Shynlee04 Idumb V2 Research Workflow Planner

Skill: Research Workflow Planner

Create structured, executable research plans with clear phases, checkpoints, and validation criteria.

When to Use This Skill

Trigger this skill when:

• Research intent is clear (use intent-clarification first if not)
• Research scope is defined (use gap-analysis if not)
• Gaps are identified and prioritized (use gap-analysis if not)
• Need a systematic approach to execute research
• Research involves multiple steps, sources, or phases
• Stakeholder approval required before research begins

Do NOT use when:

• Research is trivial (single web search or file read)
• Research plan already exists
• Intent is unclear (use intent-clarification first)
• Scope or gaps are undefined (use gap-analysis first)

Research Workflow Framework

Step 1: Define Research Objectives

Start with clear, measurable objectives:

Research Title: [Descriptive title]

Primary Objective:
[What is the main goal? Must be specific and measurable]

Secondary Objectives:
[What additional goals support the primary objective?]

Success Criteria:
[How will we know when research is complete?]
- [Criterion 1 - measurable]
- [Criterion 2 - measurable]
- [Criterion 3 - measurable]

Research Question(s):
[What questions will this research answer?]
1. [Question 1]
2. [Question 2]
3. [Question 3]

Step 2: Identify Information Sources

Map out where information will come from:

Primary Sources (Direct Investigation):
- [Codebase analysis - codemap, grep, read]
- [Internal documentation - AGENTS.md, docs, comments]
- [Running the system - logs, metrics, behavior]
- [Existing tests - test files reveal expected behavior]

Secondary Sources (External Research):
- [Official documentation - SDK docs, API references]
- [Community resources - Stack Overflow, GitHub issues]
- [Best practices - blog posts, conference talks]
- [Comparison studies - benchmarks, case studies]
- [Industry standards - RFCs, specifications]

Tertiary Sources (Contextual Understanding):
- [Similar code in this codebase - patterns, conventions]
- [Related features - dependencies, integrations]
- [Historical context - git history, previous decisions]

Step 3: Structure Research Phases

Break research into logical phases with clear deliverables:

Phase 1: Discovery
Goal: [What will this phase achieve?]
Duration: [Estimated time]
Deliverables: [What will you have at the end?]
  - [Deliverable 1]
  - [Deliverable 2]
Checkpoint: [What validates completion?]
  
Phase 2: Deep Dive
Goal: [What will this phase achieve?]
Duration: [Estimated time]
Deliverables: [What will you have at the end?]
  - [Deliverable 1]
  - [Deliverable 2]
Checkpoint: [What validates completion?]
  
Phase 3: Validation
Goal: [What will this phase achieve?]
Duration: [Estimated time]
Deliverables: [What will you have at the end?]
  - [Deliverable 1]
  - [Deliverable 2]
Checkpoint: [What validates completion?]
  
Phase 4: Synthesis
Goal: [What will this phase achieve?]
Duration: [Estimated time]
Deliverables: [What will you have at the end?]
  - [Deliverable 1]
  - [Deliverable 2]
Checkpoint: [What validates completion?]

Step 4: Define Phase Tasks

For each phase, break down into specific tasks:

Phase X: [Phase Name]

Tasks:
1. [Task name]
   - Description: [What to do]
   - Tools: [Which OpenCode tools to use]
   - Output: [What will this produce]
   - Estimated time: [How long?]
   - Dependencies: [What must happen first?]
   
2. [Task name]
   - Description: [What to do]
   - Tools: [Which OpenCode tools to use]
   - Output: [What will this produce]
   - Estimated time: [How long?]
   - Dependencies: [What must happen first?]

Step 5: Specify Checkpoints and Validation

Define validation moments at checkpoints:

Checkpoint: After [Phase/Task]

Validation Questions:
- [Question 1 - has phase delivered its outputs?]
- [Question 2 - is direction still correct?]
- [Question 3 - should we adjust approach?]

Approval Required: [Yes/No - if yes, who approves?]

Stop Conditions:
- If [condition], pause for input
- If [condition], adjust plan
- If [condition], abort research

Go/No-Go Decision:
- [Criteria for continuing]
- [Criteria for stopping]

Step 6: Define Final Deliverables

Specify what research will produce:

Research Outputs:

Primary Deliverable:
[Main research output - report, recommendation, analysis]
- Format: [markdown, presentation, code examples, etc.]
- Structure: [sections, sections, sections]
- Audience: [who will read this?]

Secondary Deliverables:
- [Supporting materials - data, code snippets, diagrams]
- [Supporting materials - links, references, citations]
- [Supporting materials - action items, recommendations]

Artifacts to Create:
- [Document 1 - e.g., .idumb/research/analysis-2026-02-08.md]
- [Document 2 - e.g., .idumb/brain/knowledge/finding.md]
- [Document 3 - e.g., implementation recommendations]

Documentation Format:
- Structure: [outline of document]
- Evidence: [how to cite sources?]
- Recommendations: [how to structure recommendations?]

Step 7: Estimate Resources

Define what's needed for research:

Time Estimates:
Phase 1: [X hours/days]
Phase 2: [X hours/days]
Phase 3: [X hours/days]
Phase 4: [X hours/days]
Total: [X hours/days]

Buffer Time: [X% for unknowns, contingencies]
Total with Buffer: [X hours/days]

Tool Access Needed:
- [idumb_webfetch for external docs]
- [idumb_codemap for dependency analysis]
- [idumb_read for code investigation]
- [grep for pattern searching]
- [bash for running commands if needed]

External Resources:
- [URLs to fetch - official docs, APIs, etc.]
- [Tools to install if needed]
- [Access needed - APIs, accounts, etc.]

Risks and Contingencies:
- [Risk 1] - [Mitigation]
- [Risk 2] - [Mitigation]

Step 8: Create Research Plan Document

Compile into a comprehensive plan:

# Research Plan: [Title]

## Overview

**Research Objective:** [Primary objective]

**Success Criteria:**
- [Criterion 1]
- [Criterion 2]

**Research Questions:**
1. [Question 1]
2. [Question 2]

## Information Sources

**Primary Sources:**
- [Source 1]
- [Source 2]

**Secondary Sources:**
- [Source 1]
- [Source 2]

## Research Phases

### Phase 1: [Phase Name]
**Goal:** [Goal]
**Duration:** [Time]
**Deliverables:** [Deliverables]
**Checkpoint:** [Validation criteria]

**Tasks:**
1. [Task 1] - [Time] - [Output]
2. [Task 2] - [Time] - [Output]

### Phase 2: [Phase Name]
...

## Final Deliverables

**Primary Deliverable:** [Description]
**Secondary Deliverables:** [List]
**Artifacts:** [List of documents to create]

## Resource Estimates

**Time:** [Total time]
**Buffer:** [Buffer time]
**Total with Buffer:** [Final time estimate]

**Tools Needed:** [List]
**External Resources:** [List]

## Risks and Contingencies

- [Risk 1] - [Mitigation 1]
- [Risk 2] - [Mitigation 2]

## Approval

- [ ] Research objectives approved
- [ ] Research plan approved
- [ ] Resources available
- [ ] Ready to begin

**Stakeholder Approval:** [Name, Date]

---

## Research Execution Log

[Track progress as research unfolds]

### Phase 1 Complete
- [ ] All tasks completed
- [ ] Deliverables produced
- [ ] Checkpoint validated
- [ ] Approved to proceed to Phase 2

### Phase 2 Complete
...

### Research Complete
- [ ] All phases completed
- [ ] All deliverables produced
- [ ] Success criteria met
- [ ] Stakeholder review and approval

**Completion Date:** [Date]
**Total Time Spent:** [Actual time]

Common Research Workflow Patterns

Pattern 1: Technology Investigation

Research: "Investigate how to add OAuth 2.0 authentication"

Phase 1: Context Discovery (2 hours)
Goal: Understand current auth state and requirements
Tasks:
  1. Search codebase for existing auth implementations (idumb_codemap)
  2. Read AGENTS.md and relevant docs for context (idumb_read)
  3. Identify auth-related dependencies (grep)
Deliverables: Current auth state report, requirements summary
Checkpoint: Stakeholder confirms requirements and context

Phase 2: OAuth Standards Research (3 hours)
Goal: Understand OAuth 2.0 specification and best practices
Tasks:
  1. Fetch official OAuth 2.0 RFC docs (idumb_webfetch)
  2. Research OAuth implementation patterns in similar projects (web search)
  3. Identify security considerations and pitfalls (web search)
Deliverables: OAuth 2.0 spec summary, security checklist, best practices guide
Checkpoint: Stakeholder confirms understanding and approach

Phase 3: Technology Selection (2 hours)
Goal: Evaluate OAuth libraries and choose solution
Tasks:
  1. Research popular OAuth libraries for our stack (web search)
  2. Compare features, community support, maintenance (multi-aspect-assessment)
  3. Identify integration complexity for each option (gap-analysis)
Deliverables: Technology comparison matrix, recommendation with justification
Checkpoint: Stakeholder approves technology choice

Phase 4: Implementation Planning (2 hours)
Goal: Create implementation roadmap
Tasks:
  1. Map OAuth flow to existing auth system (idumb_read)
  2. Identify integration points and dependencies (gap-analysis)
  3. Create phased implementation plan with milestones (this skill)
Deliverables: Implementation plan, migration strategy, testing checklist
Checkpoint: Stakeholder approves implementation plan

Total Estimated Time: 9 hours + 2 hours buffer = 11 hours

Pattern 2: Performance Investigation

Research: "Investigate performance bottlenecks in API"

Phase 1: Baseline Measurement (3 hours)
Goal: Establish current performance characteristics
Tasks:
  1. Run existing performance tests (bash)
  2. Analyze current metrics and logs (idumb_read)
  3. Identify slowest endpoints (grep search for logs)
Deliverables: Performance baseline report, slowest endpoints list
Checkpoint: Stakeholder confirms baseline understanding

Phase 2: Root Cause Analysis (4 hours)
Goal: Identify why slow endpoints are slow
Tasks:
  1. Read slow endpoint code to identify patterns (idumb_read)
  2. Search for N+1 queries, inefficient loops (grep patterns)
  3. Analyze database queries if applicable (codemap for DB access)
Deliverables: Root cause analysis, suspected bottlenecks identified
Checkpoint: Stakeholder validates root causes

Phase 3: Solution Research (3 hours)
Goal: Identify solutions for each bottleneck
Tasks:
  1. Research caching strategies (web search)
  2. Research query optimization patterns (web search)
  3. Research async processing options (web search)
Deliverables: Solution options for each bottleneck, feasibility analysis
Checkpoint: Stakeholder prioritizes solutions

Phase 4: Validation Planning (2 hours)
Goal: Create validation plan for solutions
Tasks:
  1. Define performance targets (gap-analysis)
  2. Create testing approach (this skill)
  3. Identify monitoring needs (gap-analysis)
Deliverables: Validation plan, success criteria, monitoring recommendations
Checkpoint: Stakeholder approves validation approach

Total Estimated Time: 12 hours + 3 hours buffer = 15 hours

Pattern 3: Codebase Architecture Analysis

Research: "Analyze codebase architecture and identify patterns"

Phase 1: Structure Mapping (2 hours)
Goal: Map codebase structure and organization
Tasks:
  1. Run full project scan (idumb_scan)
  2. Analyze directory structure and module organization (glob, ls)
  3. Identify framework and tech stack (idumb_scan)
Deliverables: Codebase structure map, technology inventory
Checkpoint: Structure confirmed with stakeholder

Phase 2: Pattern Identification (4 hours)
Goal: Identify architectural patterns and conventions
Tasks:
  1. Read key architectural files (AGENTS.md, docs) (idumb_read)
  2. Analyze module dependencies (idumb_codemap - graph)
  3. Search for common patterns (grep patterns)
Deliverables: Pattern inventory, dependency diagram, convention summary
Checkpoint: Patterns validated with stakeholder

Phase 3: Quality Assessment (3 hours)
Goal: Assess code quality and technical debt
Tasks:
  1. Run code quality scanner (idumb_init quality scan)
  2. Identify smell patterns in code (codemap - todos)
  3. Map technical debt hotspots (grep for TODO, FIXME)
Deliverables: Quality report, technical debt inventory, prioritized issues
Checkpoint: Quality assessment validated

Phase 4: Recommendations (3 hours)
Goal: Create actionable recommendations
Tasks:
  1. Analyze findings and identify improvement opportunities
  2. Prioritize recommendations by impact and effort (multi-aspect-assessment)
  3. Create phased improvement roadmap (this skill)
Deliverables: Recommendations report, phased improvement plan
Checkpoint: Stakeholder approves recommendations

Total Estimated Time: 12 hours + 3 hours buffer = 15 hours

Pattern 4: Technology Comparison

Research: "Compare React, Vue, and Angular for new project"

Phase 1: Requirement Definition (1 hour)
Goal: Define project requirements and constraints
Tasks:
  1. Clarify project goals and constraints (intent-clarification)
  2. Identify team skills and preferences (gap-analysis)
  3. Define success criteria (gap-analysis)
Deliverables: Requirements document, constraints list, success criteria
Checkpoint: Requirements approved by stakeholder

Phase 2: Technology Research (4 hours)
Goal: Deep dive into each technology
Tasks:
  1. Research React: docs, ecosystem, learning curve (web search, webfetch)
  2. Research Vue: docs, ecosystem, learning curve (web search, webfetch)
  3. Research Angular: docs, ecosystem, learning curve (web search, webfetch)
Deliverables: Technology deep-dives (3 documents)
Checkpoint: Deep-dives validated by stakeholder

Phase 3: Multi-Aspect Assessment (2 hours)
Goal: Compare technologies across multiple dimensions
Tasks:
  1. Assess each technology: technical, business, UX, maintainability (multi-aspect-assessment)
  2. Create comparison matrix (this skill)
  3. Identify trade-offs and recommendations (multi-aspect-assessment)
Deliverables: Comparison matrix, assessment report, recommendations
Checkpoint: Assessment validated by stakeholder

Phase 4: Proof of Concept Planning (2 hours)
Goal: Plan validation approach
Tasks:
  1. Define POC scope for top choice (gap-analysis)
  2. Identify POC success criteria (gap-analysis)
  3. Create POC plan (this skill)
Deliverables: POC plan, success criteria
Checkpoint: Stakeholder approves POC approach

Total Estimated Time: 9 hours + 2 hours buffer = 11 hours

Research Plan Template

# Research Plan: [Title]

## Overview

**Primary Objective:** [What we're trying to learn/achieve]

**Secondary Objectives:**
- [Objective 1]
- [Objective 2]

**Success Criteria:**
- [Criterion 1 - measurable]
- [Criterion 2 - measurable]
- [Criterion 3 - measurable]

**Research Questions:**
1. [What will this research answer?]
2. [What will this research answer?]

## Information Sources

**Primary Sources (Direct Investigation):**
- [ ] Codebase analysis
- [ ] Internal documentation
- [ ] Existing tests
- [ ] Running the system

**Secondary Sources (External Research):**
- [ ] Official documentation
- [ ] Community resources
- [ ] Best practices
- [ ] Comparison studies

## Research Phases

### Phase 1: [Phase Name]
**Goal:** [What this phase achieves]
**Duration:** [Estimated time]
**Deliverables:**
- [ ] [Deliverable 1]
- [ ] [Deliverable 2]

**Tasks:**
1. [Task 1] - [Time] - [Output]
2. [Task 2] - [Time] - [Output]

**Checkpoint:**
- [ ] All deliverables produced
- [ ] [Validation question 1]
- [ ] [Validation question 2]
**Approval Required:** [Yes/No]

### Phase 2: [Phase Name]
...

## Final Deliverables

**Primary Deliverable:** [Description]

**Secondary Deliverables:**
- [ ] [Deliverable 1]
- [ ] [Deliverable 2]

**Artifacts to Create:**
- [ ] [Document 1 path]
- [ ] [Document 2 path]

## Resource Estimates

**Total Time:** [Hours/Days]
**Buffer Time:** [Hours/Days]
**Total with Buffer:** [Hours/Days]

**Tools Needed:**
- [ ] [idumb_webfetch]
- [ ] [idumb_codemap]
- [ ] [idumb_read]
- [ ] [grep]

**External Resources:**
- [ ] [URL 1]
- [ ] [URL 2]

## Risks and Contingencies

- [Risk 1] - [Mitigation 1]
- [Risk 2] - [Mitigation 2]

## Approval

- [ ] Research objectives approved
- [ ] Research plan approved
- [ ] Resources available
- [ ] Ready to begin

**Stakeholder Approval:** [Name, Date]

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Creating vague objectives
→ Objectives must be specific and measurable

❌ Skipping checkpoints
→ Checkpoints catch misalignment early. Define them clearly.

❌ Not estimating buffer time
→ Research always takes longer than expected. Add 20-30% buffer.

❌ Forgetting validation criteria
→ How will you know a phase is complete? Define criteria.

❌ Ignoring stakeholder approval
→ Research is worthless if stakeholder doesn't accept outputs.

❌ Planning in isolation
→ Validate plan with stakeholder before executing.

❌ Not defining stop conditions
→ When should you pause or abort? Define conditions upfront.

❌ Over-planning
→ Don't plan every detail. Keep phases and tasks high-level enough to adapt.

❌ Not using the right tools
→ Use opencode-primitive-selector to choose appropriate tools.

❌ Skipping documentation
→ Create artifacts as you go. Don't wait until the end.

Integration with Other Skills

Use after:

• intent-clarification - Ensure intent is clear before planning
• gap-analysis - Ensure gaps are identified before planning
• multi-aspect-assessment - Use assessment to inform research scope

Use with:

• opencode-primitive-selector - Choose tools for each task

Use before:

• Research execution (following the plan)

Success Criteria

Research workflow plan is successful when:

• ✓ Objectives are specific and measurable
• ✓ Phases are logical with clear goals
• ✓ Tasks are actionable with tools specified
• ✓ Checkpoints have validation criteria
• ✓ Deliverables are clearly defined
• ✓ Time estimates include buffer
• ✓ Stakeholder approves plan before execution
• ✓ Plan is documented in .idumb/research/ or .idumb/brain/

Outcome

After using this skill:

• Clear research plan with phases, tasks, and deliverables
• Defined checkpoints and validation criteria
• Resource estimates with buffer time
• Stakeholder approval to proceed
• Ready to execute research systematically

Never execute research without a plan. This skill transforms research goals into actionable workflows.

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