CoT Research Skill

Systematic Chain-of-Thought (CoT) research methodology for deep analysis of technical problems, following SOTA patterns from industry leaders and academic research (as of January 2026).

When to Use This Skill

• •Debugging complex, multi-layer issues
• •Planning major refactors or architecture changes
• •Analyzing system design problems
• •Ensuring solutions follow industry best practices
• •Avoiding patch-fix approaches in favor of root cause solutions

Core Methodology

Step 1: Problem Definition

Clearly articulate the problem before diving into solutions:

• •What is the observed symptom?
• •What is the expected behavior?
• •When did the problem first appear?

Step 2: Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys)

Apply iterative questioning to find the deepest source:

Step 1: Why is [symptom] happening?
  → Because [immediate cause]

Step 2: Why is [immediate cause] happening?
  → Because [deeper cause]

Step 3: Why is [deeper cause] happening?
  → Because [even deeper cause]

... Continue until you reach a root cause that is actionable

Step 3: Logic Flow Mapping

Identify all related logic flows:

Step 4: SOTA Research

Research current best practices from:

For LMS/EdTech:

• •Canvas LMS (Instructure)
• •Moodle (open source)
• •Coursera, edX, Udemy
• •Google Classroom

For General Architecture:

• •Google Cloud Architecture Center
• •AWS Well-Architected Framework
• •Microsoft Azure Architecture Guide
• •Netflix Tech Blog
• •Meta Engineering

For Database/SQL:

• •PostgreSQL official docs
• •Use-The-Index-Luke.com
• •PGAnalyze best practices

Step 5: Comparison Analysis

Compare current implementation vs SOTA:

Step 6: Solution Design

Create solution that:

1. •Addresses root cause (not symptoms)
2. •Follows SOTA patterns
3. •Is maintainable long-term
4. •Avoids patch-fix approaches

Output Format

Quick Analysis (For Simple Issues)

## Problem
[One-line description]

## Root Cause
[2-3 sentences explaining why]

## Solution
[Specific actionable fix]

Deep Analysis (For Complex Issues)

## 🔍 Deep Analysis Report

### 1. Problem Statement
[Clear description of symptom and expected behavior]

### 2. Root Cause Chain (CoT)
Step 1: Why? → [answer]
Step 2: Why? → [answer]
Step 3: Why? → [answer]
...
Root Cause: [final answer]

### 3. Related Logic Flows
[Diagram or table of data/control flows]

### 4. SOTA Comparison
| Aspect | Current | Industry Best | Gap |
|--------|---------|---------------|-----|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

### 5. Proposed Solution
[Detailed approach following SOTA]

### 6. Implementation Plan
- [ ] Step 1: ...
- [ ] Step 2: ...
- [ ] Step 3: ...

Examples

Example 1: Type Mismatch Analysis

Problem: Hibernate validation fails on startup

CoT Analysis:

Step 1: Why is Hibernate failing?
  → Type mismatch: DB column is INTEGER, Entity field is BigDecimal

Step 2: Why is there a type mismatch?
  → Entity was created assuming NUMERIC for currency values

Step 3: Why does DB have INTEGER?
  → Original migration used INTEGER for simplicity

Step 4: Which is correct per SOTA?
  → For percentage scores (0-100): INTEGER is correct
  → For currency/precise decimals: NUMERIC is correct

Root Cause: Entity type doesn't match domain semantics
Solution: Change Entity type to Integer (for scores)
         OR change DB to NUMERIC (for currency)

Example 2: Duplicate Tables Analysis

Problem: Schema has multiple similar tables

CoT Analysis:

Step 1: Why are there duplicate tables?
  → enrollments, learning_enrollments exist with similar structure

Step 2: Why were both created?
  → Historical evolution: direct course enrollment → class-based

Step 3: Which pattern is SOTA?
  → Canvas/Moodle: Class-based enrollment (Section/Group)
  → Students enroll in CLASS, not directly in COURSE

Root Cause: Schema evolved without removing legacy tables
Solution: Keep class-based table, remove legacy

Constraints

• •DO NOT propose patch fixes that address symptoms only
• •DO NOT skip root cause analysis and jump to solutions
• •DO NOT ignore SOTA patterns from industry leaders
• •ALWAYS document the reasoning chain
• •ALWAYS compare against industry best practices
• •ALWAYS consider long-term maintainability

Research Resources (Jan 2026)

LMS Domain

• •Canvas API Docs: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/
• •Moodle Dev Docs: https://moodledev.io/
• •Open edX Architecture: https://docs.openedx.org/

PostgreSQL

• •Official Docs: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/
• •Use The Index Luke: https://use-the-index-luke.com/
• •PGAnalyze: https://pganalyze.com/docs

Architecture Patterns

• •Martin Fowler: https://martinfowler.com/
• •System Design Primer: https://github.com/donnemartin/system-design-primer
• •12-Factor App: https://12factor.net/

Trigger Phrases

This skill should be activated when user mentions:

• •"Suy nghĩ thật kỹ" (think carefully)
• •"think step-by-step"
• •"Chain of Thought" or "CoT"
• •"Root cause analysis"
• •"SOTA patterns"
• •"Best practices from large organizations"
• •"Không sửa chắp vá" (no patch fixes)