# Research Techniques

> Use when a research project needs a specific named technique — mini-analysis, crosswalk matrix, cross-cohort synthesis, gap analysis, reference interview, controlled vocabulary, pain-point taxonomy, search-operator grammar, Google-search API. Companion to research-orchestration; load only the technique the situation demands.

- Skill: `peterbamuhigire/research-techniques` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 15 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add peterbamuhigire/research-techniques`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/peterbamuhigire/research-techniques/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Data & Analytics
- Author: peterbamuhigire (https://skillmd.com/u/peterbamuhigire)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/peterbamuhigire/research-techniques

---


# Research Techniques

<!-- dual-compat-start -->

## Use When

- A defined research plan needs one named analysis, synthesis, interview, taxonomy, vocabulary, or search technique.

## Do Not Use When

- Use research-orchestration for waves and research-design for a full method portfolio.

## Inputs

| Input | Source/provider | If absent |
|---|---|---|
| Defined question and technique objective | Research plan or analyst | Stop and clarify the supported decision. |
| Corpus or interview/search access | Evidence registry or provider | Return a technique plan and access gaps. |

## Workflow

1. Match the question to one technique and load its reference.
2. Confirm corpus, fields, permissions, and stop conditions.
3. Execute read-only, recording exclusions and contradictions.
4. Validate the artifact and recover by routing gaps back to orchestration.

## Outputs

| Artifact | Consumer | Acceptance condition |
|---|---|---|
| Technique-specific matrix, taxonomy, record, query set, or synthesis | Analyst and orchestrator | Inputs, method, exclusions, findings, and gaps are visible. |

## Evidence Produced

| Category | Artifact | Acceptance condition |
|---|---|---|
| Correctness | Reproducible technique record | A reviewer can trace corpus, operations, and findings. |

## Capability Contract

Analysis defaults to read-only. Interviews, paid APIs, account use, external contact, file edits, or publication require explicit authority.

## Degraded Mode

With incomplete corpora, unavailable APIs, or inaccessible interviewees, produce the smallest supported artifact and label coverage gaps. Never infer missing counts or quotations.

## Decision Rules

| Choice | Action | Failure/risk avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Heterogeneous sources | Use a crosswalk matrix | Hidden gaps |
| Missing evidence shapes next wave | Use gap analysis | Repeated searches |
| Cross-cohort patterns requested | Verify before synthesis | Unsupported generalisation |

## Quality Standards

The technique answers a named question, preserves provenance, exposes exclusions, and yields a reusable artifact.

## Anti-Patterns

- Technique without a question. Fix: start from the decision.
- Counting uncoded fragments. Fix: define a codebook.
- Synthesising unverified cohorts. Fix: verify checkpoints.
- Hiding empty cells. Fix: mark gaps.
- Treating search results as findings. Fix: evaluate sources.

## Worked Example

When cohort reports use different labels, build a shared-dimension crosswalk, preserve unmapped cells as gaps, and synthesise only after verification.

## References

- [Mini-analysis](references/minianalysis-engine.md)
- [Crosswalk matrix](references/crosswalk-matrix.md)
- [Cross-cohort synthesis](references/cross-cohort-synthesis.md)
- [Gap analysis](references/gap-analysis.md)
- [Reference interview](references/reference-interview.md)
- [Controlled vocabulary](references/controlled-vocabulary-builder.md)
- [Pain-point taxonomy](references/pain-point-taxonomy.md)
- [Search operators](references/search-operator-grammar.md)
- [Google search API](references/google-search-api-operator.md)
- [Search mastery](references/macleod-search-mastery.md)
- [Search literacy](references/russell-search-literacy.md)

<!-- dual-compat-end -->

Library of named research techniques the engine applies on demand. The orchestrator (`research-orchestration`) decides *what kind* of research is being run; this skill provides the *specific tools* used inside the waves.

Whenever a technique produces a mini-conclusion, synthesis, gap claim, taxonomy interpretation, cross-cohort inference, or recommendation, run `critical-reasoning-and-argument` before the artifact is considered complete.

## When to use

The orchestrator (or another skill) tells you the project needs a named technique. Load only the matching reference. Do not load all references by default.

## Technique router

| Need | Reference | One-line description |
|---|---|---|
| Decompose a big question into smaller answerable analyses | `references/minianalysis-engine.md` | Abbott's brachiation — every research question broken into mini-analyses |
| Compare findings across heterogeneous source types | `references/crosswalk-matrix.md` | Sources × dimensions matrix to surface gaps and contradictions |
| Synthesize across cohorts / segments / regions | `references/cross-cohort-synthesis.md` | Wave-4 work: cross-cohort patterns, divergences, product/policy inferences |
| Identify what the existing literature has not answered | `references/gap-analysis.md` | Feeds Wave-2 brief construction; structures missing-evidence calls |
| Interview a librarian / SME / archivist for the right starting points | `references/reference-interview.md` | Bell's reference-interview discipline; reframes vague queries |
| Build a vocabulary the engine can reuse (subject headings, synonyms, related terms) | `references/controlled-vocabulary-builder.md` | Bell + Bergeron; precision-recall dial |
| Build a taxonomy of pain points / complaints / use cases from raw qualitative data | `references/pain-point-taxonomy.md` | Code → cluster → name → counts → exemplar quotes |
| Master Google / Bing / archive search operators | `references/search-operator-grammar.md` | site:, intitle:, inurl:, filetype:, before:, after:, allintext:, around:, exact phrase, exclusion, OR/AND |
| Programmatic search via Google CSE / Bing Web Search APIs | `references/google-search-api-operator.md` | API setup, query budget, JSON parsing, rate limits |
| MacLeod's full search-mastery layer — operator catalog, deep-web heuristics, anti-patterns, "never compile what's already compiled" | `references/macleod-search-mastery.md` | Don MacLeod, *How to Find Out Anything* (Tier 1) |
| Russell's metacognitive layer — clarify the question, lateral reading, knowing when to stop, triangulation standards, leading-question lint | `references/russell-search-literacy.md` | Daniel M. Russell, *The Joy of Search* (Tier 1) |

## Orchestration

```
new research wave
├─ load research-orchestration (decides type/discipline/reading mode + wave plan)
├─ if Wave-2 gap fill needed
│   └─ load references/gap-analysis.md
├─ if a question is too big for one analysis
│   └─ load references/minianalysis-engine.md
├─ if the source set is heterogeneous (academic + media + government + interview)
│   └─ load references/crosswalk-matrix.md
├─ if multi-cohort synthesis required
│   └─ load references/cross-cohort-synthesis.md
├─ if vague query needs reframing
│   └─ load references/reference-interview.md
├─ if precision/recall tuning matters
│   └─ load references/controlled-vocabulary-builder.md
└─ when issuing search queries
    ├─ load references/search-operator-grammar.md (manual)
    └─ load references/google-search-api-operator.md (programmatic)
```

## Universal rule — every technique outputs structured artifacts

Every technique in this skill produces an artifact the orchestrator can consume:

- mini-analysis → list of sub-questions, evidence-per-sub, mini-conclusion.
- crosswalk matrix → table (sources × dimensions) with cell entries.
- cross-cohort synthesis → patterns, divergences, inferences.
- gap analysis → list of named gaps with evidence-of-absence.
- reference interview → reframed query + recommended starting points.
- controlled vocabulary → preferred terms + synonyms + related terms + scope notes.
- pain-point taxonomy → coded clusters with exemplar quotes and counts.
- search query → operator-rich string + estimated result-set characteristics.

Any artifact with a conclusion also includes the evidence-to-claim link, countercase, and confidence limit from `critical-reasoning-and-argument`.

A technique that does not produce a structured artifact has been used incorrectly.

## Technique Failure Modes

- Loading all references at once instead of the matching one.
- Using a search-operator grammar reference to write English prose.
- Inventing pain points; the taxonomy must be built from coded raw data only.
- Synthesizing across cohorts before each cohort has its own complete corpus.
- Treating gap analysis as "things I haven't read yet"; gap analysis names what the *literature* has not answered.
- Technique output that lists evidence but does not test the inference drawn from it.

## Companion skills

- `research-orchestration` — the dispatcher; this skill is its toolbox.
- `critical-reasoning-and-argument` — mandatory for mini-conclusions, gap claims, cross-cohort synthesis, taxonomy interpretation, and recommendations.
- `research-design` — formal research design (historical, trend, MROC, knowledge lifecycle, design document, report builder).
- `source-evaluation` — mandatory pairing whenever sources are involved.
- `academic-writing`, `report-and-proposal-craft`, `business-writing` — output containers.