No researcher profile was provided. Influence assessment: Not a significant concern for structural verification.

Revisit Triggers¶

Trigger	Type	Check
An alternative output format is published in the output-formats/ directory	event	Check for new files in output-formats/
The methodology prompt merges output format details into its own text	event	Check if research.md absorbs default.md content
The output-formats directory is removed or restructured	event	Check directory structure