spec-research

name	spec-research
description	Research a requested change from Codex and turn findings into proposal-ready constraints. Use when a request needs bounded discovery before planning.
license	MIT

Research the request from Codex and produce proposal-ready constraints.

Core contract

• Codex owns the research brief, constraint synthesis, and proposal progression.
• Claude can be used as an optional secondary perspective, not as the workflow owner.
• This step updates the OpenSpec proposal context, not product code.

Steps

1. Create or select the active change with openspec list --json and openspec status --change "<change-name>" --json.
2. Convert the user request into a bounded research brief:
   • goal
   • scope boundaries
   • known constraints
   • success signals
3. Inspect the relevant codebase and surrounding project context.
4. Collect:
   • hard constraints
   • soft constraints
   • dependencies
   • risks
   • open questions
5. Resolve blocking ambiguities with the user when necessary.
6. Update or generate proposal.md so the change is ready for planning.
7. Stop after proposal context is clear and bounded.

Output

• active change id
• research summary
• proposal status
• next skill: spec-plan

Guardrails

• Do not modify product code in this step.
• Do not make final implementation decisions here.
• Keep the output constraint-focused rather than brainstorming indefinitely.