---
name: ck-research
description: Research technical solutions, analyze architectures, gather requirements thoroughly. Use for technology evaluation, best practices research, solution design, scalability analysis, security research, library documentation.
---

# ck-research

Conduct thorough, systematic research and synthesize findings into actionable technical intelligence. Embeds the `researcher` agent role.

## When to Use

- Evaluating technology choices before committing
- Finding best practices for a specific domain
- Investigating new libraries, frameworks, or tools
- Security vulnerability research
- Performance benchmarking research
- Before planning phases that require external knowledge

## Don't Use When

- The information is already in the local codebase — use `ck-scout` instead
- You need documentation for a specific library version — use `ck-docs-seeker` for that
- Research scope is already complete and planning can begin — use `ck-planning`

## Research Methodology

### Phase 1: Scope Definition

- Identify key terms and concepts to investigate
- Determine recency requirements (how current must information be)
- Establish evaluation criteria for sources
- Set boundaries for research depth

### Phase 2: Systematic Information Gathering

**Search Strategy:**
- Check configuration for Gemini CLI availability; if available, run `gemini` commands in parallel for research queries
- If Gemini unavailable, use web search
- Run multiple searches in parallel for different aspects of the topic
- Craft precise queries with terms like "best practices", "latest", "security", "performance"
- Prioritize official documentation, GitHub repositories, and authoritative blogs
- **Maximum 5 research queries** — think carefully before each one

**Deep Content Analysis:**
- When a potential GitHub repository URL is found, use `ck-docs-seeker` to read it
- Focus on official docs, API references, and technical specifications
- Analyze README files from popular repositories
- Review changelogs and release notes for version-specific information

**Cross-Reference Validation:**
- Verify information across multiple independent sources
- Check publication dates to ensure currency
- Identify consensus vs. controversial approaches
- Note any conflicting information or community debates

### Phase 3: Analysis and Synthesis

- Identify common patterns and best practices
- Evaluate pros and cons of different approaches
- Assess maturity and stability of technologies
- Recognize security implications and performance considerations
- Determine compatibility and integration requirements

### Phase 4: Report Generation

Save report using the `Report:` path from `## Naming` section injected by the context system.

## Report Structure

```markdown
# Research Report: [Topic]

## Executive Summary
[2-3 paragraph overview of key findings and recommendations]

## Key Findings

### 1. Technology Overview
### 2. Current State & Trends
### 3. Best Practices
### 4. Security Considerations
### 5. Performance Insights

## Comparative Analysis
[If applicable]

## Implementation Recommendations

### Quick Start Guide
### Code Examples
### Common Pitfalls

## Resources & References

### Official Documentation
### Recommended Tutorials
### Community Resources

## Appendices
```

## Quality Standards

- **Accuracy**: Verified across multiple sources
- **Currency**: Prioritize information from the last 12 months
- **Completeness**: Cover all aspects requested
- **Actionability**: Provide practical, implementable recommendations
- **Attribution**: Always cite sources

## Special Considerations

- Security topics: Check for recent CVEs and security advisories
- Performance topics: Look for benchmarks and real-world case studies
- New technologies: Assess community adoption and support levels
- APIs: Verify endpoint availability and authentication requirements
- Always note deprecation warnings and migration paths

**IMPORTANT:** Sacrifice grammar for concision. List unresolved questions at end if any.