Observe
Check approved sources on a defined schedule or event, capture timestamps and retrieval status, and avoid treating access failure as no change.
Designed for evidence, change detection, and reviewable synthesis.
System pattern 02
Research, monitoring, and briefing agent system.
A reference architecture for source aware research agents that monitor changes, retrieve evidence, synthesize findings, and produce reviewable briefs.
Operating context
The problem this pattern is built to handle.
Research work often fails at the seams. Sources are checked inconsistently, important changes arrive without context, repeated findings are reported as new, and a polished summary makes weak evidence look stronger than it is.
A research and monitoring agent should maintain a source register, record when and how each source was checked, detect material changes, retrieve the supporting evidence, and produce a brief that separates facts from inference. The system is valuable when it compresses the path from change to informed attention without hiding uncertainty.
This page is a reference architecture.
It does not claim a named or anonymous client result. A real implementation begins with representative work, verified integrations, and an agreed evaluation set.
System flow
Four stages, one accountable path.
Model interpretation sits inside a durable workflow. Each stage has a known input, output, and failure route.
Compare
Normalize new material, compare it with prior state, deduplicate repeated coverage, and identify changes relevant to the monitored question.
Verify
Retrieve primary evidence where possible, assess source quality, preserve citations, and mark claims that remain uncertain or inferred.
Brief
Produce a structured update with the change, why it matters, supporting evidence, confidence, and the action or reviewer it should reach.
Control layers
Autonomy is bounded by design.
Controls are matched to the action and its consequence. A prompt instruction is not a substitute for software enforcement.
Source registry
Each source has a purpose, authority level, retrieval method, and expected cadence. New sources do not silently enter the evidence base.
Freshness and access state
The brief distinguishes retrieved, unchanged, changed, unavailable, and blocked states. Silence is not mistaken for a verified absence.
Claim to citation links
Every material factual claim retains a path to its source. Inference is labeled and kept separate from observed evidence.
Editorial review
High impact briefs can require review before distribution. Feedback becomes evaluation data for relevance, completeness, and source quality.
Measurement
Measure the operation, not the theatre.
Agent quality has to connect to the completed workflow. Model accuracy, tool success, and adoption are diagnostic measures, not the final outcome.
- Relevant changes found and verified
- False alerts and duplicate findings
- Time from source change to reviewed brief
- Citation coverage for material claims
- Reviewer usefulness and missed context
Suitability
Conditions for a credible first release.
- The monitored question and intended action are explicit.
- A source set can be defined and accessed lawfully.
- Freshness, relevance, and evidence quality can be reviewed.
- The organization accepts that public research cannot prove every private fact.
If these conditions are missing, the right first move may be process design, data work, or integration cleanup instead of an agent.
FAQ
Questions about this system pattern.
Specific answers beat vague reassurance. If your question depends on the workflow, we will say so.
Can a research agent browse the public web?
Yes, within the access methods, terms, and source list approved for the workflow. Login walls, robots rules, licensing, rate limits, and changing page structures need explicit handling.
How does the system reduce hallucinations?
It retrieves evidence before synthesis, requires citations for material claims, distinguishes observation from inference, validates structured fields, and escalates unsupported conclusions. Those controls reduce risk but do not eliminate the need for review.
Can it monitor internal sources too?
Yes, provided access is scoped and permitted. Internal documents, databases, messages, or reports can be combined with external evidence while preserving source identity and access boundaries.
Start with the workflow
Bring us the process that keeps breaking.
We will map the work, identify the right automation boundary, and tell you plainly whether an agent belongs there.
Discuss the workflow