research-output-scaffolding

name	research-output-scaffolding
description	**WORKFLOW SKILL** — Scaffold the .research/ output folder structure for a research topic, creating note directories per area, log files, and output section placeholders based on the research plan. WHEN: "scaffold research output", "create research folder", "initialize research directory", "set up research workspace", "research output structure", "scaffold .research folder". INVOKES: run_in_terminal for scaffolding scripts. FOR SINGLE OPERATIONS: Create directories manually.
metadata	{"author":"PlagueHO","version":"1.0","reference":"https://github.com/PlagueHO/plagueho.skills"}
compatibility	["GitHub Copilot","GitHub Copilot CLI","VS Code"]
argument-hint	Provide the topic slug and purpose. E.g., "Scaffold output for azure-container-apps-dynamic-sessions as a deep-guide".
user-invocable	true

Research Output Scaffolding

Scaffold the complete .research/ folder structure for a research topic. Creates all directories, initializes log files, and generates output section placeholder files based on the research plan and purpose mapping.

Prerequisites

• A confirmed research plan at .research/<topic-slug>/plan.md
• The research purpose (determines which output sections to scaffold)

Process

Step 1 — Load Configuration

Read the plan at .research/<topic-slug>/plan.md to determine:

• Topic slug (folder name)
• Purpose (output section template selection)
• Enabled research areas (note subdirectories)

Read section-area-mapping.md for output-section/note-area mappings.

Read writing-guidelines.md for output quality expectations.

Step 2 — Create Directory Structure

Create the folder tree:

.research/<topic-slug>/
├── plan.md                    # Already exists from plan skill
├── log.md                     # Research activity log
├── notes/
│   ├── docs/                  # Microsoft Learn documentation notes
│   ├── tech/                  # Technical documentation notes
│   ├── blogs/                 # Blog and article notes
│   ├── arch/                  # Architecture pattern notes
│   ├── samples/               # Code sample notes
│   ├── solutions/             # Solution accelerator notes
│   └── other/                 # Third-party and community notes
└── output/
    ├── 01-overview.md         # Output sections (from purpose mapping)
    ├── 02-architecture.md
    ├── ...
    └── README.md              # Combined output index

Only create notes/ subdirectories for areas enabled in the plan. Only create output/ section files matching the purpose mapping.

Step 3 — Initialize Log File

Create .research/<topic-slug>/log.md:

# Research Log: {{TOPIC}}

Research started: {{DATE}}
Purpose: {{PURPOSE}}

## Activity Log

- [{{TIMESTAMP}}] SCAFFOLD: Output structure created

Step 4 — Generate Section Placeholders

For each output section in the purpose mapping, create a placeholder file in output/ using the section template:

---
section: "{{SECTION_ID}}"
title: "{{SECTION_TITLE}}"
status: placeholder
primary_areas:
  - {{AREA_1}}
  - {{AREA_2}}
---

# {{SECTION_TITLE}}

> {{SECTION_DESCRIPTION}}

<!-- Content will be synthesized from notes in: {{PRIMARY_AREAS}} -->
<!-- Supporting content from: {{SECONDARY_AREAS}} -->

Step 5 — Generate Output README

Create .research/<topic-slug>/output/README.md as a combined index linking to all section files with their status.

Step 6 — Run Scaffolding Script (optional)

For script-based scaffolding:

• PowerShell: scripts/New-ResearchOutput.ps1 -TopicSlug <slug> -Purpose <purpose>
• Bash: scripts/new-research-output.sh <slug> <purpose>

Output

A scaffolded .research/<topic-slug>/ directory ready for research agents to populate with notes and synthesize into output sections.