dwmkerr Research
Research technical solutions and gather evidence before implementation.
Research Process
1. Web Search First
Always start with web search to find:
- Official documentation
- GitHub repositories
- Blog posts and tutorials
- Protocol specifications (PDFs, RFCs)
2. Examine GitHub Repositories
GitHub raw content is often blocked. Clone repos to examine them:
cd /tmp
git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git
cat /tmp/repo/README.md
Look for:
- README documentation
- Code examples
- Architecture patterns
- Dependencies and requirements
3. Handle Blocked Content
If a website cannot be loaded:
- Ask the user to paste the relevant content
- Request PDFs or specification documents
- Ask for screenshots if visual content is needed
Example prompt:
"I found a relevant resource at [URL] but cannot access it. Could you paste the key content or provide the PDF?"
4. Local Research Workspace
Store findings in ./scratch/research/ for review:
mkdir -p ./scratch/research
Save:
- Cloned repo summaries
- Code snippets
- Architecture diagrams
- Comparison notes
5. Evidence Requirements
Minimum 2-3 datapoints required before recommending a solution:
- GitHub repo with active maintenance
- Documentation or specification
- Real-world usage examples
- Community feedback (issues, discussions)
If insufficient evidence, ask for guidance:
"I found only one reference to this approach. Can you point me to additional resources or clarify the requirements?"
Output Format
Always back up findings with sources:
## Research: [Topic]
### Option 1: [Solution Name]
- **Source**: [URL or repo link]
- **Pros**: ...
- **Cons**: ...
- **Evidence**: [What confirms this works]
### Option 2: [Solution Name]
...
### Recommendation
Based on [N] sources, I recommend [Option] because...
### Sources
- [Title](URL)
- [Repo](GitHub URL) - cloned and examined
- [Spec](URL) - user provided
Example Usage
User: "Research options for terminal recording in an MCP server"
- Web search: "terminal recording library node typescript"
- Find GitHub repos -> clone to /tmp and examine
- Find asciinema, VHS, xterm.js
- Compare approaches in ./scratch/research/terminal-recording.md
- Present options with 2-3 sources each