research · mattpocock — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
Researches a question through primary sources and saves the findings as a Markdown file in the repository. Use it for API facts, documentation checks, and delegated reading.
/plugin marketplace add mattpocock/skills
/plugin install mattpocock-skills@mattpocockWhat research does
research starts a background agent to investigate a question while you continue working in Claude Code. The agent checks primary material such as official documentation, source code, specifications, and first-party APIs. Each claim in the findings is cited back to its source.
The skill writes one Markdown file and follows the repository's existing convention for research notes. If the project has no convention, it chooses a sensible location and reports the path. Install it when research needs to remain in the repo with traceable evidence; skip it for a brief answer that does not need a file.
What it helps with
- verify a fact against official documentation
- collect API findings in a Markdown file
- trace a claim to source code or a specification
- delegate reading work to a background agent
- keep research notes with source citations
Example prompts for the agent
- "Research this API question and save the findings in the repository."
- "Check the documentation for this issue and write a Markdown note with sources."
- "Ask a background agent to review the specification and record confirmed facts."
How to install research
1Plugin marketplace
/plugin marketplace add mattpocock/skills/plugin install mattpocock-skills@mattpocockThis installs the whole mattpocock-skills plugin with all its skills
2Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -a claude-code3Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/research/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/research/
Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/research/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/research/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install mattpocock/skills research2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/research/SKILL.mdPlatform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/mattpocock/skills --path skills/engineering/researchManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/research/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Claude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
From the same set32
The whole set →Other versions of research
Similar
Questions about research
How do I install research in Claude Code?
Add the marketplace with /plugin marketplace add mattpocock/skills, then install the skill using /plugin install mattpocock-skills@mattpocock.
What does the research skill do?
It sends research work to a background agent, checks claims against primary sources, and writes one cited Markdown file in the repository.
Where does research save its findings?
It uses the repository's existing convention for research notes. If there is no convention, it selects a sensible location and reports the path.
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
--- name: research description: Investigate a question against high-trust primary sources and capture the findings as a Markdown file in the repo. Use when the user wants a topic researched, docs or API facts gathered, or reading legwork delegated to a background agent. --- Spin up a **background agent** to do the research, so you keep working while it reads. Its job: 1. Investigate the question against **primary sources** (official docs, source code, specs, first-party APIs), not a secondary write-up of them. Follow every claim back to the source that owns it. 2. Write the findings to a single Markdown file, citing each claim's source. 3. Save it where the repo already keeps such notes; match the existing convention, and if there is none, put it somewhere sensible and say where.
© Matt Pocock · MIT · mattpocock/skills
