Use when the user invokes /research-auto or asks to run an autonomous research campaign over one Direction toward a measurable gate.
The Step-3 direction-formation on-ramp. Use when the user has only a vague or partial research idea and cannot yet state a clear Direction, or types /research-brainstorm, or asks to brainstorm / shape / explore a research direction before committing. Captures cheap pre-package, pre-SSOT ideas onto the dashboard brainstorm lane, automatically generates an English brainstorm HTML detail page for each idea, and converts one or more ideas into a single Direction proposal submitted through Triage. The agent only PROPOSES the Direction — the PM ratifies. Project-agnostic. Requires a committed Project node (run /research-onboard or /research-scope first).
Set up, repair, or validate the global research_html/ HTML dashboard scaffold for any research project. Use this skill whenever the user types /research-dashboard, asks to create or initialize a research dashboard, repair a broken research_html/ scaffold, install the four lane pages (brainstorm / in-progress / success / fail) before creating research packages, bring a project under the binding HTML rules R1-R18 and Trustworthy Research rules T1-T24, or set up the global research-system protocol for autonomous research agents. Project-agnostic: works in any repository the user opens. The dashboard chrome is overview-only — claims, evidence, and stage transitions live on package pages, not on the dashboard.
Use when bridging a raw or existing workspace into the Scope SSOT with /research-onboard: detect/scaffold or analyze the workspace, write prior knowledge, draft a Project objective, and create a PM-ratifiable Project Scope proposal. Always show the proposed Scope clearly to the PM with the next ratification step. The skill only proposes through Triage; it never commits the SSOT or creates packages.
Use when the user invokes /research-op or needs guarded changes to an existing research package or Scope SSOT: row/card/section edits, inventory field updates, checks/lints, artifact event fanout, registry additions, scope transitions, or natural-language status fixes.
Use when defining or revising Project, Direction, or Task Scope intent, or when execution discovers a needed scope change. The agent only proposes through Triage and must show every proposed Scope clearly to the PM with the next ratification step; accepted Scope writes route through research-op's scope-transition op. Never invokes git.
Use when the user invokes /research-package or asks to create, initialize, draft, scaffold, or materially restructure a research package under research_html/packages, including materializing accepted Scope SSOT Directions, adding dashboard package entries, or large structural results.html edits.
Use when the user types /research-run or asks to run, continue, monitor, verify, or complete an existing scoped research package. Operates only after Project/Direction/Task scope and package materialization exist; missing setup is handed off to research-onboard, research-brainstorm, research-scope, or research-package. Objective: complete the package by advancing its next executable experiment through readiness, implementation/review if needed, launch/monitoring, artifact propagation, result verification, and terminal success/fail/archive routing. Every package mutation routes through research-op; long runs use research-exp-live when applicable. Never invokes git.