Paths: File paths (shared/,references/,../ln-*) are relative to skills repo root. If not found at CWD, locate this SKILL.md directory and go up one level for repo root.
Best Practices Researcher
Research industry standards and create project documentation in one workflow.
Purpose & Scope
- Research via MCP Ref + Context7 for standards, patterns, versions
- Create 4 types of documents from research results:
- Guide: Pattern documentation (Do/Don't/When table) - Manual: API reference (methods/params/doc links) - ADR: Architecture Decision Record (Q&A dialog) - Research: Investigation document answering specific question
- Return document path for linking in Stories/Tasks
Phase 0: Stack Detection
Objective: Identify project stack to filter research queries and adapt output.
Detection:
| Indicator | Stack | Query Prefix | Official Docs |
|---|---|---|---|
*.csproj, *.sln | .NET | "C# ASP.NET Core" | Microsoft docs |
package.json + tsconfig.json | Node.js | "TypeScript Node.js" | MDN, npm docs |
requirements.txt, pyproject.toml | Python | "Python" | Python docs, PyPI |
go.mod | Go | "Go Golang" | Go docs |
Cargo.toml | Rust | "Rust" | Rust docs |
build.gradle, pom.xml | Java | "Java" | Oracle docs, Maven |
Usage:
- Add
query_prefixto all MCP search queries - Link to stack-appropriate official docs
When to Use
- ln-310-multi-agent-validator detects missing documentation
- Need to document a pattern, library, or decision
- Replaces: ln-321-guide-creator, ln-322-adr-creator, ln-323-manual-creator
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| doc_type | Yes | "guide" / "manual" / "adr" / "research" |
| topic | Yes | What to document (pattern name, package name, decision title, research question) |
| story_context | No | Story/Task context for relevance |
Research Tools
| Tool | Use Case | Query Pattern |
|---|---|---|
ref_search_documentation | Standards, patterns, RFCs | "[topic] RFC standard best practices {current_year}" |
context7__resolve-library-id | Get library ID for docs | libraryName="[topic]" |
context7__query-docs | Library API, methods | topic="[stack_prefix] [topic]" |
WebSearch | Market, competitors, versions | "[topic] latest {current_year}" or "[topic] vs alternatives" |
Time-box: 5-10 minutes for research; skip if topic is trivial
Research Methodology by Type (for doc_type="research")
| Type | Focus | Primary Sources | Key Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical | Solution comparison | Docs, benchmarks, RFCs | "Which solution fits our use-case?" |
| Market | Industry landscape | Reports, blogs, articles | "What's the market size/trend?" |
| Competitor | How others solve it | Product pages, reviews, demos | "What features do competitors offer?" |
| Requirements | User needs | Feedback, support tickets, forums | "What do customers complain about?" |
| Feasibility | Can we build it? | PoC, prototypes, local tests | "Is it technically possible?" |
| Feature Demand | Feature viability | Competitor features + blogs/socials + user complaints | "Is this feature worth building?" |
Workflow
| doc_type | Purpose | Research Source | Template | Output Path | Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| guide | Pattern with Do/Don't/When table | ref_search (best practices) | guide_template.md | guides/NN-[slug].md | 300-500 |
| manual | API/library reference | context7__query-docs | manual_template.md | manuals/[pkg]-[ver].md | 300-500 |
| adr | Architecture decision | Dialog (5 questions) | adr_template.md | adrs/adr-NNN-[slug].md | 300-500 |
| research | Investigation answering question | See Methodology table above | research_template.md | research/rsh-NNN-[slug].md | 300-700 |
Common Workflow: Detect number (if needed) → Research → Generate from template → Validate (SCOPE, POSIX) → Save → Return path
Extract & Sections by doc_type:
- guide: Extract principle, 2-3 do/don'ts, sources → Sections: Principle, Our Implementation, Patterns table, Sources, Related
- manual: Extract methods, params (type/required/default), returns → Sections: Package info, Overview, Methods table, Config table, Limitations
- adr: Dialog answers → Sections: Context, Decision, Rationale, Alternatives table, Consequences, Related
- research: Findings by methodology → Sections: Question, Context, Methodology, Findings (tables!), Conclusions, Next Steps, Sources
Validation specifics: guide: patterns table present; manual: version in filename; adr: ISO date, status field; all: sources ≤ 1 year old
ADR Dialog (5 questions): Q1: Title? → Q2: Category (Strategic/Technical)? → Q3: Context? → Q4: Decision + Rationale? → Q5: Alternatives (2 with pros/cons)?
Output: File path for linking in Stories/Tasks; for ADR remind to reference in architecture.md; for Research suggest ADR if decision needed
Critical Rules
MANDATORY FILE CREATION:
- ALL research MUST end with file creation (guide/manual/ADR/research document)
- Create target directory if missing (docs/guides/, docs/manuals/, docs/adrs/, docs/research/)
- No exceptions — file creation is required for ALL invocations
NO_CODE_EXAMPLES (ALL document types):
| Forbidden | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Code snippets | Tables (params, config, alternatives) |
| Implementation examples | ASCII diagrams, Mermaid diagrams |
| Code blocks >1 line | Method signatures (1 line inline) |
| Links to official docs |
Format Priority (STRICT):
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. TABLES + ASCII diagrams ←── PRIORITY │
│ Params, Config, Alternatives, Flows │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. LISTS (enumerations only) │
│ Enumeration items, file lists, tools │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. TEXT (last resort) │
│ Only if cannot express as table │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘| Content Type | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameters | Table: Name \ | Type \ | Required \ | Default |
| Configuration | Table: Option \ | Type \ | Default \ | Description |
| Alternatives | Table: Alt \ | Pros \ | Cons \ | Why Rejected |
| Patterns | Table: Do \ | Don't \ | When | |
| Workflow | ASCII diagram: A → B → C |
Other Rules:
- Research ONCE per invocation; reuse results
- Cite sources with versions/dates (≤ 1 year old)
- One pattern per guide; one decision per ADR; one package per manual
- Preserve language (EN/RU) from story_context
- Link to stack-appropriate docs (Microsoft for.NET, MDN for JS, etc.)
- MANDATORY: Create target directory if missing (docs/guides/, docs/manuals/, docs/adrs/, docs/research/); file creation is required
Definition of Done
- Research completed (standards/patterns/versions extracted) - for guide/manual
- Dialog completed (5 questions answered) - for ADR
- Document generated with all required sections; no placeholders
- Standards validated (SCOPE, maintenance, POSIX)
- File saved to correct directory with proper naming
- Path returned; README updated if placeholder present
Reference Files
- Guide template:
shared/templates/guide_template.md - Manual template:
shared/templates/manual_template.md - ADR template:
shared/templates/adr_template.md - Research template:
shared/templates/research_template.md - Standards:
docs/standards/DOCUMENTATION_STANDARDS.md(if exists) - MANDATORY READ:
shared/references/research_tool_fallback.md
Version: 3.0.1 Last Updated: 2026-02-14