Research Interview

Conduct a structured interview to help formalise a research idea into a concrete specification.

Input: $ARGUMENTS — a brief topic description or "start fresh" for an open-ended exploration.

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How This Works

This is a conversational skill. Ask questions one at a time, probe deeper based on answers, and build toward a structured research specification.

Ask questions directly in text responses, one or two at a time. Wait for the user to respond before continuing.

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Interview Structure

Phase 1: The Big Picture (1-2 questions)

• "What phenomenon or puzzle are you trying to understand?"
• "Why does this matter? Who should care about the answer?"

Phase 2: Theoretical Motivation (1-2 questions)

• "What's your intuition for why X happens / what drives Y?"
• "What would standard theory predict? Do you expect something different?"

Phase 3: Data and Setting (1-2 questions)

• "What data do you have access to, or what data would you ideally want?"
• "Is there a specific context, time period, or institutional setting you're focused on?"

For this project, also probe:

• Can this be answered with the existing EDM + Land Registry + Zoopla data?
• Does this require new data (e.g. water company financials, bathing water quality, health data)?

Phase 4: Identification (1-2 questions)

• "Is there a natural experiment, policy change, or source of variation you can exploit?"
• "What's the biggest threat to a causal interpretation?"

Phase 5: Expected Results (1-2 questions)

• "What would you expect to find? What would surprise you?"
• "What would the results imply for policy or theory?"

Phase 6: Contribution (1 question)

• "How does this differ from what's already been done? What's the gap you're filling?"