Deep Research Skill

Systematic research patterns for in-depth investigation of software development topics.

Table of Contents

Core

• •When to Use
• •MUST-NOT-FORGET
• •Output Format

Patterns

• •MEPI vs MCPI - When to use quick vs exhaustive research
• •Source Hierarchy - Priority order for sources
• •Verification Labels - How to mark claims

Strategies

• •Technology/API Research (MCPI) - 6-phase exhaustive documentation
• •Quick Research (MEPI) - Abbreviated approach for low-stakes

Planning & Tracking

• •Planning Structure - STRUT vs TASKS
• •Time Tracking - Net research time calculation

Reference

• •Tool Reference - Source collection, PDF processing, transcription
• •Source ID Format - How to cite sources
• •File Naming Conventions - Prefix rules for documents

When to Use

Deep research (this skill):

• •"Should we use X or Y for our project?"
• •"How does X work internally?"
• •"What are the production considerations for X?"
• •Multi-source synthesis required
• •Exhaustive documentation needed

Quick lookup (not this skill):

• •"What's the syntax for X?"
• •"How do I install Y?"
• •Single-source answers

MUST-NOT-FORGET

• •Start with assumptions check - write down what you think you know before researching
• •Primary sources > secondary sources > community opinions
• •Document all sources with URLs and access dates
• •Flag information age (APIs change rapidly)
• •Distinguish facts from opinions from assumptions
• •Version-match community sources to subject version
• •Create INFO document for findings
• •Always create STRUT for research session orchestration
• •Track time - log task start/end for net research time calculation
• •Track credits - detect model via screenshot, log switches, calculate usage
• •Never auto-switch models - respect user's model selection throughout research

Global Patterns

MEPI vs MCPI

MEPI (Most Executable Point of Information) - Default

• •Present 2-3 curated options
• •Filter and recommend
• •Use for: reversible decisions, time-constrained, action-oriented

MCPI (Most Complete Point of Information) - Exception

• •Present exhaustive options
• •Document everything
• •Use for: irreversible decisions, high-stakes, archival reference

Source Hierarchy

1. •Official PDFs/papers - Legislation, specs, whitepapers, academic papers (often not available as web)
2. •Official documentation - Authoritative, version-specific
3. •Official blog/changelog - Announcements, rationale
4. •GitHub repo - Source code, issues, PRs, discussions
5. •Conference talks by maintainers - Design decisions, roadmap
6. •Reputable tech blogs - Analysis, comparisons
7. •Stack Overflow - Specific problems (verify currency)
8. •Community forums/Discord - Anecdotes, edge cases

Source Persistence: Download and store all sources in session folder for later reference. Web content changes - PDFs and local copies ensure reproducibility.

Verification Labels

• •[VERIFIED] - Confirmed from official documentation
• •[ASSUMED] - Inferred but not explicitly stated
• •[TESTED] - Manually tested by running code
• •[PROVEN] - Confirmed from multiple independent sources
• •[COMMUNITY] - Reported by community sources (cite source ID)

Source ID Format

[TOPIC]-IN01-SC-[SOURCE]-[DOCNAME]

Examples:

• •GRPH-IN01-SC-MSFT-APIOVERVIEW - Microsoft Graph official docs
• •GRPH-IN01-SC-SO-RATELIMIT - Stack Overflow rate limit discussion
• •GRPH-IN01-SC-GH-ISSUE1234 - GitHub issue #1234

File Naming Conventions

• •__ prefix (double underscore): Master/index documents (SOURCES, TOC, TEMPLATE)
• •_ prefix (single underscore): Topic content files (INFO documents)
• •No prefix: Tracking files (TASKS, NOTES, PROBLEMS, PROGRESS)

Information Currency

• •Note version numbers for all API/library info
• •Check last updated date on documentation
• •Cross-reference with changelog for breaking changes
• •Mark stale info with [STALE: YYYY] tag

Research Strategies

Available research strategies (each has its own file):

• •Technology/API Research (MCPI) - RESEARCH_STRATEGY_TECH_MCPI.md - Exhaustive API/framework documentation

Quick research (MEPI-style) until full strategy implemented: For reversible/low-stakes decisions, use abbreviated approach:

1. •Phase 1 (Preflight): 5-10 sources max, skip community deep-dive
2. •Skip Phases 2-4 (no TOC, template, or TASKS)
3. •Phase 5: Create single _INFO_[TOPIC].md with findings
4. •Phase 6: Quick /verify, done

Future strategies (not yet implemented):

• •Technology Research (MEPI) - Quick technology evaluation
• •Decision Research - Choose between options
• •Problem-Solving Research - Debug and fix issues

Tool Reference

See RESEARCH_TOOLS.md for:

• •Source collection tools (search_web, read_url_content, Playwright)
• •Document processing tools (pdf-tools)
• •Transcription tools (llm-transcription)
• •Tool selection flowchart
• •Common workflows

Planning Structure

STRUT (high-level orchestration) - REQUIRED for all research:

• •Tracks phases, objectives, deliverables, transitions
• •Contains time log for net research time
• •Created at research start, updated at phase transitions
• •File: STRUT_[TOPIC].md in session folder

TASKS (low-level execution) - Created in Phase 4:

• •Flat list of individual research tasks with durations
• •Each task: file to create, sources to use, done-when criteria
• •Tracks task timing: [HH:MM-HH:MM] per task
• •File: TASKS.md in session folder

Time Tracking

Net research time = active work time, excluding pauses.

STRUT time log format:

## Time Log
Started: 2026-01-30 09:00
Ended: 2026-01-30 14:30

Active intervals:
- 09:00-10:30 (Phase 1-3)
- 11:00-12:15 (Phase 4-5)
- 13:00-14:30 (Phase 5-6)

Net research time: 4h 15m

TASKS timing format:

- [x] TK-01: Research auth [10:00-10:45] 45m
- [x] TK-02: Research limits [10:15-11:00] 45m (parallel)

Rules:

• •Pause detection: Gap > 30min in file timestamps = pause (don't count)
• •Parallel tasks: Overlapping intervals count once, not doubled
• •Log start time when beginning task, end time when completing

Credit Tracking (Mandatory)

Workflow:

1. •At phase start: simple-screenshot.ps1 → detect model from Windsurf header
2. •Lookup cost in windsurf-model-registry.json
3. •Log model + timestamp in STRUT Credit Tracking section
4. •At session end: calculate total estimated credits

STRUT Credit Tracking format:

## Credit Tracking
Phase 1: Claude Opus 4.5 (Thinking) [5x] - 09:00
Phase 2: Claude Opus 4.5 (Thinking) [5x] - 09:30
Phase 4: Claude Sonnet 4.5 [2x] - 10:15 (user switched)
Phase 5: Claude Sonnet 4.5 [2x] - 10:45
Phase 6: Claude Sonnet 4.5 [2x] - 11:30

Estimated credits: (2 phases × 5x) + (3 phases × 2x) = 16 units

Rules:

• •Never auto-switch models - respect user's model selection
• •Detect via screenshot only - passive observation
• •Log when model changes (user-initiated)
• •Registry: [DEVSYSTEM_FOLDER]/skills/windsurf-auto-model-switcher/windsurf-model-registry.json

Output Format

Deep research outputs an INFO document. Key sections:

1. •Research Question - What we're investigating
2. •Key Findings - MEPI-style summary (2-3 main points) or MCPI exhaustive list
3. •Detailed Analysis - Full investigation results
4. •Limitations and Known Issues - From community sources
5. •Sources - All references with quality indicators
6. •Recommendations - Actionable conclusions

Usage

1. •Determine research type (MEPI quick vs MCPI exhaustive)
2. •Read this SKILL.md for core principles
3. •Read the appropriate strategy file
4. •Read RESEARCH_TOOLS.md for tool guidance
5. •Follow the strategy's phases systematically
6. •Output findings as INFO document