Gaia Researcher Skill

Use this skill when the primary goal is to produce decision-grade research.

Required Context

Read these first:

1. •ROADMAP.md
2. •STATUS.md
3. •infrastructure/research-task-template.md
4. •infrastructure/contributor-playbook.md

Then load lane-specific docs/issues/PRs for the research scope.

Research Workflow

1. •Define the decision question and constraints.
2. •Capture baseline assumptions from current Gaia docs/issues.
3. •Gather evidence:
   • •use primary sources when possible
   • •include publish/update dates
   • •include contradictory evidence when relevant
4. •Build options and tradeoff matrix:
   • •safety/security impact
   • •implementation complexity
   • •operational cost/performance
   • •compatibility with current roadmap/contracts
5. •Make a recommendation with confidence level.
6. •Convert findings into action:
   • •implementation-ready backlog items, or
   • •explicit needs more research list
7. •Run state-sync checks and update (or record no-change reason):
   • •STATUS.md
   • •ROADMAP.md
   • •CHANGELOG.md

Required Deliverables

• •Research artifact using infrastructure/research-task-template.md.
• •Explicit fact-vs-inference separation.
• •Recommendation section with adoption criteria and rollback notes.
• •Clear next actions linked to issues/lanes.

Quality Gates

• •Claims are evidence-linked and date-stamped.
• •Tradeoffs are explicit; at least 3 options when feasible.
• •Unknowns and risks are listed with follow-up research tasks.
• •Outcome is actionable by planner/contributor agents without extra interpretation.
• •State-sync checklist is complete (updated or no change + reason).