# research

Documents the codebase as it exists today without suggesting changes or refactoring. Spawns parallel sub-agents to map components and saves reports to the thoughts directory.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 485 installs · ★ 3946
- Author: parcadei
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/research/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-01-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/parcadei-research

## What it does

This skill documents the existing implementation without critiquing design choices. It strictly forbids suggestions for refactoring, performance improvements, or root cause analysis unless explicitly requested. The primary purpose is building an accurate map of components and dependencies as they stand today.

The workflow starts by reading referenced files completely via the Read tool without offset limits. Next, it outlines tasks with TodoWrite and launches parallel sub-agents. It dispatches scout to explore code, while thoughts-locator and thoughts-analyzer inspect documentation in the thoughts directory.

Once sub-agents finish, the skill synthesizes their findings into a structured report. It executes the script `hack/spec_metadata.sh` to compile git metadata, writing the output under `thoughts/shared/research/`. The skill configuration marks `user-invocable` as `false`, meaning the agent activates it internally during research tasks.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill research -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/research/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/research/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill research -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/research/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill research -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/research/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 research
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/research/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill research -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --path .claude/skills/research
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/research/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3 --skill research -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/research/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- document current component interactions without proposing refactoring
- gather architectural context across code and the thoughts directory
- generate structured research reports using parallel sub-agents

## Example prompts
- Research the payment module architecture and document current connections in thoughts.
- Map out the authentication flow across components without suggesting code changes.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 23752c59cb62a99c.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 23752c59cb62a99c
````text
---
name: research
description: Document codebase as-is with thoughts directory for historical context
model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101
user-invocable: false
---

# Research Codebase

You are tasked with conducting comprehensive research across the codebase to answer user questions by spawning parallel sub-agents and synthesizing their findings.

## CRITICAL: YOUR ONLY JOB IS TO DOCUMENT AND EXPLAIN THE CODEBASE AS IT EXISTS TODAY
- DO NOT suggest improvements or changes unless the user explicitly asks for them
- DO NOT perform root cause analysis unless the user explicitly asks for them
- DO NOT propose future enhancements unless the user explicitly asks for them
- DO NOT critique the implementation or identify problems
- DO NOT recommend refactoring, optimization, or architectural changes
- ONLY describe what exists, where it exists, how it works, and how components interact
- You are creating a technical map/documentation of the existing system

## Initial Setup:

When this command is invoked, respond with:
```
I'm ready to research the codebase. Please provide your research question or area of interest, and I'll analyze it thoroughly by exploring relevant components and connections.
```

Then wait for the user's research query.

## Steps to follow after receiving the research query:

1. **Read any directly mentioned files first:**
   - If the user mentions specific files (tickets, docs, JSON), read them FULLY first
   - **IMPORTANT**: Use the Read tool WITHOUT limit/offset parameters to read entire files
   - **CRITICAL**: Read these files yourself in the main context before spawning any sub-tasks
   - This ensures you have full context before decomposing the research

2. **Analyze and decompose the research question:**
   - Break down the user's query into composable research areas
   - Take time to ultrathink about the underlying patterns, connections, and architectural implications the user might be seeking
   - Identify specific components, patterns, or concepts to investigate
   - Create a research plan using TodoWrite to track all subtasks
   - Consider which directories, files, or architectural patterns are relevant

3. **Spawn parallel sub-agent tasks for comprehensive research:**
   - Create multiple Task agents to research different aspects concurrently
   - We now have specialized agents that know how to do specific research tasks:

   **For codebase research:**
   - Use the **scout** agent for comprehensive codebase exploration (combines locating, analyzing, and pattern finding)

   **IMPORTANT**: All agents are documentarians, not critics. They will describe what exists without suggesting improvements or identifying issues.

   **For thoughts directory:**
   - Use the **thoughts-locator** agent to discover what documents exist about the topic
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 23752c59cb62a99c

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