| name | desk-research-project-status |
| description | Orient to the current desk-research project at a glance — reads overview.md and surfaces phase, working hypothesis, stop-signal verdict, and what to do next. Triggers on 'where are we on the X research', 'status of the Y investigation', 'resume the Z project', 'what phase is the research in', 'where did we leave off on the research', or any return-to-a-named-research-project phrasing. Read-only: never advances phase, never modifies any file. |
/desk-research-project-status
Cold-start orient for a sustained desk-research project. Run this when you return to a project and want to know where it stands — what phase it is in, what the current working hypothesis is, and what to do next.
Read-only by contract (ADR-0054): it never advances phase, never invokes desk-research-project-digest or desk-research-project-synthesize, and never modifies overview.md.
When to invoke
Any return-to-a-named-research-project phrasing: "where are we on the X research", "status of the Y investigation", "resume the Z project", "what phase is the research in", "where did we leave off on the research". Also useful at session start alongside workspace-status to orient to a sustained research thread.
For a one-off lookup (no project), use /desk-research instead. For a saturation check, use /desk-research-project-check.
Procedure
1. Resolve [research] output_dir
Read the output directory from the config chain — read-only; do not elicit:
- Repo-scope:
./agentbundle-layout.toml [research] output_dir — if the file exists and the key is present.
- User-scope:
~/.agentbundle/agentbundle-layout.toml [research] output_dir — if the file exists and the key is present.
- Not configured: stop. Surface: "No
[research] output_dir configured — run desk-research-project-start to set up your first project (it will configure the path)."
Resolve output_dir to its full absolute path (~-expand, reject .. escapes). Never write to any config file.
2. Find the project folder
Look for direct subdirectories of output_dir that contain an overview.md. A project folder is named <YYYY-MM-DD>-<slug> by convention.
- No project folder found: surface the no-project message (step 3).
- One project folder found: proceed to step 4.
- Multiple project folders found: proceed with the most recent (highest date prefix). At the end of the output, list any others with their slug and current
phase as a brief note.
3. No-project branch
Surface:
No research project found — run desk-research-project-start for a sustained project, or desk-research for a one-off lookup.
Stop here. Do not create any file or folder.
4. Read overview.md and surface status
Read <project-folder>/overview.md. Extract the following frontmatter fields:
| Field | Notes |
|---|
phase | Valid values: capture, digest, synthesize, feedback |
working_hypothesis | May be empty — surface as "(none yet)" if blank |
stop_signal | Initial value not-yet-assessed; updated by hand or by desk-research-project-check |
verdict_status | Optional — written only by desk-research-project-check; omit if absent |
Also read: question (the research question, for context).
Surface the status in this format:
Research project: <slug> (<project-folder>)
Question:
Phase: <phase> — <next-step recommendation (see table below)>
Working hypothesis: <working_hypothesis, or "(none yet)">
Stop signal: <stop_signal><if verdict_status is present: — verdict: <verdict_status>>
5. Next-step recommendations by phase
| Phase | Next step |
|---|
capture | Run desk-research-project-digest to build the synthesis matrix and memos from accumulated sources. |
digest | Run desk-research-project-synthesize to produce the research brief from the synthesis matrix. |
synthesize | Brief is ready — share with stakeholders. When feedback has been received, advance phase to feedback in overview.md. |
feedback | Project complete — brief has been shared and feedback is being incorporated. No further skill to run. |
If phase contains an unrecognised value, surface it as-is with a note: "Unrecognised phase — expected one of: capture, digest, synthesize, feedback."
What this skill is not
- Not
desk-research-project-digest — it reads the current state; it does not build the synthesis matrix.
- Not
desk-research-project-synthesize — it reads the current state; it does not produce the brief.
- Not
desk-research-project-check — it reports the stop_signal value as stored; it does not evaluate saturation.
- Not
workspace-status — it gives the research-project slice only; workspace-status gives the full initiative queue picture.
