Research Handoff Oracle

Research Handoff (Oracle)

Create a reusable, high-quality research handoff for a "super researcher" AI agent. The deliverable is a Desktop folder containing:

• PROMPT.md (the final research prompt)
• context/ (copies of relevant files)
• MANIFEST.md (list of copied files + why they matter)
• SEARCH_LOG.md (search queries, sources, dates, filters, and result counts) and a zip archive of the entire folder for easy handoff.

This skill is generic and should work for any question or project.

When to use

• The user wants a comprehensive prompt for a separate research agent.
• The user asks for web research + codebase research + Oracle critique.
• The user wants a Desktop bundle with the prompt + context files.

Workflow

1) Scope & Assumptions

• Restate the goal in 1-2 sentences.
• Identify repositories and roots involved. If ambiguous, ask a short clarification or default to cwd.
• Capture key constraints (e.g., must use existing logic, preserve tests, auth requirements).
• Note any dates or recency constraints.

2) Context Inventory (local files)

• Read AGENTS.md, README, CLAUDE/GEMINI files, and core docs/specs.
• Use rg to find important modules, configs, and specs.
• Create a shortlist of must-copy files: specs, architecture docs, security, auth, schema, API docs, key configs.
• Record these in MANIFEST.md with one-line reasons.

3) Codebase Recon

• Identify key folders (e.g., internal/, src/, prisma/, docs/).
• Note important entrypoints, build systems, and tests.
• Extract exact file paths for core logic or APIs.

4) Web Research

• Use web.run when available; otherwise use curl/wget/browser.
• Search for best practices, pitfalls, and security considerations relevant to the prompt.
• Capture citations (links + publisher) for inclusion in PROMPT.md.
• Maintain a SEARCH_LOG.md with: date, source/database, full query, filters/limits, and result counts.

5) Gemini Oracle Critique

• Run gemini-oracle (on PATH). If unknown usage, run gemini-oracle --help first.
• Provide a concise summary of the planned prompt and key findings.
• Incorporate the oracle’s critiques into the prompt.

6) Build the Prompt

Include these sections in PROMPT.md:

1. Executive summary of the task.
2. Current state + codebase constraints.
3. Target output (what the researcher must produce).
4. Required research steps (web + code + Oracle critique).
5. Context files (explicit list + paths).
6. Open questions / decisions needed.
7. Format requirements (headers, deliverables, citations).
8. Search strategy expectations (databases/sources, date bounds, and documentation requirements).
9. Out-of-scope items.

Keep the prompt clear, explicit, and actionable.

7) Build the Desktop Bundle

• Create a folder on Desktop: ~/Desktop/<project>-research-handoff-YYYY-MM-DD/
• Save PROMPT.md at the root.
• Copy files into context/ mirroring repo structure.
• Add MANIFEST.md listing:
  • file path
  • reason included
• Add SEARCH_LOG.md with search strategy details.

8) Zip the Bundle (required)

• Create a zip file alongside the folder:
  • ~/Desktop/<project>-research-handoff-YYYY-MM-DD.zip
• Use a recursive zip command (e.g., zip -r <zip> <folder>).
• If a zip already exists, overwrite it.

9) Final Response

• Provide the bundle path.
• Provide the zip path.
• List which files were copied.
• State that the prompt is ready for handoff.

Output Template (minimal)

<Desktop>/<bundle>/
  PROMPT.md
  MANIFEST.md
  SEARCH_LOG.md
  context/
    <repo>/...
<Desktop>/<bundle>.zip

Quality Checklist

• Prompt includes: goals, constraints, required research, deliverable, context list, and output format.
• Web research done and sources cited.
• Search log includes queries, sources, dates, and filters.
• Oracle critique applied.
• Desktop bundle created with prompt + context.
• Zip archive created and matches the bundle.
• Manifest lists files with reasons.