research

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

Updated May 11, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mmnavarr/harness --skill research-mmnavarr
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: research
Source: https://github.com/mmnavarr/harness/tree/main/skills/research
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mmnavarr/harness --skill research-mmnavarr

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Researching a technical question properly means reading official docs, source code, and specs, 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 - Background Delegation: Spins up a background agent to investigate while you continue your current task. - Primary-Source Grounding: Traces every claim back to official docs, source code, specs, or first-party APIs rather than secondary write-ups. - Repo-Native Output: Saves findings as a single cited Markdown file, following the repo's existing notes convention. - Use Case: You need to know how a library's authentication flow actually works. Delegate the question, keep coding, and later read a Markdown note where each claim links to the exact doc or source file it came from. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to research how a specific API or library feature works and save the cited 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?▼

State the question you want investigated and ask for it to be researched in the background. The agent reads primary sources, writes findings to a Markdown file with citations, and you continue working while it runs.

What sources does the research agent use?▼

The agent uses 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 relying on blog posts or secondary summaries.

Where are the research findings saved?▼

Findings are saved as a single Markdown file in the repository. The agent matches the repo's existing convention for such notes, and if none exists, it picks a sensible location and tells you where the file was placed.

Can I keep working while the research runs?▼

Yes. The research runs as a background agent, so your current task is not blocked. When it finishes, you review the Markdown note containing the cited findings.

When should I not use background research delegation?▼

Avoid it for quick factual lookups you can answer immediately, or when the answer requires access to private systems the agent cannot reach. It is best suited for questions requiring extended reading across docs or code.