Research

Research

This skill helps conduct thorough research on a topic and produces a structured report that gets saved to Basic Memory for future reference.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• User asks to research or investigate something
• User wants to understand a concept, technology, or approach
• User needs context gathered before making a decision
• User asks "what is...", "how does... work", "explore...", "investigate..."
• User wants findings documented for later
• Phrases like "research this", "look into", "find out about", "explore options for"

Research Process

1. Understand the Research Question

Clarify what specifically to investigate:

• What is the core question or topic?
• What scope - broad overview or deep dive?
• Any specific aspects to focus on?
• What will the research inform (a decision, implementation, understanding)?

2. Gather Information

Use available tools to collect information:

For codebase research:

• Search the codebase for relevant code
• Read documentation and comments
• Trace how things connect
• Look at tests for usage examples

For concept research:

• Use web search for current information
• Fetch documentation from official sources
• Look for examples and best practices
• Compare alternatives if relevant

For Basic Memory context:

# Check what we already know
mcp__basic-memory__search_notes(
    query="topic keywords",
    project="main"
)

# Build context from related notes
mcp__basic-memory__build_context(
    url="memory://related-topic",
    depth=2,
    project="main"
)

3. Analyze and Synthesize

Organize findings into coherent insights:

• Identify key concepts and how they relate
• Note patterns, trade-offs, and considerations
• Highlight what's most relevant to the user's needs
• Flag uncertainties or areas needing more investigation

4. Produce the Report

Create a structured research report:

---
title: "Research: [Topic]"
type: research
tags:
- research
- [topic-tags]
---

# Research: [Topic]

## Summary

[2-3 sentence executive summary of findings]

## Research Question

[What we set out to understand]

## Key Findings

### [Finding 1]
[Details, evidence, implications]

### [Finding 2]
[Details, evidence, implications]

### [Finding 3]
[Details, evidence, implications]

## Analysis

[Synthesis of findings - patterns, trade-offs, recommendations]

## Open Questions

- [Things that need more investigation]
- [Uncertainties or assumptions]

## Sources

- [Where information came from]
- [[Related Note]] - relevant prior knowledge

## Observations

- [finding] Key insight discovered #research
- [pattern] Pattern identified during research
- [recommendation] Suggested approach based on findings

## Relations

- researches [[Topic]]
- informs [[Decision or Implementation]]
- relates-to [[Related Concepts]]

5. Save to Basic Memory

mcp__basic-memory__write_note(
    title="Research: [Topic]",
    content="[Full report content]",
    folder="research",  # placement skill may override based on project conventions
    tags=["research", "topic-tags"],
    project="main"
)

The placement skill runs automatically before the write (via PreToolUse hook) and may adjust the folder to match project conventions defined in basic-memory.md.

Report Styles

Adjust based on the research type:

Quick Investigation

• Focused summary
• 2-3 key findings
• Direct recommendation
• Saved to research/ folder

Deep Dive

• Comprehensive analysis
• Multiple sections
• Detailed evidence
• Comparison of options
• Saved to research/ folder

Decision Support

• Options evaluated
• Pros/cons for each
• Clear recommendation with rationale
• Saved to decisions/ or research/ folder

Technical Exploration

• How it works
• Architecture/design
• Code examples
• Integration considerations
• Saved to research/ folder

Best Practices

1. Start with what we know - Check Basic Memory for existing context
2. Be thorough but focused - Cover the topic well without tangents
3. Cite sources - Link to where information came from
4. Be honest about uncertainty - Flag what's unclear or needs verification
5. Make it actionable - Include recommendations when appropriate
6. Link to related knowledge - Connect to existing notes
7. Save for future reference - Always save the report to Basic Memory

Example Conversations

User: "Research how other projects handle database migrations"

Claude:

1. Searches codebase for migration patterns
2. Checks Basic Memory for related decisions
3. Looks up best practices online
4. Produces report comparing approaches
5. Saves to research/Database Migration Approaches.md
6. Presents summary with recommendation

User: "Investigate the MCP protocol"

Claude:

1. Fetches MCP documentation
2. Searches for examples in codebase
3. Checks Basic Memory for prior context
4. Produces comprehensive report on MCP
5. Saves to research/MCP Protocol Overview.md
6. Presents key concepts and how to use them

User: "Look into authentication options for the API"

Claude:

1. Researches common auth patterns (JWT, OAuth, API keys)
2. Checks existing codebase auth implementation
3. Evaluates trade-offs for the use case
4. Produces decision-support report
5. Saves to research/API Authentication Options.md
6. Recommends approach with rationale