research

Investigate questions against primary sources and save cited findings as Markdown files.

Updated Aug 2, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mikalv/pi-extensions --skill research-mikalv
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: research
Source: https://github.com/mikalv/pi-extensions/tree/main/packages/pi-atelier/.agents/skills/research
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mikalv/pi-extensions --skill research-mikalv

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? It removes the need to interrupt your own work to dig through documentation, source code, and specs when you need verified answers about a technical topic. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Background Research Agent: Delegates the investigation to a background agent so you can keep working while it reads. - Primary-Source Verification: Traces every claim back to official docs, source code, specs, or first-party APIs rather than secondary write-ups. - Cited Markdown Reports: Writes findings to a single Markdown file with per-claim source citations, saved where the repo already keeps such notes. - Use Case: Ask how a specific API endpoint behaves, and receive a Markdown document in your repo containing the verified answer with links to the exact documentation and code that back each statement. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to research how a specific library or API feature works and save the findings as a Markdown note in the repository.

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 continue working. The agent reads primary sources and writes its findings to a Markdown file in the repository.

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 every claim back to the source that owns it rather than trusting secondary write-ups or blog posts.

Where are research findings saved?▼

Findings are written to a single Markdown file with citations for each claim. The agent saves it where the repository already keeps such notes, matching existing conventions, or picks a sensible location and tells you where.

Can I keep working while research runs?▼

Yes, the investigation runs in a background agent specifically so your main session stays unblocked. You receive the completed Markdown report when the reading and verification are done.

When should I not use a research agent?▼

Avoid it for questions answerable from code already open in your context or for trivial lookups. The skill is designed for questions requiring reading across multiple external primary sources, where delegation saves meaningful time.