Using OpenClaw as a Research Assistant

Research Assistant Setup

OpenClaw excels as a research assistant — combining web search, content analysis, and report writing into a conversational workflow.

Essential Skills

• Web Searcher — Find information across the internet
• Web Reader — Read and analyze full articles
• Note Taker — Save findings as you go
• File Manager — Organize research into files

Research Workflows

Quick Fact Check

"Is it true that the Great Wall of China is visible from space? Check at least 3 sources."

Topic Research

"Research the current state of quantum computing. Check 5+ sources and write a 500-word summary with citations."

Competitive Analysis

"Compare Notion, Obsidian, and Logseq. Create a comparison table covering pricing, features, platforms, and user reviews."

Literature Review

"Find the 10 most cited papers on transformer architecture. List each with title, authors, year, and a one-sentence summary."

Research Commands

Starting Research

• "Research [topic] and save to research/[topic].md"
• "Deep dive into [subject] — check at least 10 sources"
• "What are the latest developments in [field]?"

During Research

• "Go deeper on point #3"
• "Find a contradicting viewpoint"
• "Check if this claim is supported by other sources"
• "Add this to the research notes"

Finishing Up

• "Summarize all findings into a final report"
• "Create an executive summary of the research"
• "List all sources used with links"

Report Format

Ask for structured output: "Write the report with these sections:

1. Executive Summary
2. Key Findings
3. Analysis
4. Sources Use markdown formatting and include citations."

Pro Tips

• Ask for multiple perspectives on controversial topics
• Request source quality assessment ("Is this a reliable source?")
• Use memory to build up research context over multiple sessions
• Save intermediate findings to avoid re-searching