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Deep Research Agent with AI Analysis and Multi-Source Data Collection
🎯 Target Audience
- Market researchers and analysts
- Business intelligence teams
- Academic researchers and students
- Content creators and journalists
- Product managers conducting market research
- Consultants performing competitive analysis
- Data scientists gathering research data
- Marketing teams analyzing industry trends
🚀 Problem Statement
Manual research processes are time-consuming, inconsistent, and often miss critical information from multiple sources. This template solves the challenge of automating comprehensive research across web, news, and academic sources while providing AI-powered analysis and actionable insights.
🔧 How it Works
This workflow automatically conducts deep research on any topic using AI-powered web scraping, collects data from multiple source types, and provides comprehensive analysis with actionable insights.
Key Components
- Webhook Trigger - Receives research requests and initiates the automated research process
- Research Configuration Processor - Validates and processes research parameters, generates search queries
- Multi-Source AI Scraping - Uses ScrapeGraphAI to collect data from web, news, and academic sources
- Data Processing Engine - Combines and structures data from all sources for analysis
- AI Research Analyst - Uses GPT-4 to provide comprehensive analysis and insights
- Data Storage - Stores all research findings in Google Sheets for historical tracking
- Response System - Returns structured research results via webhook response
📊 Google Sheets Column Specifications
The template creates the following columns in your Google Sheets:
| Column | Data Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sessionId | String | Unique research session identifier | "research_1703123456789" |
| query | String | Research query that was executed | "artificial intelligence trends" |
| timestamp | DateTime | When the research was conducted | "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z" |
| analysis | Text | AI-generated comprehensive analysis | "Executive Summary: AI trends show..." |
| totalSources | Number | Total number of sources analyzed | 15 |
🛠️ Setup Instructions
Estimated setup time: 20-25 minutes
Prerequisites
- n8n instance with community nodes enabled
- ScrapeGraphAI API account and credentials
- OpenAI API account and credentials
- Google Sheets account with API access
Step-by-Step Configuration
1. Install Community Nodes
# Install required community nodes
npm install n8n-nodes-scrapegraphai
2. Configure ScrapeGraphAI Credentials
- Navigate to Credentials in your n8n instance
- Add new ScrapeGraphAI API credentials
- Enter your API key from ScrapeGraphAI dashboard
- Test the connection to ensure it's working
3. Set up OpenAI Credentials
- Add OpenAI API credentials
- Enter your API key from OpenAI dashboard
- Ensure you have access to GPT-4 model
- Test the connection to verify API access
4. Set up Google Sheets Connection
- Add Google Sheets OAuth2 credentials
- Grant necessary permissions for spreadsheet access
- Create a new spreadsheet for research data
- Configure the sheet name (default: "Research_Data")
5. Configure Research Parameters
- Update the webhook endpoint URL
- Customize default research parameters in the configuration processor
- Set appropriate search query generation logic
- Configure research depth levels (basic, detailed, comprehensive)
6. Test the Workflow
- Send a test webhook request with research parameters
- Verify data collection from all source types
- Check Google Sheets for proper data storage
- Validate AI analysis output quality
🔄 Workflow Customization Options
Modify Research Sources
- Add or remove source types (web, news, academic)
- Customize search queries for specific industries
- Adjust source credibility scoring algorithms
- Implement custom data extraction patterns
Extend Analysis Capabilities
- Add industry-specific analysis frameworks
- Implement comparative analysis between sources
- Create custom insight generation rules
- Add sentiment analysis for news sources
Customize Data Storage
- Add more detailed metadata tracking
- Implement research versioning and history
- Create multiple sheet tabs for different research types
- Add data export capabilities
Output Customization
- Create custom response formats
- Add research summary generation
- Implement citation and source tracking
- Create executive dashboard integration
📈 Use Cases
- Market Research: Comprehensive industry and competitor analysis
- Academic Research: Literature reviews and citation gathering
- Content Creation: Research for articles, reports, and presentations
- Business Intelligence: Strategic decision-making support
- Product Development: Market validation and trend analysis
- Investment Research: Due diligence and market analysis
🚨 Important Notes
- Respect website terms of service and robots.txt files
- Implement appropriate delays between requests to avoid rate limiting
- Monitor API usage to manage costs effectively
- Keep your credentials secure and rotate them regularly
- Consider data privacy and compliance requirements
- Validate research findings from multiple sources
🔧 Troubleshooting
Common Issues:
- ScrapeGraphAI connection errors: Verify API key and account status
- OpenAI API errors: Check API key and model access permissions
- Google Sheets permission errors: Check OAuth2 scope and permissions
- Research data quality issues: Review search query generation logic
- Rate limiting: Adjust request frequency and implement delays
- Webhook response errors: Check response format and content
Support Resources:
- ScrapeGraphAI documentation and API reference
- OpenAI API documentation and model specifications
- n8n community forums for workflow assistance
- Google Sheets API documentation for advanced configurations