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research

Delegates topic research to a background agent that cites primary sources in a Markdown report.

Updated Nov 10, 2013
Search Tags:#documentation#research#investigation#citations#primary sources#markdown report#background agent
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/bnferguson/dotfiles --skill research-bnferguson
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: research
Source: https://github.com/bnferguson/dotfiles/tree/main/.agents/skills/research
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/bnferguson/dotfiles --skill research-bnferguson

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Researching a technical question properly means reading official docs, source code, and specs instead of secondhand summaries, which interrupts your current work. This Skill offloads that reading to a background agent so you keep working while verified findings are written to a Markdown file in your repo. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Primary-source investigation: Traces every claim back to official documentation, source code, specs, or first-party APIs rather than secondary write-ups. - Background execution: Runs as a background agent so your main session stays free while the research happens. - Convention-aware output: Saves findings as a single cited Markdown file wherever the repo already keeps such notes, matching existing conventions. - Use Case: Ask how a specific API authentication flow works; the agent reads the official spec and source, then writes a cited summary into your repo's notes directory. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to research how a specific library or API feature works using primary sources and save the findings as a Markdown note in the repo.

Frequently Asked Questions about research

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I delegate research to a background agent?▼

Invoke the research skill with your question, and it spins up a background agent that investigates while you keep working. The agent reads primary sources and writes cited findings to a Markdown file in your repo.

What sources does the research agent use?▼

The agent relies on primary sources only: official documentation, source code, specifications, and first-party APIs. It follows each claim back to the source that owns it rather than trusting secondary write-ups.

Where does the research output get saved?▼

Findings are written to a single Markdown file wherever the repository already keeps such notes, matching existing conventions. If no convention exists, the agent picks a sensible location and tells you where.

Does the research include citations for its claims?▼

Yes, each claim in the Markdown report cites its source. The agent's core job is tracing statements back to the primary source that owns them, so the output is verifiable.

When should I not use a background research agent?▼

Avoid it for quick factual lookups you can answer immediately or for questions requiring access to private systems the agent cannot reach. It is best suited to open-ended investigation across docs, code, and specs.

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