Comprehensive Research Skill

---
name: comprehensive-research-72e145dfeaef
description: Multi-phase research orchestration for thorough codebase, documentation, and external knowledge investigation. Invoked by /ai-eng/research command. Use when conducting deep analysis, exploring codebases, investigating patterns, or synthesizing findings from multiple sources.
metadata:
  category: user-invoked
  version: 1.0.0
  tags: research, analysis, discovery, documentation, synthesis, multi-agent
disable-model-invocation: true
---

Default output: return only the result, blockers, and required evidence. Omit preambles, process narration, repeated context, confidence scores, and follow-up offers. Use at most five bullets unless a required artifact or schema needs more.

# Comprehensive Research Skill

## Systematic Approach


## Methodology

A systematic multi-phase research orchestration skill that coordinates specialized agents to conduct thorough investigations across codebases, documentation, and external sources. Based on proven patterns from codeflow research workflows with incentive-based prompting enhancements.

## How It Works

This skill orchestrates a disciplined research workflow through three primary phases:

1. **Discovery Phase** (Parallel): Multiple locator agents scan simultaneously
2. **Analysis Phase** (Sequential): Deep analyzers process findings with evidence chains
3. **Synthesis Phase**: Consolidated insights with actionable recommendations

## Research Methodology

### Phase 1: Context & Scope Definition

Before spawning agents, establish:

```markdown
## Research Scope Analysis
- **Primary Question**: [Core research objective]
- **Decomposed Sub-Questions**: [Derived investigation areas]
- **Scope Boundaries**: [What's in/out of scope]
- **Depth Level**: shallow | medium | deep
- **Expected Deliverables**: [Documentation, recommendations, code refs]
```

**Critical Rule**: Always read primary sources fully BEFORE spawning agents.

### Phase 2: Parallel Discovery

Spawn these agents concurrently for comprehensive coverage:

| Agent | Purpose | Timeout |
|-------|---------|---------|
| `codebase-locator` | Find relevant files, components, directories | 5 min |
| `research-locator` | Discover existing docs, decisions, notes | 3 min |
| `codebase-pattern-finder` | Identify recurring implementation patterns | 4 min |

**Discovery Output Structure**:
```json
{
  "codebase_files": ["path/file.ext:lines"],
  "documentation": ["docs/path.md"],
  "patterns_identified": ["pattern-name"],
  "coverage_map": {"area": "percentage"}
}
```

### Phase 3: Sequential Deep Analysis

After discovery completes, run analyzers sequentially:

| Agent | Purpose | Depends On |
|-------|---------|------------|
| `codebase-analyzer` | Implementation details with file:line evidence | codebase-locator |
| `research-analyzer` | Extract decisions, constraints, insights | research-locator |

**For Complex Research, Add**:
| Agent | Condition |
|-------|-----------|
| `web-search-researcher` | External context needed |
| `system-architect` | Architectural implications |
| `database-expert` | Data layer concerns |
| `security-scanner` | Security assessment needed |

### Phase 4: Synthesis & Documentation

Aggregate all findings into structured output:

```markdown
---
date: YYYY-MM-DD
researcher: Assistant
topic: 'Research Topic'
tags: [research, relevant, tags]
status: complete
confidence: high|medium|low
---

## Synopsis
[1-2 sentence summary of research objective and outcome]

## Summary
[3-5 bullet points of high-level findings]

## Detailed Findings

### Component Analysis
- **Finding**: [Description]
- **Evidence**: `file.ext:line-range`
- **Implications**: [What this means]

### Documentation Insights
- **Decisions Made**: [Past architectural decisions]
- **Rationale**: [Why decisions were made]
- **Constraints**: [Technical/operational limits]

### Code References
- `path/file.ext:12-45` - Description of relevance
- `path/other.ext:78` - Key function location

## Architecture Insights
[Key patterns, design decisions, cross-component relationships]

## Historical Context
[Insights from existing documentation, evolution of the system]

## Recommendations
### Immediate Actions
1. [First priority action]
2. [Second priority action]

### Long-term Considerations
- [Strategic recommendation]

## Risks & Limitations
- [Identified risk with mitigation]
- [Research limitation]

## Open Questions
- [ ] [Unresolved question requiring further investigation]
```

## Agent Coordination Best Practices

### Execution Order Optimization

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Phase 1: Discovery (PARALLEL)                               │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐  │
│ │codebase-     │ │research-     │ │codebase-pattern-     │  │
│ │locator       │ │locator       │ │finder                │  │
│ └──────┬───────┘ └──────┬───────┘ └──────────┬───────────┘  │
│        │                │                     │              │
│        └────────────────┼─────────────────────┘              │
│                         ▼                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Phase 2: Analysis (SEQUENTIAL)                              │
│ ┌──────────────┐       ┌──────────────┐                     │
│ │codebase-     │──────▶│research-     │                     │
│ │analyzer      │       │analyzer      │                     │
│ └──────────────┘       └──────────────┘                     │
│                                                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Phase 3: Domain Specialists (CONDITIONAL)                   │
│ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐               │
│ │web-search- │ │database-   │ │security-   │               │
│ │researcher  │ │expert      │ │scanner     │               │
│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘               │
│                                                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Phase 4: Validation (PARALLEL)                              │
│ ┌──────────────┐       ┌──────────────┐                     │
│ │code-reviewer │       │architect-    │                     │
│ │              │       │review        │                     │
│ └──────────────┘       └──────────────┘                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Quality Indicators

- **Comprehensive Coverage**: Multiple agents provide overlapping validation
- **Evidence-Based**: All findings include specific file:line references
- **Contextual Depth**: Historical decisions and rationale included
- **Actionable Insights**: Clear next steps provided
- **Risk Assessment**: Potential issues identified

## Caching Strategy

### Cache Configuration
```yaml
type: hierarchical
ttl: 3600  # 1 hour
invalidation: manual
scope: command
```

### What to Cache
- Successful agent coordination strategies for similar topics
- Effective agent combinations
- Question decomposition patterns
- Pattern recognition results

### Cache Performance Targets
- Hit rate: ≥60%
- Memory usage: <30MB
- Response time improvement: <150ms

## Error Handling

### Common Failure Modes

| Scenario | Phase | Mitigation |
|----------|-------|------------|
| Invalid research question | Context Analysis | Request clarification |
| Agent timeout | Discovery/Analysis | Retry with reduced scope |
| Insufficient findings | Synthesis | Expand scope, add agents |
| Conflicting information | Synthesis | Document conflicts, flag for review |

### Escalation Triggers

- Multiple agent failures
- Scope exceeds single-session capacity
- Cross-repository research needed
- External API/service investigation required

## Structured Output Format

```json
{
  "status": "success|in_progress|error",
  "timestamp": "ISO-8601",
  "cache": {
    "hit": true,
    "key": "pattern:{hash}:{scope}",
    "ttl_remaining": 3600,
    "savings": 0.25
  },
  "research": {
    "question": "Primary research question",
    "scope": "codebase|documentation|external|all",
    "depth": "shallow|medium|deep"
  },
  "findings": {
    "total_files": 23,
    "codebase_refs": 18,
    "documentation_refs": 5,
    "insights_generated": 7,
    "patterns_identified": 3
  },
  "document": {
    "path": "docs/research/YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md",
    "sections": ["synopsis", "summary", "findings", "recommendations"],
    "code_references": 12,
    "historical_context": 3
  },
  "agents_used": [
    "codebase-locator",
    "research-locator",
    "codebase-analyzer",
    "research-analyzer"
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "processing_time_seconds": 180,
    "cache_savings_percent": 0.25,
    "agent_tasks_completed": 6,
    "follow_up_items": 2
  },
  "confidence": {
    "overall": 0.85,
    "codebase_coverage": 0.9,
    "documentation_coverage": 0.7,
    "external_coverage": 0.8
  }
}
```

## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

1. **Spawning agents before reading sources** - Always understand context first
2. **Running agents sequentially when parallelization is possible** - Maximize concurrency
3. **Relying solely on cached documentation** - Prioritize current codebase state
4. **Skipping cache checks** - Always check for existing research
5. **Ignoring historical context** - Past decisions inform current understanding
6. **Over-scoping initial research** - Start focused, expand if needed

## Example Usage

### Basic Research Request
```
/research "How does the authentication system work in this codebase?"
```

### Advanced Research with Parameters
```
/research "Analyze payment processing implementation" --scope=codebase --depth=deep
```

### Research from Ticket
```
/research --ticket="docs/tickets/AUTH-123.md" --scope=both
```

## Follow-Up Commands

After research completes, typical next steps:

- `/plan` - Create implementation plan based on findings
- `/review` - Validate research conclusions
- `/work` - Begin implementation with full context

## Research Quality Checklist

Before finalizing research output:

- [ ] All claims have file:line evidence
- [ ] Historical context included where relevant
- [ ] Open questions explicitly listed
- [ ] Recommendations are actionable
- [ ] Confidence levels assigned
- [ ] Cross-component relationships identified
- [ ] Potential risks documented

## Research References

This skill incorporates methodologies from:

- **Codeflow Research Patterns** - Multi-agent orchestration
- **Bsharat et al. (2023)** - Principled prompting for quality
- **Kong et al. (2023)** - Expert persona effectiveness
- **Yang et al. (2023)** - Step-by-step reasoning optimization

## Anti-Rationalization Table

| Excuse | Counter |
|--------|---------|
| "I've found enough, no need to keep searching" | Partial research leads to partial solutions. Multiple sources confirm accuracy. |
| "The codebase is too large to research thoroughly" | Targeted scope definition prevents overwhelm. Focus on the relevant subsystem first. |
| "I'll just start coding and figure it out as I go" | Coding without research repeats past mistakes and ignores existing patterns. |
| "Cached documentation is good enough" | Cached docs may be stale. Current codebase state is the source of truth. |
| "One agent is enough for this research" | Parallel agents provide overlapping validation. Single agents miss blind spots. |

## See Also

- `deep-web-research` — For web-focused research with source evaluation
- `research-companion` — For research with document analysis and fact-checking
- `prompt-refinement` — For structuring research prompts before execution
- `prompt-refinement` — For enhancing research agent prompts