| name | research |
| description | Investigate a question against high-trust primary sources and capture the findings as a cited Markdown note. Use when the user wants durable research, docs/API facts gathered, ecosystem comparisons, or reading legwork saved for Ideator, Planner, Architect, or future sessions. |
Research
Research is the durable layer above ketch. Use ketch as the canonical web/docs/scrape tool, then
turn the findings into a compact Markdown artifact the repo can reuse.
Use this skill when the user wants more than an answer in chat:
- external facts, APIs, standards, or provider behavior investigated
- library/framework docs gathered for future implementation
- ecosystem options compared
- source-backed context prepared for Ideator, Planner, Architect, or a future session
Do not use this skill for ordinary one-off web lookup. Use ketch directly for that.
Source Discipline
Prefer primary sources:
- official documentation
- source repositories
- specifications and standards
- first-party API references
- first-party release notes, changelogs, or migration guides
Use secondary sources only to discover primary sources or to understand broader context. Do not let a secondary source
own a factual claim when a primary source exists.
For library and framework APIs, use ketch docs first. For current ecosystem facts, use ketch search. For a specific
URL, use ketch scrape.
Process
- Define the research question. State the question in one sentence and the decision or artifact it should inform.
- Gather sources with ketch. Use
ketch docs, ketch search, or ketch scrape as appropriate. Prefer official
sources and keep enough source detail to cite claims.
- Distinguish fact from inference. Mark sourced facts separately from your synthesis or recommendation.
- Write one Markdown note. Save it where the repo already keeps research notes. If there is no convention, use
docs/research/<slug>.md.
- Keep it reusable. Link to Plans, PRDs, ADRs, or files it informs. Do not duplicate existing durable artifacts;
reference them by path.
Note Format
# <Research Topic>
## Question
<The research question and what decision/artifact it informs.>
## Findings
- <Sourced fact or constraint.> Source: <URL or doc path>
- <Sourced fact or constraint.> Source: <URL or doc path>
## Inference
<Your synthesis, clearly marked as inference rather than source fact.>
## Recommendation
<The practical recommendation, if the sources support one.>
## Open Questions
- <Anything the sources did not settle.>
Rules
- Use local project language from
CONTEXT.md when naming repo concepts.
- Respect ADRs; do not re-litigate documented decisions unless the research explicitly calls them into question.
- Keep citations close to the claims they support.
- Do not store secrets, private credentials, or copied proprietary content in research notes.
- Keep quoted text short. Prefer paraphrase plus source link.