Research Quality Gates

A quality gate is a checkpoint that a deliverable must pass before it moves to the next stage. In research sprints, there are three gates. Gate one: source sufficiency. Do you have at least three independent sources for every critical finding? If not, the sprint is not done — it needs more extraction. Gate two: synthesis coherence. Does the narrative answer the original research question without introducing claims that are not supported by extracted data? Gate three: actionability. Can the reader make a decision based on this deliverable? If the deliverable informs but does not enable action, it needs a recommendation section.

1. Gate 1: Source Sufficiency Every critical claim has 3+ independent sources. Every data point has a citation. Every "not found" is explicitly noted. If a critical finding has only one source, flag it as unvalidated and recommend further research.
2. Gate 2: Synthesis Coherence The narrative answers the original question. No claims lack supporting data. No extracted data is omitted without explanation. Ask Claude: "Does this synthesis answer the original question, and is every claim supported by the extracted data?"
3. Gate 3: Actionability The reader can make a decision after reading. If the deliverable is purely informational, add a "Recommended Actions" section with 2-3 specific next steps based on the findings.