research-strategy skill

---
name: research-strategy
description: Conduct systematic research with confidence scoring, source validation, and structured reporting for technology decisions and codebase analysis. Use for complex research tasks, technology selection, or best practice discovery.
---

# Research Strategy Skill

## When to Activate

Activate this skill when:
- Researching technology options
- Evaluating libraries or frameworks
- Investigating best practices
- Analyzing security concerns
- Making architectural decisions
- Performing codebase analysis

## Core Principles

- **Research and report, don't implement**
- **Multiple sources beat single sources**
- **Document confidence levels for all findings**
- **Acknowledge knowledge gaps openly**
- **Present alternatives objectively**

## 7-Step Research Methodology

1. **Define Research Questions** - What exactly needs answering?
2. **Identify Information Sources** - Where to look?
3. **Gather Raw Information** - Collect systematically
4. **Cross-Reference Findings** - Verify across sources
5. **Validate Accuracy** - Check dates, authority, consensus
6. **Identify Gaps** - What's still unknown?
7. **Synthesize Insights** - Connect into actionable knowledge

## Source Prioritization

1. **Primary Sources** (Highest priority)
   - Official documentation
   - Technical specifications
   - API references

2. **Authoritative Sources**
   - Well-maintained libraries
   - Industry standards (OWASP, NIST)
   - Academic papers

3. **Community Sources**
   - Stack Overflow discussions
   - GitHub issues/PRs
   - Technical blogs

4. **Experimental Sources** (Use with caution)
   - Beta features
   - Draft proposals

## Confidence Scoring

Assign to ALL findings:

| Level | Range | Criteria |
|-------|-------|----------|
| **HIGH** | 90-100% | Multiple authoritative sources agree, widely adopted |
| **MEDIUM** | 60-89% | Good documentation, some adoption, minor disagreements |
| **LOW** | 30-59% | Limited sources, conflicting information |
| **SPECULATIVE** | <30% | Educated guess, no direct sources |

## Research Report Structure

```markdown
# Research Report: [Topic]

## Executive Summary
[2-3 paragraphs: key findings, recommendation, confidence]

## Research Questions
1. [Question 1]
2. [Question 2]

## Key Findings

### Finding 1: [Title]
**Confidence**: HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW
**Sources**: [List with links]
[Detailed explanation]
**Implications**: [How this affects decisions]

## Comparative Analysis

| Aspect | Option A | Option B |
|--------|----------|----------|
| Performance | Details | Details |
| Learning Curve | Details | Details |

## Best Practices
1. **[Practice]**: Why, Source, Adoption level

## Risks and Concerns
- **Risk**: Severity, Likelihood, Mitigation

## Knowledge Gaps
- **Gap**: Impact, How to address

## Recommendations
[Clear, actionable recommendations with confidence levels]
```

## Library/Framework Research Template

```markdown
## Overview
- Purpose: [One sentence]
- Maturity: Stable/Beta/Experimental
- Last commit: [Date]
- License: [Type]

## Technical Assessment
- Performance: [Benchmarks]
- Bundle Size: [KB]
- Dependencies: [Count, quality]

## Developer Experience
- Documentation: Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor
- TypeScript: Built-in/DefinitelyTyped/None
- Learning Curve: Steep/Moderate/Gentle

## Verdict
**Recommendation**: Use/Don't Use/Conditional
**Confidence**: HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW
**When to Use**: [Scenarios]
**When to Avoid**: [Scenarios]
```

## Analysis Framework

For each topic, answer:

**Current State**
- What exists today?
- What patterns are established?

**Best Practices**
- What do experts recommend?
- What anti-patterns to avoid?

**Trade-offs**
- What are alternatives?
- Pros/cons of each option?

**Risks**
- What could go wrong?
- Common pitfalls?

## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ **Single Source Syndrome**
- "According to this one article..."
- ✅ "Multiple sources agree (A, B, C)..."

❌ **Premature Implementation**
- "Here's the code..."
- ✅ "Implementation would follow this approach..."

❌ **Missing Confidence Levels**
- "This is the way."
- ✅ "HIGH confidence: Recommended by [sources]..."

❌ **Outdated Information**
- Using 2020 practices without checking updates
- ✅ Verify current practices, note recent changes

## Research Quality Checklist

### Completeness
- [ ] All questions answered
- [ ] Multiple sources consulted (minimum 2-3)
- [ ] Advantages AND disadvantages investigated
- [ ] Edge cases considered

### Accuracy
- [ ] Sources are authoritative and current
- [ ] Publication dates checked
- [ ] Conflicting info acknowledged
- [ ] Assumptions stated

### Actionability
- [ ] Findings translate to next steps
- [ ] Risks quantified
- [ ] Alternatives provided
- [ ] Decision criteria clear

## Related Resources

See `AgentUsage/research_workflow.md` for complete documentation including:
- Security research template
- Detailed report examples
- Research mission template
- Quality checklists