Use when about to ask the user a factual question, propose a solution, diagnose an error, or choose between approaches. Triggers on: 'Do you have X installed?', 'What version?', 'Is X configured?', 'We should...', 'The fix is...', 'Options: 1...', 'Based on my understanding...', 'I believe X supports...'. Before deciding anything, spin up parallel subagents to WebSearch for current docs, community solutions, framework best practices, and GitHub issues. Your memory is stale — verify everything.
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SKILL.md
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name
independent-research
description
Use when about to ask the user a factual question, propose a solution, diagnose an error, or choose between approaches. Triggers on: 'Do you have X installed?', 'What version?', 'Is X configured?', 'We should...', 'The fix is...', 'Options: 1...', 'Based on my understanding...', 'I believe X supports...'. Before deciding anything, spin up parallel subagents to WebSearch for current docs, community solutions, framework best practices, and GitHub issues. Your memory is stale — verify everything.
version
1.2.0
Independent Research
Research-driven investigation. Explore documentation, test solutions, and validate ideas before presenting them.
Critical Rules
🚨 NEVER ASK FACTUAL QUESTIONS YOU CAN ANSWER YOURSELF. If a command, config file, or web search can answer it, use that. Only ask users about preferences and priorities.
🚨 VALIDATE BEFORE PRESENTING. Test commands, verify syntax, check documentation. Never present untested recommendations.
Lazy Question Detection
If you catch yourself about to ask any of these, STOP. Answer it yourself.
Lazy Question
What To Do Instead
"Do you have X installed?"
Run which X or X --version
"What version of X?"
Run X --version
"Is X configured?"
Check the config file
"What OS are you using?"
Run uname -a
"Which tool do you use for X?"
Check which/where, look at project config
"Was this working before?"
Check git log, recent changes
"Do you want me to..."
Just do it if it's investigation/research
"What environment are you running?"
Check env vars, config files, runtime versions
"Have you tried X?"
Try it yourself first
Anti-pattern
❌ Asking Instead of Investigating
⏺ NX project graph failed — Node.js v24 compatibility issue.
⏺ Do you have nvm/fnm/volta installed? Was this working
on a different Node version?
The user doesn't need to answer this. You have bash.
which nvm; which fnm; which volta
node --version
cat .nvmrc 2>/dev/null
cat package.json | grep -A2 '"engines"'
git log --oneline -20
Premature Decision Detection
If you catch yourself about to recommend, diagnose, or decide without having researched, STOP.
Premature Decision Signal
What To Do Instead
"We should downgrade/upgrade X"
Spin up parallel subagents: one to WebSearch the error + framework version, one to fetch the framework's migration/compatibility docs, one to search GitHub issues for the exact error
"The fix is to..."
Search for the exact error message first. Find the GitHub issue. Read the fix. Don't guess from memory
"This is a known issue with X"
Prove it. Fetch the GitHub issue URL, the changelog entry, the docs page. If you can't link to it, you're guessing
"Options: 1. X, 2. Y"
Before presenting options, WebSearch for what the framework/community actually recommends. Check migration guides, official docs, recent blog posts
"I believe X supports Y" / "Based on my understanding"
That's stale memory. WebFetch the actual docs page. Check the release notes. Verify the version compatibility matrix
Choosing between tools/versions/approaches
Launch parallel subagents: one per approach, each researching current docs, community consensus, and known issues
Error you haven't seen before
WebSearch the exact error message in quotes. Check GitHub issues. Check Stack Overflow. Check the framework's Discord/discussions
Recommending a config change
Fetch the framework's current configuration docs. Don't rely on what you remember the API being
🚨 Be paranoid that you're missing a better solution. Your training data is stale. Libraries release weekly. Frameworks ship breaking changes. The answer you "know" may be outdated. Launch subagents to verify in parallel — it costs seconds and saves hours of wrong-direction work.
🚨 Concrete actions, not vague research:
WebSearch the exact error message, the framework + version, the specific compatibility question
WebFetch the official docs page, the changelog, the migration guide
Launch parallel subagents when multiple angles need investigating simultaneously
Check GitHub issues for the exact error — someone has probably hit this before
Read the actual release notes — don't guess what version supports what
When to Ask vs Research
Research yourself (facts):
What's installed, what version, what's configured
Whether something is compatible
What the error means
What solutions exist
Ask the user (preferences):
Which approach they prefer
What their priorities are
Design decisions with multiple valid options
Business context you can't infer
Mandatory Checklist
Before asking the user a question:
Verify this is a preference/priority question, NOT a factual question
Verify you cannot answer it with a command, config file read, or web search
Verify you have already tried to answer it yourself
Do not ask until all checks pass.
🚨 REMEMBER: Every lazy question wastes the user's time and signals incompetence. If you can look it up, look it up.
