// Synthesize research findings for OAK planning using the oak.plan-research workflow. Use when consolidating findings from codebase exploration, comparing approaches, or creating research/*.md documents.
| name | research-synthesis |
| description | Synthesize research findings for OAK planning using the oak.plan-research workflow. Use when consolidating findings from codebase exploration, comparing approaches, or creating research/*.md documents. |
This skill provides expertise in synthesizing research findings for OAK's planning system - creating structured findings documents that inform task generation and implementation decisions.
/oak.plan-create /oak.plan-research /oak.plan-tasks
│ │ │
↓ ↓ ↓
plan.md with research/<topic>.md tasks.md
Research Topics ────► for each topic ────► informed by
research
oak/plan/<plan-name>/
├── plan.md # Contains ## Research Topics
└── research/
├── research-manifest.yml # Tracks research state
├── <topic-slug>.md # Finding for each topic
├── api-integration.md
├── auth-patterns.md
└── performance-approach.md
Use when you need to:
research/<topic>.md documentsoak/constitution.md - Project standardsdocs/Each topic becomes research/<topic-slug>.md:
# Research: [Topic Name]
## Objective
What we're trying to learn or decide.
## Sources Consulted
- [x] Codebase patterns (searched: [what])
- [x] Project documentation
- [ ] External resources
- [ ] Constitution requirements
## Key Findings
### Finding 1: [Title]
- **Source**: [Where discovered - file path, URL, or doc]
- **Relevance**: [How it applies to our plan]
- **Confidence**: High/Medium/Low
### Finding 2: [Title]
- **Source**: [Where discovered]
- **Relevance**: [How it applies]
- **Confidence**: High/Medium/Low
## Synthesis
### Patterns Identified
- [Pattern 1]: [Where found, how to apply]
- [Pattern 2]: [Where found, how to apply]
### Contradictions/Tensions
- [Issue 1]: [Resolution approach]
### Gaps Identified
- [Gap 1]: [Mitigation or acceptance]
## Recommendation
**Decision**: [Chosen approach]
**Rationale**:
- [Reason 1 with evidence]
- [Reason 2 with evidence]
**Alternatives Considered**:
- [Alternative 1]: [Why not chosen]
## Impact on Tasks
[How this research affects task generation]
## Open Questions
[Things still needing investigation - may spawn additional research]
Read the plan to understand research topics:
## Research Topics (from plan.md)
- **API Integration**: How to integrate with external service
- Questions: Authentication pattern? Rate limiting?
- Priority: High
- **Caching Strategy**: Where and how to cache
- Questions: Redis vs in-memory? TTL approach?
- Priority: Medium
Research topics by priority:
For each topic:
Every recommendation should reference constitution alignment:
## Constitution Alignment
- **Architecture**: Recommendation follows [pattern] per constitution §Architecture
- **Testing**: Will require [test approach] per constitution §Testing
- **Documentation**: Need to document [what] per constitution §Documentation
Good synthesis demonstrates:
| Command | Research Role |
|---|---|
/oak.plan-create | Identifies research topics |
/oak.plan-research | This is the research command |
/oak.plan-tasks | Consumes research findings |
/oak.plan-implement | May spawn ad-hoc research |
oak/plan/<name>/research/<topic-slug>.mdoak/plan/<name>/research/research-manifest.ymloak/plan/<name>/plan.md § Research Topics/oak.plan-tasks for task generationoak/constitution.md for alignment