diff --git a/core/artifacts/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/ResearchSchemaLoadTest.kt b/core/artifacts/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/ResearchSchemaLoadTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d858e60d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/artifacts/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/ResearchSchemaLoadTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package com.correx.core.artifacts.kind
+
+import kotlinx.serialization.json.Json
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+import java.nio.file.Path
+import kotlin.io.path.exists
+import kotlin.io.path.readText
+
+/**
+ * The research artifact schemas (docs/schemas/research_*.json, source_dossier.json) must parse with
+ * the same strict deserializer the server uses to load config artifact kinds. correx's JsonSchema is
+ * flat — array properties take only scalar `items` — so a schema with array-of-object items fails to
+ * load at startup (silently disabling the kind). This guards every shipped research schema.
+ */
+class ResearchSchemaLoadTest {
+
+    private fun repoFile(relative: String): Path {
+        var dir: Path? = Path.of("").toAbsolutePath()
+        while (dir != null) {
+            val candidate = dir.resolve(relative)
+            if (candidate.exists()) return candidate
+            dir = dir.parent
+        }
+        error("could not locate $relative")
+    }
+
+    private fun load(name: String): JsonSchema =
+        Json.decodeFromString(JsonSchema.serializer(), repoFile("docs/schemas/$name").readText())
+
+    @Test
+    fun `research schemas parse with the strict loader`() {
+        for (name in listOf("research_plan.json", "source_dossier.json", "research_report.json")) {
+            val schema = load(name)
+            assertEquals("object", schema.type, "$name root must be an object")
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `source dossier sources is an array of strings`() {
+        val sources = load("source_dossier.json").properties.getValue("sources")
+        assertEquals("array", sources.type)
+        assertEquals("string", sources.items?.type, "items must be scalar — the flat JsonSchema model")
+        assertTrue(sources.minItems >= 1)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/schemas/source_dossier.json b/docs/schemas/source_dossier.json
index c5e8ee7f..f96e4d51 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/source_dossier.json
+++ b/docs/schemas/source_dossier.json
@@ -3,25 +3,9 @@
   "properties": {
     "sources": {
       "type": "array",
-      "description": "one entry per fetched source — each summarized on its own (per-source synthesis). This is the compression step: raw page text must never be copied here, only what the source contributes.",
+      "description": "one entry per fetched source — each a self-contained note in your own words (per-source synthesis; the compression step). Start each entry with the source URL, then summarize what it contributes and which sub-question(s) it bears on. Never copy raw page text. Example: 'https://example.com/x — explains Y; bears on sub-question 2'.",
       "minItems": 1,
-      "items": {
-        "type": "object",
-        "properties": {
-          "url": { "type": "string", "description": "the fetched source URL (a citation handle)" },
-          "title": { "type": "string" },
-          "summary": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "description": "what this source contributes to the question, in your own words — not a copy of the page"
-          },
-          "relevance": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "description": "which sub-question(s) this source bears on, and how strongly"
-          }
-        },
-        "required": ["url", "summary"],
-        "additionalProperties": true
-      }
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
     }
   },
   "required": ["sources"],
diff --git a/examples/workflows/prompts/research_gather.md b/examples/workflows/prompts/research_gather.md
index 8b2b8611..3efd352b 100644
--- a/examples/workflows/prompts/research_gather.md
+++ b/examples/workflows/prompts/research_gather.md
@@ -18,4 +18,6 @@ Steps:
 Never copy raw page text into a summary. Cite each source by its exact URL.
 
 Emit your result as the `source_dossier` artifact (JSON, schema provided):
-- `sources`: one entry per fetched source, each with `url`, `title`, `summary`, and `relevance`.
+- `sources`: an array of strings, one per fetched source. Start each entry with the source URL,
+  then your summary and which sub-question(s) it bears on — e.g.
+  `"https://example.com/x — explains Y; bears on sub-question 2"`.