| name | spec-driven-research |
| description | Capture, persist, and query research findings across sessions through a 7-phase workflow with structural anti-skip enforcement. Transforms web research, competitive analysis, technology evaluations, and market research into structured documents that survive session restarts. Prevents token optimization bias through per-phase reference loading, checkpoint persistence, Execute-Verify-Record enforcement, and artifact verification. Use when conducting competitive analysis, evaluating technologies, researching markets, planning integrations, or investigating architecture patterns. Always use this skill when the user runs /research or mentions research capture, knowledge persistence, or structured research documentation.
|
| allowed-tools | ["Read","Write","Edit","Glob","Grep","WebSearch","WebFetch","AskUserQuestion","Task"] |
| model | opus |
| effort | High |
Spec-Driven Research
Capture and persist research findings across sessions in structured, queryable documents through a 7-phase workflow with structural anti-skip enforcement.
Context files are THE LAW: tech-stack.md, source-tree/, dependencies.md, coding-standards.md, architecture-constraints.md, anti-patterns.md
If ambiguous or conflicts detected: HALT and use AskUserQuestion
Anti-Skip Enforcement Contract
Enforced structurally outside LLM control, not by this prose — by the framework's deterministic gates wired for this workflow: the devforgeai-validate phase gates, the settings.json-registered .claude/hooks/ scripts, and .claude/hooks/phase-steps-registry.json (ADR-076).
Purpose
This skill serves as the knowledge persistence layer for DevForgeAI. It transforms ephemeral research (web searches, competitive analysis, technology evaluations) into persistent, structured documents that survive session restarts.
Core Philosophy
"Research Once, Reference Forever" - Capture research in structured documents that survive context window clears and are queryable and reusable.
"Evidence-Based Decision Making" - All recommendations cite research with bidirectional traceability to epics, stories, and ADRs.
"Knowledge Compounds Over Time" - Research index grows with each session, related research is cross-referenced, and staleness tracking ensures currency.
When to Use This Skill
Trigger Scenarios
- Competitive analysis (AWS Kiro, Cursor, etc.)
- Technology evaluation (Treelint, new libraries)
- Market research (developer frustrations, trends)
- Integration planning (external tools, APIs)
- Architecture research (patterns, best practices)
- User runs
/research command
- User mentions research capture or knowledge persistence
When NOT to Use
- Documenting code implementation (use stories)
- Recording decisions (use ADRs)
- Tracking bugs/issues (use RCA)
Parameter Extraction
Extract from command arguments:
| Argument | Variable | Description |
|---|
--resume RESEARCH-NNN | $RESUME_ID | Resume existing research session |
--search "query" | $SEARCH_QUERY | Search existing research documents |
--list | $LIST_MODE | List all research documents |
--category type | $CATEGORY_FILTER | Filter by category (competitive, technology, market, integration, architecture) |
"topic string" | $TOPIC | New research topic |
State Persistence
- Phase state (CLI-managed):
devforgeai/workflows/${RESEARCH_ID}-research-phase-state.json — the single source of truth, created and maintained by devforgeai-validate phase-init/record/complete; never hand-edited.
- References:
references/ (self-contained within this skill)
- Templates:
assets/templates/ (self-contained within this skill)
- Research Output:
devforgeai/specs/research/
- Research Index:
devforgeai/specs/research/research-index.md
Phase 00: Initialization [INLINE - Bootstraps State]
This phase runs inline because it creates the state that all other phases depend on. It CANNOT be skipped.
Step 0.1: Parse Arguments
Extract arguments from command invocation. Determine mode:
IF args contain "--resume RESEARCH-NNN":
mode = "resume"
RESUME_ID = extract_id(args)
ELIF args contain "--search":
mode = "search"
SEARCH_QUERY = extract_query(args)
GOTO Step 0.2 (Search Mode)
ELIF args contain "--list":
mode = "list"
CATEGORY_FILTER = args.get("--category", null)
GOTO Step 0.3 (List Mode)
ELSE:
mode = "new"
TOPIC = extract_topic(args)
Step 0.2: Search Mode Branch [CONDITIONAL]
Triggered by: --search query
Read(".claude/skills/spec-driven-research/references/search-list-modes.md")
Follow search mode procedure from reference file. After displaying results, EXIT skill. No further phases execute.
Step 0.3: List Mode Branch [CONDITIONAL]
Triggered by: --list or --category type
Read(".claude/skills/spec-driven-research/references/search-list-modes.md")
Follow list mode procedure from reference file. After displaying table, EXIT skill. No further phases execute.
Step 0.4: Resume Detection
IF mode == "resume":
# Derive state from the CLI-managed research phase-state (single source of truth).
Run: devforgeai-validate phase-status ${RESUME_ID} --workflow=research --project-root=. --format=json
IF the command exits 0 (CLI state file exists):
Parse the JSON; set CURRENT_PHASE from its `current_phase` field
GOTO Phase Orchestration Loop at CURRENT_PHASE
ELSE:
# Resume by loading existing research doc
research_files = Glob(pattern=f"devforgeai/specs/research/{RESUME_ID}-*.research.md")
IF research_files found:
Read the research document
RESEARCH_ID = RESUME_ID
mode = "expand"
Continue to Step 0.5
ELSE:
HALT -- "Research {RESUME_ID} not found"
# Check for an existing in-progress research workflow (new mode) via the CLI research state.
existing_states = Glob(pattern="devforgeai/workflows/RESEARCH-*-research-phase-state.json")
FOR each state file, read its progression via: devforgeai-validate phase-status <RESEARCH_ID> --workflow=research --format=json
IF any research workflow is not yet complete (phase 06 missing or not checkpoint-passed):
AskUserQuestion:
Question: "Found existing research session in progress. Resume or start fresh?"
Header: "Resume"
Options:
- label: "Resume session"
description: "Continue from last checkpoint"
- label: "Start fresh"
description: "Begin new research session"
IF "Resume": set CURRENT_PHASE from that workflow's phase-status `current_phase`, GOTO Phase Orchestration Loop at CURRENT_PHASE
Step 0.5: Generate Research ID
existing_files = Glob("devforgeai/specs/research/RESEARCH-*.research.md")
# Extract IDs (gap-aware)
ids = []
FOR each file in existing_files:
match = regex("RESEARCH-(\d{3})", basename(file))
IF match: ids.append(int(match.group(1)))
next_id = max(ids) + 1 IF ids ELSE 1
RESEARCH_ID = f"RESEARCH-{next_id:03d}"
Step 0.6: CLI Initialization
devforgeai-validate phase-init ${RESEARCH_ID} --workflow=research --project-root=. 2>&1
| Exit Code | Meaning | Action |
|---|
| 0 | New workflow | State file created. Set CURRENT_PHASE = "01". |
| 1 | Existing workflow | Resume. Run devforgeai-validate phase-status ${RESEARCH_ID} --workflow=research to get CURRENT_PHASE. |
| 2 | Invalid ID | HALT. Must match RESEARCH-NNN pattern. |
| 127 | CLI not installed | Continue without CLI enforcement (backward compatibility). |
Step 0.7: Confirm CLI Phase State
devforgeai-validate phase-init (Step 0.6) already created and now owns the authoritative
phase state at devforgeai/workflows/${RESEARCH_ID}-research-phase-state.json. The skill does
not write a separate hand-maintained checkpoint — phase progression is recorded exclusively
through the phase-record / phase-complete CLI calls in each phase's Exit Gate, and read
back via phase-status --workflow=research --format=json.
VERIFY: devforgeai-validate phase-status ${RESEARCH_ID} --workflow=research --project-root=. --format=json exits 0.
Step 0.8: Display Session Banner
Display:
"------------------------------------------------------------
DevForgeAI Research Session
------------------------------------------------------------
Research ID: ${RESEARCH_ID}
Mode: ${mode}
Topic: ${TOPIC || 'To be defined in Phase 01'}
Phases: 7 (Initialization > Topic Definition > Research Execution > Findings Synthesis > Documentation > Cross-Reference > Completion)
------------------------------------------------------------"
Set CURRENT_PHASE = 1.
Phase Orchestration Loop
FOR phase_num in range(CURRENT_PHASE, 7): # Phases 01-06
1. ENTRY GATE: devforgeai-validate phase-check ${RESEARCH_ID} --workflow=research --from={prev} --to={phase_id} --project-root=.
IF exit != 0 AND exit != 127: HALT
2. LOAD: Read(file_path=".claude/skills/spec-driven-research/phases/{phase_files[phase_num]}")
Load the phase file FRESH. Do NOT rely on memory of previous reads.
3. REFERENCE: Read the phase's reference files as specified in the phase Contract section.
References are in references/ (self-contained within this skill).
4. EXECUTE: Follow EVERY step in the phase file using EXECUTE-VERIFY-RECORD triplets.
5. EXIT GATE: devforgeai-validate phase-complete ${RESEARCH_ID} --workflow=research --phase={phase_id} --checkpoint-passed --project-root=.
IF exit != 0 AND exit != 127: HALT
(phase-complete records phase completion in the CLI-managed research state — no
separate checkpoint file is written.)
Phase Table
| Phase | Name | File | Steps | Required Subagents |
|---|
| 00 | Initialization | (inline above) | 8 | none |
| 01 | Topic Definition | phases/phase-01-topic-definition.md | 4 | none |
| 02 | Research Execution | phases/phase-02-research-execution.md | 3 | internet-sleuth (BLOCKING) |
| 03 | Findings Synthesis | phases/phase-03-findings-synthesis.md | 4 | none |
| 04 | Documentation | phases/phase-04-documentation.md | 5 | none |
| 05 | Cross-Reference | phases/phase-05-cross-reference.md | 2 | none |
| 06 | Completion Summary | phases/phase-06-completion-summary.md | 2 | none |
Required Subagents Per Phase
| Phase | Subagent | Enforcement |
|---|
| 02 | internet-sleuth | BLOCKING - Must invoke via Task() and use output. Fallback to direct WebSearch/WebFetch if unavailable. |
All other phases: No subagents required. Direct tool calls (Read, Write, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion, WebSearch, WebFetch).
Deviation Protocol: Any skip requires explicit user consent via AskUserQuestion.
Workflow Completion Validation
# Derive completion from the CLI-managed research state — the single source of truth.
status_json = devforgeai-validate phase-status ${RESEARCH_ID} --workflow=research --project-root=. --format=json
completed_count = count of phases in {01..06} whose status == "completed" AND checkpoint_passed == true
IF completed_count < 6:
HALT "WORKFLOW INCOMPLETE - {completed_count}/6 phases completed"
IF completed_count == 6:
Display "All 6 phases completed - Workflow validation passed"
Success Criteria
Complete research generated with:
Reference Files Inventory
Load these on-demand during workflow execution:
Phase Files (7 files in phases/)
| Phase File | Primary Reference (in references/) | Additional References |
|---|
phase-01-topic-definition.md | parameter-extraction.md | -- |
phase-02-research-execution.md | internet-sleuth-delegation.md | search-strategies.md |
phase-03-findings-synthesis.md | citation-standards.md | -- |
phase-04-documentation.md | research-workflow.md | -- |
phase-05-cross-reference.md | (self-contained) | -- |
phase-06-completion-summary.md | (self-contained) | -- |
Reference Files (6 files in references/)
- parameter-extraction.md - Argument parsing, category code mapping
- research-workflow.md - Core workflow patterns, ID generation, slug generation, frontmatter schema
- citation-standards.md - Source citing formats, evidence quoting, confidence levels
- search-strategies.md - Fallback search strategies by category, search optimization tips
- internet-sleuth-delegation.md - Subagent contract, category-to-mode mapping, Task() template
- search-list-modes.md - Search and list mode handling (conditional branches in Phase 00)
Assets (2 templates in assets/templates/)
- research-template.md - Research document template (YAML + markdown)
- sleuth-report-template.md - Internet-sleuth 9-section report template with YAML frontmatter (absorbed from internet-sleuth-integration per ADR-045)
Sleuth Methodology References (5 files in references/sleuth-methodology/)
- research-principles.md - Core research principles, evidence standards, framework integration (always loaded by internet-sleuth)
- discovery-mode-methodology.md - Discovery mode workflow: feasibility assessment, alternatives identification (conditional)
- repository-archaeology-guide.md - GitHub mining: search strategy, quality scoring, pattern extraction (conditional)
- competitive-analysis-patterns.md - Market analysis: SWOT, positioning maps, pricing analysis (conditional)
- skill-coordination-patterns.md - Task invocation patterns for internet-sleuth coordination by other skills
Note: Sleuth methodology files absorbed from internet-sleuth-integration per ADR-045. Loaded by the internet-sleuth subagent via progressive disclosure.
Total: 7 phase files + 6 reference files + 5 sleuth methodology files + 2 templates = 20 files + SKILL.md = 21 files
Best Practices
- Provide clear research topic - Specific topics yield better research than broad ones
- Select accurate category - Category determines research strategy and internet-sleuth mode
- Define research questions upfront - Questions guide the research focus
- Review findings for accuracy - AI research requires human verification
- Link to epics/ADRs when relevant - Bidirectional traceability strengthens the knowledge base
See phase-specific reference files for detailed procedures.
