| name | research-gather |
| description | Systematically gather source material for blog articles. GitHub history, session transcripts, code examples, screenshots. Use at RESEARCH stage of blog pipeline. |
Research Gather Skill
Purpose: Systematically assemble all source material needed for an article.
When to Use
At the RESEARCH stage of the blog pipeline, after IDEA is defined and before WALK.
Source Types
| Source | What to Gather | How |
|---|
| GitHub history | Commits, PRs, issues relevant to story | git log, GitHub API |
| Session transcripts | Past Claude conversations on topic | Search transcripts collection |
| Code examples | Actual code that demonstrates points | Extract from repos |
| Screenshots | UI states, terminal output, diagrams | Capture or find existing |
| Dates & timeline | When things happened | Git history, file dates |
| External references | Docs, articles, tools mentioned | Web search, bookmarks |
Process
0. Load Author Context
Before any research, read from eterne (private vault):
~/src/eterne/vault/03-resources/blog-context/
├── author.md # Quick reference (always load)
├── timeline/overview.md # For chronological articles
├── people/family.md # If relationships mentioned
└── themes/
├── spiritual.md # If practice/philosophy relevant
└── career.md # If professional history relevant
Why eterne? Biographical context is private (names, health history, location).
This provides:
- Verified biographical facts (prevents hallucination)
- Current project metrics and scale
- Key claims with evidence status
- Family and relationship context
- Spiritual/philosophical background
- Career arc (including illness era context)
1. Define Research Questions
Based on the one-sentence teaching from IDEA stage:
- What claims will this article make?
- What evidence supports each claim?
- What concrete examples illustrate each point?
2. Gather by Source Type
GitHub History:
git log --oneline --grep="[keyword]"
git log --oneline --since="2024-01-01" --until="2024-06-01" -- path/to/relevant/
gh pr list --state all --search "[keyword]"
Session Transcripts:
- Search
packages/blog/src/content/transcripts/
- Search conversation history for relevant topics
- Note session dates and key exchanges
Code Examples:
- Extract minimal, self-contained examples
- Verify they still run
- Note file paths and commit hashes for attribution
Timeline:
- Build chronological sequence of events
- Note key dates, durations, milestones
3. Organize Material
Create research file at pipeline/active/NNN-slug/02-research.md:
# Research: [Article Title]
## Claims & Evidence
### Claim 1: [Statement]
- Evidence: [source, quote, data]
- Example: [code/screenshot/transcript excerpt]
### Claim 2: [Statement]
...
## Timeline
| Date | Event | Source |
|------|-------|--------|
| YYYY-MM-DD | [What happened] | [Git commit / transcript / etc.] |
## Code Examples
### Example 1: [Description]
```[language]
[code]
Source: [file path @ commit]
Open Questions
- [Things to explore during WALK stage]
- [Gaps in evidence]
Raw Material
[Links, excerpts, screenshots to process]
---
## Quality Gate
**Gate question:** Do you have concrete examples for every claim?
**Checklist:**
- [ ] Author context loaded and referenced
- [ ] Every claim has supporting evidence
- [ ] Timeline is documented with sources
- [ ] Code examples are extracted and verified
- [ ] Screenshots captured if needed
- [ ] Gaps identified for WALK stage exploration
---
## Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|--------------|---------|-----|
| Vague notes | Can't verify later | Cite specific sources |
| Too much material | Overwhelms outline | Focus on claims, not completeness |
| Unverified examples | May not work | Run code, check links |
| Missing dates | Timeline unclear | Always note when things happened |
---
*Research serves the story. Precision now prevents problems later.*
