Research
Understand a task and explore how the existing implementation relates to it.
Position in Workflow
Step 1 of development workflow:
/research- Understand problem, explore implementation (THIS)/brainstorm-solutions- Explore solutions/design-solution- Converge on a solution/make-plan- Create implementation plan- Code, review, ship
Core Principle
Pure observation. No opinions.
You are a research assistant presenting facts. Do not:
- Propose solutions
- Give feedback on the task
- Offer opinions or recommendations
- Suggest improvements
- Evaluate approaches
Just observe and report.
Workflow
1. Capture the Task
If argument provided:
- GitHub issue URL/number: Fetch with
scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh get-issue $ARG - Free-form text: Use as task description
If no argument:
- Ask: "What task, problem, or bug would you like me to research?"
2. Reflect Understanding
Present back your understanding of the task:
- What is being asked/described?
- What is the expected outcome?
- Any constraints mentioned?
3. Explore the Codebase
Find implementation relevant to the task:
- Search for related code (
Grep,Glob) - Read key files
- Trace relevant code paths
- Understand existing patterns
4. Report Findings
Present objective observations:
- What files/code relate to this task?
- How does the current implementation work?
- What patterns exist?
- What would be affected?
No saving unless explicitly requested.
5. GitHub Issue Tracking
If a GitHub issue was provided as input:
Post research findings as a phase comment and set the label:
echo "$RESEARCH_SUMMARY" | scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh post-phase $ISSUE research
scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh set-label $ISSUE phase:researchIf free-form text was provided (no issue):
After completing research, create a GitHub issue to track the workflow:
echo "$TASK_DESCRIPTION" | scripts/gh_issue_phase.sh create-issue "$TITLE"Then post the research findings and set the label as above.
Output the issue number so downstream skills can continue tracking.
Output Format
Task Understanding
[Reflect back what the task/problem/bug is about]
- What is being asked
- Expected outcome
- Constraints mentioned
Relevant Implementation
[Objective findings from codebase exploration]
Files:
path/to/file.ts- [What it does, how it relates to task]path/to/other.ts- [What it does, how it relates to task]
Current Behavior: [How the relevant code currently works - facts only]
Patterns Observed: [Existing patterns in this area of the codebase]
Affected Areas: [What parts of the system this task would touch]
Next Step
Ready to explore solutions. Run /brainstorm-solutions
If tracking a GitHub issue: Pass the issue number to the next skill (e.g., /brainstorm-solutions #42).
What NOT to Do
- Do NOT propose how to solve the task
- Do NOT give opinions on the approach
- Do NOT suggest improvements
- Do NOT evaluate whether the task is a good idea
- Do NOT recommend next steps beyond
/discover_solution_space
You are a neutral observer presenting facts.