# Best Practice Research > Bounded best-practice research using official/upstream evidence first; produces a cited, reusable recommendation and a handoff to planning/execution - Skill: `mrzhangguoguo/best-practice-research` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mrzhangguoguo/best-practice-research` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mrzhangguoguo/best-practice-research/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: mrzhangguoguo (https://skillmd.com/u/mrzhangguoguo) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mrzhangguoguo/best-practice-research --- > Ported from oh-my-codex `best-practice-research`. OMX runtime conventions (`$macro` invocation, `omx` CLI, `.omx/` state directory) are replaced with WorkBuddy idioms (Skill tool, Agent tool, task list, `.workbuddy/memory`). # Best-Practice Research Use this skill when a task depends on current external best practices, version-aware guidance, standards, official recommendations, or upstream behavior. This is a workflow wrapper: it routes evidence gathering and synthesis; it is not a new research authority and it does not replace `WebSearch`/`WebFetch` work. ## Purpose Produce a cited, reusable best-practice answer or handoff that separates current external evidence from repo-local facts and dependency-selection decisions. For pre-planning investigation, this is the ordinary first research wrapper: gather official/upstream evidence, then hand it to the `plan` skill or the caller as planning input. Do not present `best-practice-research` as a final architecture component or as a validator-gated research loop. ## Terminal By Default This skill is terminal and read-only by default. It gathers evidence and produces a cited recommendation with a handoff, then stops. Do not write or edit files, create or amend commits, run mutating commands, or otherwise modify repository state under this skill — even when the question has clear implementation implications. When implementation is warranted, stop and hand off rather than continuing: name the `plan` skill for planning and the Agent tool (or `team`/`deep-interview` skills) for execution, and resume only after the user explicitly switches to that workflow. ## Activate When - The user asks for best practices, recommended approach, current guidance, official recommendations, standards, or version-aware external behavior. - The `plan`, `deep-interview`, or `team` skill (or another workflow) needs current external evidence before planning or execution can be correct. - The task involves an already chosen technology and needs authoritative usage guidance, migration notes, API behavior, lifecycle rules, or current safety guidance. ## Do Not Activate When - The answer is fully repo-local; use Read/Grep/Glob/Bash for codebase facts. - The main question is whether to adopt, replace, upgrade, or compare dependencies; this skill only covers an already-chosen technology, so advise a dependency-decision pass instead (and note that adoption/comparison is out of scope here). - The user only needs implementation against already-grounded requirements; hand off to execution via the Agent tool or a `team`/`plan` skill as appropriate. - The task can be answered from stable local project conventions without current external lookup. ## Specialist Routing 1. Use repo inspection tools (Read, Grep, Glob, Bash) first for brownfield facts: current code usage, local constraints, versions, config, and integration points. 2. Use `WebSearch` / `WebFetch` for official/upstream docs, release notes, standards, migration guides, source-backed examples, and current best-practice evidence for an already chosen technology. 3. For adoption/upgrade/replacement/comparison decisions, state explicitly that this skill does not decide those; recommend a dependency-decision step before continuing. 4. Return to the caller with explicit evidence, uncertainty, and any implementation handoff constraints. ## Source-Quality Rules - Prefer official documentation, upstream source, release notes, changelogs, standards, and maintainer guidance. - Include source URLs for material claims. - State date/version context for current best-practice claims. - Label third-party summaries as supplemental; do not use them before official/upstream sources. - Flag stale, conflicting, undocumented, or version-mismatched evidence. - Do not over-fetch: gather the smallest evidence set that can support the decision. ## Workflow 1. Classify the question: conceptual best practice, implementation guidance, migration/version guidance, standards/compliance guidance, or mixed local + external guidance. 2. Gather repo-local facts with repo inspection tools when local usage or constraints affect the answer. 3. Gather external evidence with `WebSearch` / `WebFetch` when current or version-aware practice affects correctness. 4. Synthesize a concise answer with source quality, version/date context, caveats, and an implementation or planning handoff. 5. Stop when the answer is grounded enough for the caller; otherwise report the exact blocker or specialist handoff needed. ## Output Contract ```md ## Best-Practice Research: ### Direct Recommendation ### Evidence Used - Official/upstream: — - Supplemental, if any: — ### Version / Date Context ### Repo-Local Context ### Boundaries / Non-goals ### Handoff ``` ## Stop Rules - Stop after a source-backed recommendation is reusable by the caller. - Stop and route upward if the task becomes dependency comparison, broad architecture, or implementation. - Do not continue researching when remaining work would only polish wording rather than change the recommendation. - This skill never implements. After delivering the recommendation and handoff, stop; do not modify repo files or repo state. Resume only when the user explicitly switches to a planning or implementation workflow named in the handoff.