research-session

Create a session directory with plan, run, and result scaffolding for research workflows.

108|37|Updated Apr 25, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/goodfire-ai/causalab --skill research-session-goodfire-ai
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: research-session
Source: https://github.com/goodfire-ai/causalab/tree/main/.claude/skills/research-session
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/goodfire-ai/causalab --skill research-session-goodfire-ai

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

It solves the problem of getting an organized, reproducible research workflow by automatically creating a session-scoped workspace with the correct folder structure and an active-session marker.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Session bootstrapping for research workflows: creates an agent_logs/{SESSION_NAME}/ directory with plan/, run/, and result/ subfolders for a single investigation.
  • Active-session discovery for downstream skills: writes agent_logs/.current so skills like setup-task, plan-experiment, run-experiment, and interpret-experiment can reliably find the right session at Step 0.
  • Optional worktree isolation: supports --worktree to prevent cross-talk when running multiple agents by giving each session its own Git worktree and marker.
  • Research-mode guardrails: enforces the expectation that session skills confine writes to the session directory and provides interactive vs autonomous behavior based on CAUSALAB_AUTONOMOUS.

Quick Start

Start an interactive research session with the topic you are investigating by running: /research-session locate-weekdays

Frequently Asked Questions about research-session

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I set up a reproducible research workspace for mechanistic interpretability experiments?▼

To set up a reproducible research workspace, you can bootstrap an interactive session that creates a scoped directory with plan, run, and result subfolders. This scaffolding ensures experiment planning and run orchestration remain organized within a single investigation.

What is session management for research workflows and when do I need it?▼

Session management for research workflows is the process of creating a scoped workspace with an active-session marker for downstream skills. You need it when running multi-step investigations that require planning, running experiments, and interpreting results reproducibly.

Does git worktree isolation work for running multiple agents simultaneously?▼

Yes, git worktree isolation works for multiple agents by using the --worktree flag. This gives each session its own worktree and marker, preventing cross-talk when multiple agents run experiments concurrently.

How do downstream skills find the active session directory during run orchestration?▼

Downstream skills find the active session directory through a written agent_logs/.current file. This marker enables Step-0 session resolution so tools like plan-experiment and run-experiment reliably locate the correct scoped workspace.

Can I run the research workspace autonomously or is it interactive only?▼

You can run the research workspace autonomously or interactively based on the CAUSALAB_AUTONOMOUS setting. The session enforces guardrails that confine writes to the session directory while adjusting behavior for either mode.

What's the best way to organize experiment planning and results in a single investigation?▼

The best way to organize experiment planning and results is bootstrapping a session directory with dedicated plan, run, and result subfolders. This structure keeps investigation artifacts separated and reproducible.