CogGen: A Cognitively Inspired Recursive Framework for Deep Research Report Generation

Kuo Tian, Pengfei Sun, Zhen Wu, Junran Ding, Xinyu Dai


Abstract
The autonomous synthesis of deep research reports represents a critical frontier for Large Language Models (LLMs), demanding sophisticated information orchestration and non-linear narrative logic. Current approaches rely on rigid predefined linear workflows, which cause error accumulation, preclude global restructuring from subsequent insights, and ultimately limit in-depth multimodal fusion and report quality. We propose CogGen, a Cognitively inspired recursive framework for deep research report Generation. Leveraging a Hierarchical Recursive Architecture to simulate cognitive writing, CogGen enables flexible planning and global restructuring. To extend this recursivity to multimodal content, we introduce Abstract Visual Representation (AVR): a concise intent-driven language that iteratively refines visual-text layouts without pixel-level regeneration overhead. We further present CLEF, a Cognitive Load Evaluation Framework, and curate a new benchmark from Our World in Data (OWID). Extensive experiments show CogGen achieves state-of-the-art results among open-source systems, generating reports comparable to professional analysts’ outputs and surpassing Gemini Deep Research. Our code and dataset will be publicly available upon publication.
Anthology ID:
2026.findings-acl.296
Volume:
Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: ACL 2026
Month:
July
Year:
2026
Address:
San Diego, California, United States
Editors:
Maria Liakata, Viviane P. Moreira, Jiajun Zhang, David Jurgens
Venue:
Findings
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Publisher:
Association for Computational Linguistics
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Pages:
5961–5988
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URL:
https://preview.aclanthology.org/ingest-acl/2026.findings-acl.296/
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Cite (ACL):
Kuo Tian, Pengfei Sun, Zhen Wu, Junran Ding, and Xinyu Dai. 2026. CogGen: A Cognitively Inspired Recursive Framework for Deep Research Report Generation. In Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics: ACL 2026, pages 5961–5988, San Diego, California, United States. Association for Computational Linguistics.
Cite (Informal):
CogGen: A Cognitively Inspired Recursive Framework for Deep Research Report Generation (Tian et al., Findings 2026)
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https://preview.aclanthology.org/ingest-acl/2026.findings-acl.296.pdf
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