Research Methodology
When This Skill Applies
This skill activates when you need to investigate a topic deeply enough to teach it. It applies before any course content is written — the research phase that produces the knowledge artifacts (platform-summary.md, teaching-context.md, framework-extraction.md) that the content creation pipeline consumes.
Use this when:
- Planning a new course on a technology or framework
- Deep-diving into a topic before writing text classes
- Analyzing a reference repository for patterns worth teaching
- Building a platform-summary.md for an existing course
- Extracting frameworks from documentation or codebases
The Research Principle
Extract architecture, not features. Anyone can list what a tool does. Course authors need to understand HOW it works, WHEN to use each part, and WHERE things go wrong. Architecture → decision points → frameworks → course content.
Source Quality Hierarchy
Not all sources are equal. Rate every source:
| Tier |
Source Type |
Trust Level |
Use For |
| S |
Official documentation |
Highest |
Architecture, API, terminology, key numbers |
| A |
Official blog posts, changelogs |
High |
Recent changes, design decisions, roadmap |
| A |
Official GitHub repos, examples |
High |
Patterns, conventions, working code |
| B |
Community-maintained docs |
Medium |
Verify against official before using |
| B |
Expert blog posts (recognized contributors) |
Medium |
Insights, opinions, worked examples |
| C |
Forum discussions, Stack Overflow |
Low |
Common mistakes, gotchas, real-world issues |
| D |
Random blog posts, tutorials |
Lowest |
Cross-reference only, never trust alone |
Rule: Every fact in a platform-summary.md must trace to a Tier S or A source. Tier B-D sources are useful for identifying WHAT to investigate, not for stating facts.
Research Artifact Standards
Every research session produces artifacts under the consumer plugin's research directory (path convention is consumer-specific; dojo-academy uses content/courses/{course-slug}/research/). Each artifact follows a specific format defined in the resources:
RESEARCH.md — session log (what was investigated, key findings, open questions)sources.md — registry of all sources with tier ratingsframework-extraction.md — named frameworks ready for text classesrepo-analysis-{name}.md — per-repo analysis documentscompetitive-landscape.md — what other courses/tutorials cover this topic
The 5 Things to Extract
For every topic researched, extract these 5 categories:
| Category |
What to Capture |
Why It Matters for Course |
| Architecture |
How it works — layers, components, data flow |
Students need mental models, not feature lists |
| Terminology |
Exact official names and definitions |
Wrong terms in course content = lost credibility |
| Key Numbers |
Limits, defaults, thresholds, pricing |
Students need these for real-world decisions |
| Decision Points |
When to use X vs Y, trade-offs |
These become named frameworks in text classes |
| Common Mistakes |
Gotchas, anti-patterns, misconceptions |
These become "What Goes Wrong" sections |
Framework Extraction Criteria
A research finding becomes a named framework when it meets ALL of these:
See resources/framework-extraction.md for the full extraction methodology.
Resources
resources/research-template.md — standard RESEARCH.md structureresources/source-quality.md — detailed source evaluation criteriaresources/framework-extraction.md — how to identify and name teachable frameworks
1---2name: research-methodology3description: Systematic research methodology for deep-diving into topics, frameworks, and tech stacks before course creation. Defines source quality standards, research artifact formats, and framework extraction criteria.4---56# Research Methodology78## When This Skill Applies910This skill activates when you need to investigate a topic deeply enough to teach it. It applies before any course content is written — the research phase that produces the knowledge artifacts (platform-summary.md, teaching-context.md, framework-extraction.md) that the content creation pipeline consumes.1112**Use this when:**13- Planning a new course on a technology or framework14- Deep-diving into a topic before writing text classes15- Analyzing a reference repository for patterns worth teaching16- Building a platform-summary.md for an existing course17- Extracting frameworks from documentation or codebases1819## The Research Principle2021**Extract architecture, not features.** Anyone can list what a tool does. Course authors need to understand HOW it works, WHEN to use each part, and WHERE things go wrong. Architecture → decision points → frameworks → course content.2223## Source Quality Hierarchy2425Not all sources are equal. Rate every source:2627| Tier | Source Type | Trust Level | Use For |28|------|-----------|------------|---------|29| **S** | Official documentation | Highest | Architecture, API, terminology, key numbers |30| **A** | Official blog posts, changelogs | High | Recent changes, design decisions, roadmap |31| **A** | Official GitHub repos, examples | High | Patterns, conventions, working code |32| **B** | Community-maintained docs | Medium | Verify against official before using |33| **B** | Expert blog posts (recognized contributors) | Medium | Insights, opinions, worked examples |34| **C** | Forum discussions, Stack Overflow | Low | Common mistakes, gotchas, real-world issues |35| **D** | Random blog posts, tutorials | Lowest | Cross-reference only, never trust alone |3637**Rule:** Every fact in a platform-summary.md must trace to a Tier S or A source. Tier B-D sources are useful for identifying WHAT to investigate, not for stating facts.3839## Research Artifact Standards4041Every research session produces artifacts under the consumer plugin's research directory (path convention is consumer-specific; dojo-academy uses `content/courses/{course-slug}/research/`). Each artifact follows a specific format defined in the resources:4243- `RESEARCH.md` — session log (what was investigated, key findings, open questions)44- `sources.md` — registry of all sources with tier ratings45- `framework-extraction.md` — named frameworks ready for text classes46- `repo-analysis-{name}.md` — per-repo analysis documents47- `competitive-landscape.md` — what other courses/tutorials cover this topic4849## The 5 Things to Extract5051For every topic researched, extract these 5 categories:5253| Category | What to Capture | Why It Matters for Course |54|----------|----------------|--------------------------|55| **Architecture** | How it works — layers, components, data flow | Students need mental models, not feature lists |56| **Terminology** | Exact official names and definitions | Wrong terms in course content = lost credibility |57| **Key Numbers** | Limits, defaults, thresholds, pricing | Students need these for real-world decisions |58| **Decision Points** | When to use X vs Y, trade-offs | These become named frameworks in text classes |59| **Common Mistakes** | Gotchas, anti-patterns, misconceptions | These become "What Goes Wrong" sections |6061## Framework Extraction Criteria6263A research finding becomes a named framework when it meets ALL of these:6465- [ ] It models a **decision** students will face (not just a fact)66- [ ] It can be **structured** as a table, matrix, tree, or checklist67- [ ] It has a **memorable name** (specific, not generic)68- [ ] A **worked example** can demonstrate it in action69- [ ] It's **testable** — you could write a quiz question about it7071See `resources/framework-extraction.md` for the full extraction methodology.7273## Resources7475- `resources/research-template.md` — standard RESEARCH.md structure76- `resources/source-quality.md` — detailed source evaluation criteria77- `resources/framework-extraction.md` — how to identify and name teachable frameworks
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