# Using Eureka > Use when starting any conversation involving research, hypotheses, experiments, data analysis, scientific claims, or manuscript writing — establishes how to find and use Eureka research skills - Skill: `jeonnoin-alt/using-eureka` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jeonnoin-alt/using-eureka` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jeonnoin-alt/using-eureka/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: jeonnoin-alt (https://skillmd.com/u/jeonnoin-alt) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jeonnoin-alt/using-eureka --- If you were dispatched as a subagent to execute a specific task, skip this skill. If you think there is even a 1% chance an Eureka skill might apply to what you are doing, you ABSOLUTELY MUST invoke the skill. IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT. This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this. ## Instruction Priority Eureka skills override default system prompt behavior, but **user instructions always take precedence**: 1. **User's explicit instructions** (CLAUDE.md, GEMINI.md, AGENTS.md, direct requests) — highest priority 2. **Eureka skills** — override default system behavior where they conflict 3. **Default system prompt** — lowest priority If CLAUDE.md says "skip hypothesis registration for exploratory analysis" and a skill says "always register," follow the user's instructions. The user is in control. ### Coexistence with Superpowers If `superpowers` skills are also available, they remain in force for **software engineering tasks**. Eureka adds research skills — it does not replace software ones. - `superpowers:brainstorming` → feature design, component architecture - `eureka:research-brainstorming` → hypothesis design, study architecture - `superpowers:code-reviewer` → code quality, production readiness - `eureka:research-reviewer` → scientific rigor, publication readiness Use the namespace that matches the artifact: **code** → superpowers, **science** → eureka. ## How to Access Skills **In Claude Code:** Use the `Skill` tool with the `eureka:` prefix. When you invoke a skill, its content is loaded and presented to you — follow it directly. Never use the Read tool on skill files. **In Gemini CLI:** Skills activate via the `activate_skill` tool. Gemini loads skill metadata at session start and activates the full content on demand. **In other environments:** Check your platform's documentation for how skills are loaded. # Using Eureka Skills ## The Rule **Invoke relevant or requested skills BEFORE any response or action.** Even a 1% chance a skill might apply means you should invoke it. If an invoked skill turns out to be wrong for the situation, you don't need to use it. ```dot digraph eureka_flow { "User message received" [shape=doublecircle]; "Research task detected?" [shape=diamond]; "Already brainstormed\nresearch design?" [shape=diamond]; "Invoke research-brainstorming" [shape=box]; "Might any eureka skill apply?" [shape=diamond]; "Invoke Skill tool" [shape=box]; "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" [shape=box]; "Has checklist?" [shape=diamond]; "Create TodoWrite todo per item" [shape=box]; "Follow skill exactly" [shape=box]; "Respond (including clarifications)" [shape=doublecircle]; "User message received" -> "Research task detected?"; "Has formed research question?" [shape=diamond]; "Invoke research-ideation" [shape=box]; "Research task detected?" -> "Has formed research question?" [label="yes"]; "Has formed research question?" -> "Already brainstormed\nresearch design?" [label="yes"]; "Has formed research question?" -> "Invoke research-ideation" [label="no — only keywords,\ndataset, or vague interest"]; "Invoke research-ideation" -> "Already brainstormed\nresearch design?"; "Research task detected?" -> "Might any eureka skill apply?" [label="unclear"]; "Already brainstormed\nresearch design?" -> "Invoke research-brainstorming" [label="no"]; "Already brainstormed\nresearch design?" -> "Might any eureka skill apply?" [label="yes"]; "Invoke research-brainstorming" -> "Might any eureka skill apply?"; "Might any eureka skill apply?" -> "Invoke Skill tool" [label="yes, even 1%"]; "Might any eureka skill apply?" -> "Respond (including clarifications)" [label="definitely not"]; "Invoke Skill tool" -> "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'"; "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" -> "Has checklist?"; "Has checklist?" -> "Create TodoWrite todo per item" [label="yes"]; "Has checklist?" -> "Follow skill exactly" [label="no"]; "Create TodoWrite todo per item" -> "Follow skill exactly"; } ``` ## The Research Lifecycle Each Eureka skill maps to a phase of the research lifecycle. The workflow is not strictly linear — failed experiments send you back to earlier phases, and that is expected. ```dot digraph research_lifecycle { rankdir=TB; node [shape=box]; stuck [label="STUCK — Don't know what to do?\neureka:whats-next\n(diagnoses state + routes to right skill)", shape=ellipse, style=dashed]; journal [label="Session Journal\neureka:research-journal\n(narrative state writer)", shape=note, style=filled, fillcolor="#ffffcc"]; rq [label="Research Question\neureka:research-brainstorming\n(includes literature gap +\nDevil's Advocate)"]; hr [label="Hypothesis Registration\neureka:hypothesis-first\n(includes statistical plan)"]; plan [label="Experiment Planning\neureka:experiment-design"]; exp [label="Experiment Execution\n(your work)"]; trouble [label="Troubleshooting\neureka:systematic-troubleshooting"]; rev [label="Results Review\neureka:requesting-research-review"]; write [label="Manuscript Writing\neureka:manuscript-writing\n(section-by-section with reviewer)"]; figd [label="Figure Design\neureka:figure-design\n(chart-type + typography +\ncolorblind-safe palette +\nfigure-reviewer subagent)"]; novelty [label="Novelty Audit\neureka:novelty-competitive-audit\n(pre-submission external\ncompetitiveness check +\npreemption detection +\nPASS/CONCERN/BLOCK)"]; audit [label="Claims Audit\neureka:claims-audit"]; pub [label="Submission Gate\neureka:verification-before-publication"]; submit [label="Submit / Archive\neureka:submission-readiness"]; ideation [label="Research Ideation\neureka:research-ideation\n(idea generation from\nkeywords/data/papers)"]; ideation -> rq [label="idea selected"]; rq -> hr [label="design approved\ngap verified"]; hr -> plan [label="hypothesis registered"]; plan -> exp [label="plan ready"]; exp -> trouble [label="unexpected result"]; trouble -> exp [label="root cause fixed"]; trouble -> rq [label="hypothesis wrong"]; exp -> rev [label="phase complete"]; rev -> exp [label="FAIL: fix and re-run"]; rev -> write [label="PASS"]; write -> figd [label="section cites figure"]; figd -> write [label="figure approved"]; write -> novelty [label="manuscript complete"]; novelty -> write [label="CONCERN/BLOCK:\nreframe or narrow"]; novelty -> audit [label="PASS"]; audit -> pub [label="audit PASS"]; pub -> write [label="FAIL: revise"]; audit -> write [label="FAIL: fix claims"]; pub -> submit [label="PASS"]; exp -> rq [label="pivot needed"]; stuck -> rq [style=dashed, label="route"]; stuck -> hr [style=dashed]; stuck -> plan [style=dashed]; stuck -> trouble [style=dashed]; stuck -> rev [style=dashed]; stuck -> write [style=dashed]; stuck -> pub [style=dashed]; stuck -> submit [style=dashed]; stuck -> ideation [style=dashed]; stuck -> figd [style=dashed]; stuck -> novelty [style=dashed]; ideation -> journal [style=dashed, label="capture"]; rq -> journal [style=dashed, label="capture"]; hr -> journal [style=dashed]; plan -> journal [style=dashed]; trouble -> journal [style=dashed]; rev -> journal [style=dashed]; write -> journal [style=dashed]; audit -> journal [style=dashed]; journal -> stuck [style=dashed, label="informs"]; } ``` ## Red Flags These thoughts mean STOP — you're rationalizing skipping a skill: | Thought | Reality | |---------|---------| | "I just want to run a quick experiment" | Quick experiments become the paper. Design first. | | "My hypothesis is obvious" | Unstated hypotheses get HARKed. Register it. | | "I'll do the stats properly later" | Post-hoc statistics inflate Type I error. Lock them now. | | "I can reproduce this from memory" | You cannot. Seeds, configs, environment must be recorded. | | "The result is significant — that's enough" | Effect size, CI, and multiple-comparison correction are not optional. | | "I know what the reviewer will say" | Invoke the reviewer. You are wrong. | | "This is just a preliminary result" | Preliminary results become the paper. Rigor from day one. | | "We can improve reproducibility later" | Reproducibility cannot be retrofitted. Build it in from the start. | | "The claim is supported by the figure" | Trace the figure to its source file. If you can't, you can't publish it. | | "This doesn't need a formal design" | Unexamined assumptions waste months. The design can be short, but it must exist. | | "Let me just look at the data first" | Looking at data before locking your analysis plan is how p-hacking starts. | | "The sample size should be fine" | Should be? Run the power analysis. | | "Internal scores are high, we're ready to submit" | Internal scores don't check external preemption. `novelty-competitive-audit` catches the 6-12 months of field drift between design approval and submission — the most common desk-reject reason. | ## Skill Priority When multiple skills could apply, use this order: 1. **Triage first** (whats-next) — when the user is stuck or unsure which phase they are in, route through `whats-next` to identify the right specialist 2. **Process skills second** (research-ideation, research-brainstorming, hypothesis-first) — these determine HOW to approach the research 3. **Review skills third** (requesting-research-review, claims-audit) — these validate execution 4. **Gate skills fourth** (verification-before-publication) — these approve transitions 5. **Continuity skills last** (research-journal) — run at session end or after major events to preserve narrative state for the next session "I want to test whether X causes Y" → research-brainstorming first, not experiment execution. "My experiments are done" → requesting-research-review first, not manuscript writing. "I don't know what to do next" → whats-next first, then whatever it routes you to. "Session is wrapping up" → research-journal to capture decisions before context is lost. "I have this dataset but don't know what to study" → research-ideation first, not research-brainstorming. "Make a figure" / "the figure looks wrong" / "update fig X" → figure-design first, then manuscript-writing if a caption or section update is also needed. "Manuscript is ready but not sure it's still novel" / "worried about preemption" / "rigor scores high but nervous about field overlap" → novelty-competitive-audit, which blocks submission-readiness until it PASSes. ## Skill Types **Rigid** (follow exactly, do not adapt away discipline): - using-eureka - hypothesis-first - claims-audit - verification-before-publication - novelty-competitive-audit **Flexible** (adapt principles to domain and context): - research-ideation - research-brainstorming - experiment-design - systematic-troubleshooting - requesting-research-review - receiving-research-review - submission-readiness - whats-next - research-journal - manuscript-writing - figure-design The skill itself tells you which type it is. ## User Instructions Instructions say WHAT to research, not HOW to ensure rigor. "Run experiment X" or "Analyze dataset Y" does not mean skip the research workflow. ## Announcement language (multi-locale allowance) The skill invocation announcement ("Using [skill] to [purpose]") **may be in the user's ambient language** — if the user writes in Korean, announce in Korean (e.g., "research-brainstorming 스킬을 사용해 연구 질문을 정의합니다"); if the user writes in English, announce in English; if another language, match the user's language. **Skill body and structured output** (design documents, registration YAML frontmatter, research-reviewer reports, claims-audit tables, etc.) **remain in English** — plugin standard for portability, CI parsing, and cross-team reuse. Announcements are the only user-facing surface that flexes by locale. This allowance addresses the "Korean researchers code-switch every skill invocation" friction surfaced in external feedback. Korean speakers can now trigger skills naturally via Korean descriptions (already supported since v1.4.1) and receive Korean announcements without breaking skill-internal structure. ## Canonical output paths (skill artifacts) Skills that produce durable artifacts should write to canonical locations under `docs/eureka/` so downstream skills can find them: | Skill / Agent | Canonical output path | |---|---| | `research-brainstorming` | `docs/eureka/designs/YYYY-MM-DD--design.md` | | `hypothesis-first` | `docs/eureka/registrations/YYYY-MM-DD--registration.md` + updates to `docs/eureka/registrations/INDEX.md` | | `experiment-design` | `docs/eureka/plans/YYYY-MM-DD--experiments.md` | | `claims-audit` | `docs/eureka/audits/YYYY-MM-DD-claims-audit.md` | | `research-reviewer` agent | `docs/eureka/reviews/YYYY-MM-DD-review.md` | | `novelty-competitive-audit` | `docs/eureka/novelty-audits/YYYY-MM-DD-novelty-audit.md` | | `verification-before-publication` | `docs/eureka/verifications/YYYY-MM-DD-verification.md` | | `research-journal` | `docs/eureka/journal/YYYY-MM-DD.md` | **Freshness metadata** — every artifact includes YAML frontmatter: ```yaml --- generated_at: manuscript_hash: sha256: # or N/A for pre-manuscript artifacts results_hash: sha256: # content digest of results/ (see helper below) status: passed | failed | in_progress --- ``` **Computing the hashes** — use the shipped helper script: ```bash # Get both hashes ready to paste into YAML frontmatter: hooks/freshness-hash.sh both paper/main.tex results/ # Individual hashes: hooks/freshness-hash.sh manuscript paper/main.tex hooks/freshness-hash.sh results results/ ``` The `results_hash` is a content digest: `sha256(concat(sorted(per-file-sha256)))` over all files in `results/` excluding common build artifacts (`.aux`, `.log`, `.synctex.gz`, `.DS_Store`, etc.). Deterministic across filesystems because files are sorted by path. Adding a file, renaming a file, or changing file contents all drift the hash; LaTeX recompilation alone (which regenerates `.aux`/`.log`) does not. **Downstream freshness check** — `verification-before-publication` and `submission-readiness` read upstream artifacts and soft-warn (not block) if hashes mismatch. Soft warning rather than hard block because file-level hash is sensitive to trivial whitespace changes; users can tighten to hard block by preference. This addresses the "no state sharing between skills" feedback: prerequisite skills can now verify upstream artifacts exist and are fresh without dispatching the upstream skill again.