research-first

name	research-first
description	Research workflow engine for technical investigation. Use when the task involves technology selection, solution comparison, feasibility evaluation, finding existing tools, or best practices research. Automatically determines research level (L1/L2/L3) and executes appropriate workflow. Note: QoderWork executes all research in single thread (no sub-agents).

Research-First 调研工作流引擎

QoderWork 适配版说明：本 Skill 针对 QoderWork 单线程环境调整。所有调研任务在当前对话中串行执行，通过阶段性汇报模拟"子代理"效果。

When to Use

Use this skill when the user needs:

• Technology selection and comparison
• Solution evaluation and feasibility analysis
• Finding existing tools or libraries
• Best practices research
• Competitive analysis
• Industry trends investigation

Research Levels

L1 - Quick Check

• Condition: Confirm usage, check configuration, find files, ≤3 tool calls
• Execution: Direct answer, no report
• Examples: "How to use X", "What's the config for Y"

L2 - Standard Research

• Condition: Technology selection, solution comparison, GitHub search, 5-15 tool calls
• Execution: Multi-phase execution with progress updates
• Examples: "Compare React vs Vue", "Find best PDF library"

L3 - Deep Research

• Condition: Multi-solution comparison, cross-domain, network + code analysis, >15 tool calls
• Execution: Structured multi-phase with intermediate reports
• Examples: "Evaluate microservices architecture", "Research AI deployment options"

Workflow Selection

User Intent	Workflow
"Is there a tool for..." / "Find libraries"	W1: Solution Discovery
"What are users complaining about"	W2: User Insights
"Can we implement..." / "Technical feasibility"	W3: Technical Evaluation
"How do others do it" / "Best practices"	W4: Best Practices
"What's new" / "Latest techniques"	W5: Knowledge Expansion
"What does academic research say"	W6: Literature Research

Execution Steps

Step 1: Deduplication Check (L2/L3 only)

Before starting L2/L3 research:

1. Read project docs/research/INDEX.md if exists
2. Read global ~/.qoderwork/memory-bank/research/INDEX.md
3. Grep keywords to find existing research
4. If found, ask user: Reuse / Refresh / Ignore

Step 2: Level Determination

Based on task complexity:

• User says "check" / "confirm" → L1
• Involves "selection" / "comparison" / "GitHub" → L2
• Involves "unknown domain" / "multi-dimension" / "high-risk" → L3
• Default to L2 if uncertain

Step 3: Scenario Identification

Select W1-W6 workflow based on user intent (see table above).

Step 4: Requirements Clarification (if needed)

If uncertainties exist, use AskUserQuestion (max 2-3 questions). Skip for L1 and when requirements are clear.

Step 5: Execution Declaration

Before execution, show configuration:

[MODE: RESEARCH] Research Initiated
- Level: L{1|2|3}
- Workflow: W{N} {Workflow Name}
- Validation Depth: {🔴|🟡|🟢}
- Timeliness: {🔥|📅|📚}
- Tools: {List of main tools to use}
- Execution: Single-thread with progress updates

Step 6: Execute (QoderWork Single-Thread Mode)

L1: Quick Check

• Use Read/Grep/Glob → Direct answer
• No report, no PRD

L2: Multi-Phase Research

Phase 1: Code Analysis

• Read existing code if applicable
• Identify patterns and conventions
• Report: "Phase 1 complete: Found X relevant files..."

Phase 2: External Research

• WebSearch/WebFetch for documentation
• Bash(gh search repos) for GitHub search
• Report: "Phase 2 complete: Found Y potential solutions..."

Phase 3: Analysis & Report

• Analyze findings
• Write report to ~/.qoderwork/memory-bank/research/{topic}-{YYYYMMDD}.md
• Return summary to user

L3: Structured Deep Research

For complex multi-domain research, use TodoWrite to track progress:

TodoWrite({
  todos: [
    {content: "Domain A: Solution discovery", status: "in_progress"},
    {content: "Domain B: Technical evaluation", status: "pending"},
    {content: "Domain C: Best practices", status: "pending"},
    {content: "Synthesis & report", status: "pending"}
  ]
})

Execute each domain sequentially with intermediate updates.

Step 7: Persist Results

Confirm:

• Report saved to correct path
• INDEX.md updated
• Storage level correct (project vs global)

Step 8: Output + Handoff

L1 Output

## Research Summary
### Findings
- [Key finding 1-3]
### Recommendations
[Brief recommendation]

L2/L3 Output

## Research Summary

**Report Location**: `{file path}`

### Key Findings (≤10 points)
1. [Finding 1]
2. [Finding 2]
...

### Reuse Analysis
| Solution/Project | Strategy | Reason |
|------------------|----------|--------|
| {Name} | 🟢 Use Directly / 🟡 Adapt / 🔵 Reference / ⚪ Build Own | {Brief} |

### Recommended Solution
[Summary]

### PRD Framework Draft
**Recommended**: [From research]
**Core Features**: [From key findings]
**Technical Dependencies**: [From reuse analysis]
**Risk Items**: [From validation]
**To Clarify**: [From uncertainties]

### Next Steps
[Clear recommendation for next action]

Tool Priority

1. GitHub: Use gh search repos, gh repo view commands
2. Documentation: WebFetch for official docs
3. Search: WebSearch (general), add site: for specific sources
4. Academic: WebSearch with "site:arxiv.org"
5. Chinese: WebSearch with 知乎/掘金/V2EX

Quality Requirements

• Cross-validate key conclusions with multiple sources
• Distinguish "confirmed facts" from "speculation"
• Include source URL for each key claim
• Dig deeper than first-page results
• Update user on progress for L2/L3 (don't go silent)

Research→Action Handoff

• After research, give clear "next step recommendations"
• If coding needed → suggest switching to development mode
• If decision needed → present "options + recommendation" format

QoderWork vs Claude Code Differences

Feature	Claude Code	QoderWork (This Skill)
Execution	Sub-agents (parallel)	Single thread (serial)
Progress	Background execution	Real-time updates
Report	Agent writes to file	I write directly
Parallel	Multiple agents	Sequential phases