Quick Research

Quick Research Skill

Lightweight inline research protocol for agents who need to look something up mid-task without derailing into a full research cycle.

Use this when: You hit an unknown API, unfamiliar pattern, or need to verify a technical approach — and the answer is findable in 2-3 searches.

Don't use this when: You need to compare 5+ competitors, analyze a market, or produce a research document. Use @researcher or /research-cycle instead.

When to Trigger

1. Unknown API: You're about to call a function you haven't used before
2. Error loop: You've failed the same thing twice — stop guessing, search
3. Best practice question: "Is there a better way to do X in React/Tone.js?"
4. Competitor behavior: "How does Ableton handle this specific interaction?"
5. Edge case uncertainty: "What happens when the sample rate changes mid-playback?"

Protocol (3 steps, under 2 minutes)

Step 1: Frame the Question (10 seconds)

Write a single sentence: "I need to know [X] because [Y]."

Bad: "Research Web Audio API" Good: "I need to know if AudioContext.resume() is needed after tab visibility change because our playback breaks when users switch tabs"

Step 2: Search (2-3 queries max)

Use WebSearch with targeted queries:

• Include the specific API/library name
• Include the specific problem or behavior
• Add "2024" or "2025" for recent results if the API may have changed

Example queries:

"AudioContext resume tab visibility change 2025"
"Tone.js Transport sync drift workaround"
"React 19 useEffect cleanup race condition"

If the first result answers your question, stop. Don't search for confirmation.

Step 3: Extract and Apply (30 seconds)

From the search results, extract:

• The answer (1-2 sentences)
• The source (URL for reference)
• Any gotcha (common mistake to avoid)

Then immediately return to your task. Don't write a research document.

Anti-Patterns

• Research rabbit hole: 5+ searches on a tangent. If 3 searches don't answer it, escalate to @researcher.
• Confirmation searching: You already know the answer but keep searching to "make sure." Trust the first credible source.
• Over-documenting: Writing a research summary for a simple API lookup. Just use the knowledge and move on.
• Searching for things in the codebase: If the answer is in the project files, use Grep/Read, not WebSearch.

Output (inline, not a separate document)

No formal output. The research result gets applied directly to your current task. If the finding is surprising or non-obvious, add a brief code comment:

// Note: AudioContext must be resumed after tab visibility change (Chrome policy)
await Tone.context.resume();