Research Synthesis Skill

Purpose

Gather and synthesize research BEFORE creating any new artifact (agent, skill, workflow, hook, schema, template). This skill ensures all design decisions are backed by:

• Current best practices from authoritative sources

• Implementation patterns from real-world examples

• Existing codebase conventions to maintain consistency

• Risk assessment to anticipate problems

When to Invoke This Skill

MANDATORY BEFORE:

• agent-creator

• Research agent patterns and domain expertise

• skill-creator

• Research skill implementation best practices

• workflow-creator

• Research orchestration patterns

• hook-creator

• Research validation and safety patterns

• schema-creator

• Research JSON Schema patterns

• template-creator

• Research code scaffolding patterns

RECOMMENDED FOR:

• New feature design

• Architecture decisions

• Technology selection

• Integration planning

The Iron Law

NO ARTIFACT CREATION WITHOUT RESEARCH FIRST

If you haven't executed the research protocol, you cannot proceed with artifact creation.

Query Limits (IRON LAW)

3-5 QUERIES MAXIMUM PER RESEARCH TASK

Exceeding this limit causes:

• Memory exhaustion (reports >10 KB → context window overflow)

• Information overload (can't process 10+ sources effectively)

• Diminishing returns (quality > quantity)

Query Budget by Complexity:

• Simple research (fact-checking, version checking): 3 queries

• Medium research (feature comparison, implementation patterns): 4 queries

• Complex research (comprehensive best practices, ecosystem overview): 5 queries

NEVER:

• Execute >5 queries in a single research session

• Execute unbounded "research everything" queries

• Combine multiple unrelated research topics in one session

Multi-Phase Pattern: If research requires >5 queries, split into multiple research sessions (see "Multi-Phase Research Pattern" below).

Report Size Limit (IRON LAW)

10 KB MAXIMUM PER RESEARCH REPORT

Why 10 KB?

• Context efficiency (10 KB = ~2500 words = readable in one context window)

• Forces prioritization (include only essential findings)

• Prevents "encyclopedia syndrome" (copying entire articles)

Format Requirements:

• Use bullet points (compact)

• Reference URLs instead of copying content

• Summarize findings in <3 sentences per source

• Remove noise, keep essentials

When approaching 10 KB:

• Stop adding new sources

• Consolidate duplicates

• Remove redundant details

• Focus on unique insights

For complex topics:

• Split into 2-3 mini-reports (each <10 KB)

• Each focused on one aspect

• Link reports together in summary

MANDATORY Research Protocol

Step 0: Internal Memory Lookup + Context Pressure Check (MANDATORY - FIRST STEP)

BEFORE executing any external research queries, first search internal project memory. If sufficient high-confidence results exist internally, skip external queries entirely. Then check context pressure before proceeding.

// Sub-step 0a: Query internal RAG for cached research on the topic const { searchInternalContext } = require('.claude/lib/memory/internal-rag.cjs'); const internalResults = await searchInternalContext(researchTopic, { limit: 5, threshold: 0.6 }); const avgSimilarity = internalResults.results.length > 0 ? internalResults.results.reduce((sum, r) => sum + (r.similarity || 0), 0) / internalResults.results.length : 0; if (internalResults.results.length >= 3 && avgSimilarity > 0.7) { // High-confidence internal hit — synthesize from internal results and skip external search console.log( '[research-synthesis] Internal RAG hit (avg similarity:', avgSimilarity.toFixed(2), ') — skipping external search' ); } // Otherwise proceed to external queries below

// Sub-step 0b: Context pressure check const { checkContextPressure } = require('.claude/lib/utils/context-pressure.cjs');

// Option A — token-budget-based (if budget info available) const pressure = checkContextPressure({ tokenBudgetPercent: currentTokenBudgetPercent, });

// Option B — text-based estimate (when budget % not available) // const pressure = checkContextPressure({ text: recentContextSnapshot });

if (pressure.pressure === 'high') { // STOP — compress context before researching console.warn('[research-synthesis] High context pressure:', pressure.reason); console.warn('Run context-compressor skill first, then re-invoke research-synthesis.'); // Return early without executing research queries process.exit(0); }

if (pressure.pressure === 'medium') { // Proceed but limit to 3 queries (simple budget) console.warn('[research-synthesis] Medium context pressure:', pressure.reason); console.warn('Limiting to 3 queries. Consider compressing after research.'); } // Low pressure → proceed normally with full query budget

Enforcement:

Pressure Action

high

STOP — invoke context-compressor skill, then retry

medium

Limit to 3 queries, warn caller

low

Proceed normally with full query budget (3–5 queries)

Step 1: Define Research Scope & Plan Queries

Before executing queries, define scope AND plan query budget:

Research Scope Definition

Artifact Type: [agent | skill | workflow | hook | schema | template] Domain/Capability: [What this artifact will do]

Complexity Assessment:

• Simple (fact-checking, version checking) → 3 queries
• Medium (feature comparison, implementation patterns) → 4 queries
• Complex (comprehensive best practices, ecosystem overview) → 5 queries

Planned Queries (list 3-5 BEFORE executing):

1. [Query 1: Best practices - specific question]
2. [Query 2: Implementation patterns - specific question]
3. [Query 3: Framework/AI-specific - specific question]
4. [Optional Query 4: Security/performance - specific question]
5. [Optional Query 5: Trade-offs/alternatives - specific question]

Key Questions:

1. What are the best practices for this domain?
2. What implementation patterns exist?
3. What tools/frameworks should be used?
4. What are the common pitfalls?

Existing Patterns to Examine:

• .claude/[category]/ - Similar artifacts
• .claude/templates/ - Relevant templates
• .claude/schemas/ - Validation patterns

Pre-Research Checklist:

[ ] Complexity assessed (3, 4, or 5 queries planned) [ ] Queries planned BEFORE executing (prevents scope creep) [ ] Each query is specific (not "research everything about X") [ ] Report size target set (<10 KB) [ ] Multi-phase split considered (if >5 queries needed)

Step 2: Execute Research Queries (3-5 Maximum)

Execute exactly 3-5 research queries (no more). More queries = memory exhaustion and context loss.

Query 1: Best Practices

// Using Exa (preferred for technical content) mcp__Exa__web_search_exa({ query: '{artifact_type} {domain} best practices 2024 2025', numResults: 5, });

// Or using WebSearch (fallback) WebSearch({ query: '{domain} best practices implementation guide', });

Query 2: Implementation Patterns

// Code-focused search mcp__Exa__get_code_context_exa({ query: '{domain} implementation patterns examples github', tokensNum: 5000, });

// Or fetch from authoritative sources WebFetch({ url: 'https://[authoritative-source]/docs/{topic}', });

Query 3: Claude/AI Agent Specific

// Framework-specific patterns mcp__Exa__web_search_exa({ query: 'Claude AI agent {domain} {artifact_type} patterns', numResults: 5, });

// Or search for MCP patterns WebSearch({ query: 'Model Context Protocol {domain} integration', });

Query Efficiency Tips:

• Prefer 2-3 high-quality queries over 10 generic ones

• Combine related questions in one query ("X best practices + implementation patterns")

• Use WebFetch for known authoritative sources (faster, more focused)

• Stop when you have enough unique insights (quality > quantity)

Step 3: Analyze Existing Codebase

Before synthesizing, examine existing patterns in the codebase:

// Find similar artifacts Glob({ pattern: '.claude/{artifact_category}/**/*.md' });

// Search for related implementations Grep({ pattern: '{related_keyword}', path: '.claude/' });

// Read existing examples Read({ file_path: '.claude/{category}/{similar_artifact}' });

What to Extract:

• Naming conventions - How are similar artifacts named?

• Structure patterns - What sections do they include?

• Tool usage - What tools do similar artifacts use?

• Skill dependencies - What skills are commonly assigned?

• Output locations - Where do artifacts save their outputs?

Step 4: Synthesize Findings

Output a structured research report following .claude/templates/reports/research-report-template.md :

File Location: .claude/context/artifacts/research-reports/{topic}-research-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md

Required Sections:

• Provenance Header: <!-- Agent: {type} | Task: #{id} | Session: {date} -->

• Executive Summary: 2-3 sentence overview of key findings

• Research Methodology: Query table + sources consulted table

• Detailed Findings: By topic with key insights, evidence, relevance

• Academic References: arXiv papers, academic sources (include even if empty)

• Practical Recommendations: P0/P1/P2 prioritization

• Risk Assessment: Risk table with impact/probability/mitigation

• Implementation Roadmap: Next steps and timeline

For artifact creation research, also include:

Existing Codebase Patterns

Similar Artifacts Found:

• {path_1}

• {what it does, what patterns it uses}

• {path_2}

• {what it does, what patterns it uses}

Conventions Identified:

• Naming: {convention}

• Structure: {convention}

• Tools: {convention}

• Output: {convention}

Best Practices Identified

Practice Source Confidence Rationale

1 {practice} {source_url_or_name} High {why_applicable}

2 {practice} {source_url_or_name} Medium {why_applicable}

3 {practice} {source_url_or_name} High {why_applicable}

Confidence Levels:

• High: Multiple authoritative sources agree

• Medium: Single authoritative source or multiple secondary sources

• Low: Limited evidence, requires validation

Design Decisions

Decision Rationale Source Alternatives Considered

{decision_1} {why} {source} {what_else_was_considered}

{decision_2} {why} {source} {what_else_was_considered}

{decision_3} {why} {source} {what_else_was_considered}

Recommended Implementation

File Location: .claude/{category}/{name}/

Template to Use: .claude/templates/{template}.md

Skills to Invoke:

• {skill_1}

• {why}

• {skill_2}

• {why}

Hooks Needed:

• {hook_type}
• {purpose}

Dependencies:

• Existing artifacts: {list}

• External tools: {list}

Quality Gate Checklist

Before proceeding to artifact creation, verify:

• Minimum 3 research queries executed

• At least 3 external sources consulted

• Existing codebase patterns documented

• All design decisions have rationale and source

• Risk assessment completed with mitigations

• Recommended implementation path documented

• Report saved with correct naming: {topic}-research-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md

• Provenance header included

Next Steps

• Invoke creator skill: Skill({ skill: "{creator_skill}" })

• Use this report as input: Reference decisions above

• Validate against checklist: Before marking complete

Integration with Creator Skills

Pre-Creation Workflow

[AGENT] User requests: "Create a Slack notification skill"

[AGENT] Step 1: Research first Skill({ skill: "research-synthesis" })

[RESEARCH-SYNTHESIS] Executing research protocol...

• Query 1: "Slack API best practices 2025"
• Query 2: "Slack MCP server integration patterns"
• Query 3: "Claude AI Slack notification skill"
• Analyzing: .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md for patterns
• Output: Research Report saved

[AGENT] Step 2: Create with research backing Skill({ skill: "skill-creator" })

[SKILL-CREATOR] Using research report...

• Following design decisions from report
• Applying identified best practices
• Mitigating documented risks

Handoff Format

After completing research, provide this handoff to the creator skill:

Research Handoff to: {creator_skill}

Report Location: .claude/context/artifacts/research-reports/{artifact_name}-research.md

Summary: {2-3 sentence summary of key findings}

Critical Decisions:

1. {decision_1}
2. {decision_2}
3. {decision_3}

Proceed with creation: YES/NO Confidence Level: High/Medium/Low

Multi-Phase Research Pattern (for complex topics)

When research complexity exceeds 5 queries, split into phases:

Phase 1: Scope & Definition (2 queries)

• What is the topic/technology?

• What are the key concepts?

Phase 2: Implementation (2 queries)

• How do experts implement this?

• Common patterns & best practices?

Phase 3: Comparison & Trade-offs (1 query)

• How does this compare to alternatives?

• Trade-offs & gotchas?

Benefits:

• Each phase is independent (less context bleed)

• Can be done in separate skill invocations

• Clearer organization

• Easier to reuse findings

Example:

Session 1: Research "Rust async/await" (Phase 1: 2 queries) Session 2: Research "Tokio patterns" (Phase 2: 2 queries) Session 3: Research "async-trait vs manual impl" (Phase 3: 1 query)

Memory-Aware Chunking Examples

GOOD - Focused query + chunked report:

Query: "Rust async/await best practices 2026" Report structure:

• Definition (100 words)
• Pattern 1: Tokio (200 words)
• Pattern 2: async-trait (150 words)
• Gotchas (100 words)
• Links (10 sources) ---Total: ~550 words, ~3 KB

BAD - Unbounded research:

Query: "everything about Rust ecosystem 2026" Report: 50 sources, 15 KB (truncated by context limit) ---Can't use findings without context loss

GOOD - Phased approach:

Phase 1 Report: Rust async fundamentals (3 KB) Phase 2 Report: Tokio implementation patterns (4 KB) Phase 3 Report: Performance comparison (2 KB) ---Total: 9 KB across 3 sessions (all usable)

BAD - Single massive report:

Single Report: Comprehensive Rust async guide (25 KB) ---Truncated to 10 KB, missing critical sections

Quality Gate

Research is complete when ALL items pass:

[ ] 3-5 research queries executed (NO MORE THAN 5) [ ] At least 3 external sources consulted (URLs or authoritative names) [ ] Existing codebase patterns documented (at least 2 similar artifacts) [ ] ALL design decisions have rationale AND source [ ] Risk assessment completed (at least 3 risks with mitigations) [ ] Recommended implementation path documented [ ] Report saved to output location [ ] Report size <10 KB (check file size before saving)

BLOCKING: If any item fails, research is INCOMPLETE. Do not proceed to artifact creation.

Output Locations

• Research reports: .claude/context/artifacts/research-reports/

• Temporary notes: .claude/context/tmp/research/

• Memory updates: .claude/context/memory/learnings.md

Report Naming Convention (MANDATORY)

Format: {topic}-research-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md

• Topic: kebab-case descriptive name

• Always includes -research- suffix before date

• Date: ISO 8601 with hyphens (YYYY-MM-DD)

Examples:

• ✓ oauth2-security-research-2026-02-09.md

• ✓ json-schema-patterns-research-2026-02-09.md

• ✓ slack-integration-best-practices-research-2026-02-09.md

• ✗ agent-keywords-core.md (missing date)

• ✗ oauth2-auth-2026-02-09.md (missing -research- suffix)

• ✗ bmad-method-analysis-20260128-104050.md (wrong date format)

Template: Use .claude/templates/reports/research-report-template.md for all research reports

Examples

Example 1: Research Before Creating Slack Skill

// Step 1: Define scope // Artifact: skill, Domain: Slack notifications

// Step 2: Execute queries mcp__Exa__web_search_exa({ query: 'Slack API webhook best practices 2025', numResults: 5, });

mcp__Exa__get_code_context_exa({ query: 'Slack notification system implementation Node.js', tokensNum: 5000, });

WebSearch({ query: 'Claude AI MCP Slack server integration', });

// Step 3: Analyze codebase Glob({ pattern: '.claude/skills/notification/SKILL.md' }); Glob({ pattern: '.claude/skills/slack/SKILL.md' }); Read({ file_path: '.claude/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md' });

// Step 4: Synthesize and output report Write({ file_path: '.claude/context/artifacts/research-reports/slack-notifications-research.md', content: '## Research Report: Slack Notifications Skill...', });

Example 2: Research Before Creating Database Agent

// Research queries for database-architect agent mcp__Exa__web_search_exa({ query: 'database design architecture best practices 2025', numResults: 5, });

WebFetch({ url: 'https://docs.postgresql.org/current/ddl.html', });

mcp__Exa__web_search_exa({ query: 'AI agent database schema design automation', numResults: 5, });

// Analyze existing agents Glob({ pattern: '.claude/agents/domain/data.md' }); Read({ file_path: '.claude/agents/core/developer.md' });

Common Research Domains

Domain Key Queries Authoritative Sources

API Integration "REST API design", "GraphQL patterns" OpenAPI spec, GraphQL spec

Security "OWASP top 10", "security best practices" OWASP, NIST

Database "database design patterns", "SQL optimization" PostgreSQL docs, MySQL docs

Frontend "React patterns", "accessibility WCAG" React docs, W3C

DevOps "CI/CD best practices", "IaC patterns" GitLab docs, Terraform docs

Testing "TDD patterns", "test automation" Testing Library, Jest docs

AI/ML "LLM integration patterns", "prompt engineering" Anthropic docs, OpenAI docs

File Placement & Standards

Output Location Rules

This skill outputs to: .claude/context/artifacts/research-reports/

Mandatory References

• File Placement: See .claude/docs/FILE_PLACEMENT_RULES.md

• Developer Workflow: See .claude/docs/DEVELOPER_WORKFLOW.md

• Artifact Naming: See .claude/docs/ARTIFACT_NAMING.md

Enforcement

File placement is enforced by file-placement-guard.cjs hook. Invalid placements will be blocked in production mode.

Memory Protocol (MANDATORY)

Before starting:

cat .claude/context/memory/learnings.md

Check for:

• Previous research on similar domains

• Known patterns and conventions

• Documented decisions

After completing:

• New research findings -> Append to .claude/context/memory/learnings.md

• Important decisions -> Append to .claude/context/memory/decisions.md

• Issues found -> Append to .claude/context/memory/issues.md

ASSUME INTERRUPTION: Your context may reset. If it's not in memory, it didn't happen.

Workflow Integration

This skill integrates with the Creator Ecosystem:

Creator Research Focus

agent-creator

Domain expertise, agent patterns, skill dependencies

skill-creator

Tool integration, MCP patterns, validation hooks

workflow-creator

Orchestration patterns, multi-agent coordination

hook-creator

Validation patterns, security checks, safety gates

schema-creator

JSON Schema patterns, validation strategies

template-creator

Code scaffolding, project structure patterns

Full lifecycle: .claude/workflows/core/skill-lifecycle.md

Iron Laws

• NEVER create any artifact without completing the research protocol first — uninformed creation produces decisions that conflict with existing patterns and require expensive rework.

• NEVER execute more than 5 queries per research session — exceeding the limit causes memory exhaustion and context window overflow where later findings are silently lost.

• NEVER produce a research report exceeding 10 KB — oversized reports overflow the context window and force truncation of findings at the most critical sections.

• ALWAYS analyze at least 2 existing codebase artifacts before synthesizing external research — external best practices alone miss project-specific conventions and produce inconsistent implementations.

• ALWAYS document a source and rationale for every design decision — decisions without evidence cannot be evaluated, challenged, or traced during future refactoring.

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern Why It Fails Correct Approach

Starting artifact creation before running research protocol Produces uninformed decisions that conflict with existing patterns and require rework Always invoke research-synthesis and pass the quality gate before calling any creator skill

Executing 10+ queries to "be thorough" Causes memory exhaustion and context overflow; later findings are silently lost Plan exactly 3–5 targeted queries before starting; split complex topics into separate research phases

Writing exhaustive research reports exceeding 10 KB Oversized reports truncate in the context window, hiding sections the creator skill most needs Use bullet points, reference URLs instead of copying content, and summarize each source in under 3 sentences

Synthesizing external findings without examining existing codebase External best practices may conflict with established project patterns and naming conventions Always glob and read at least 2 similar existing artifacts before writing design decisions

Recording design decisions without source citations Undocumented decisions cannot be validated, challenged, or traced during future refactoring cycles Every decision row in the Design Decisions table must include a source URL or authoritative reference name