Research Online
Research a programming topic from multiple angles using parallel sub-agents, with critical evaluation of source credibility.
Usage
/research-online <library> <what you want to do> /research-online "<error message>" <library> /research-online how to implement auth in react-navigation v7 /research-online best practices for state management in React /research-online Redux vs Zustand for large app
Workflow
Step 1: Parse Input
Extract from the user's query:
- •Library/framework name (e.g., "react-navigation", "prisma", "next.js")
- •Error message (if any, usually in quotes)
- •Version (if mentioned, e.g., "v7", "version 14")
- •Goal/intent (what they're trying to build or achieve)
- •Problem description (if debugging: what's broken or unexpected)
- •Comparison targets (if comparing: "X vs Y", "X or Y")
Step 2: Check Internal Documentation First
Before external research, use the Grep tool to search for relevant keywords in the project's docs:
Grep pattern: "<relevant_keywords>" path: "docs/" and "*.md"
If found, read and include internal patterns/conventions in the synthesis. Internal docs often contain project-specific decisions that external research won't cover.
Step 3: Determine Which Agents to Spawn
| Agent | Spawn When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Docs | Library/framework mentioned | Context7 documentation lookup |
| GitHub | Library with known repository | Search issues AND discussions |
| General | Always | Broad "how to" web search |
| Specific | Error message provided | Search for exact error text |
| StackOverflow | Common problem/implementation pattern | Community Q&A solutions |
| Changelog | Version mentioned OR "stopped working" / "after upgrade" | Breaking changes, migration guides |
| Best Practices | Feature implementation (no error message) | Architecture patterns, recommended approaches |
| Comparison | Query contains "vs", "or", "compare", "which", "best library" | Compare options, pros/cons |
Step 4: Spawn Agents in Parallel
Use the Task tool to spawn ALL relevant agents in a single message (parallel execution). Each agent uses subagent_type: general-purpose.
Every agent must capture metadata for each source: URL, date, and source type (official docs / GitHub issue / blog / SO answer / forum).
| Agent | Tool | Search Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Docs | Context7 | resolve-library-id then query-docs |
| GitHub | WebSearch | site:github.com {lib} "{terms}", then WebFetch top 2-3 |
| General | WebSearch | how to {goal} {lib} |
| Specific | WebSearch | "{exact_error_message}" {lib} |
| StackOverflow | WebSearch | site:stackoverflow.com {lib} {keywords}, then WebFetch top answers |
| Changelog | WebSearch | {lib} {version} changelog breaking changes migration |
| Best Practices | WebSearch | {lib} best practices {goal} + {lib} recommended architecture {goal} |
| Comparison | WebSearch | {option_A} vs {option_B} {context} |
For full agent prompt templates with detailed instructions, see references/agent-prompts.md.
Step 5: Collect Results
Wait for all agents to complete and gather their findings with metadata.
Step 6: Critical Evaluation
Before synthesizing, evaluate each source:
Recency:
| Age | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| < 6 months | High | Likely current |
| 6-18 months | Medium | Check for updates |
| 18+ months | Low | May be outdated |
| > 3 years | Very Low | Likely outdated, verify |
Adjust for library velocity: fast-moving libraries (React, Next.js) decay faster than stable ones (Express, lodash).
Authority:
| Source Type | Score |
|---|---|
| Official docs, changelogs, core team posts | High |
| GitHub issues (maintainer response) | High |
| GitHub issues (community), recent blogs (known author) | Medium |
| SO answers (accepted, high votes), comparison articles | Medium |
| SO answers (low votes), old blogs, old comparisons | Low |
| Random forums | Very Low |
Relevance: Exact error/goal match = High. Same library, similar task = Medium. Related concept = Low.
When sources conflict: Prefer more recent, then higher authority. Note conflicts in synthesis. If official docs conflict with recent issues, the issue may reveal a bug or undocumented behavior.
Step 7: Present Results
Structure the output with these sections (include only those relevant to the query):
- •Documentation — Context7 findings with authority rating
- •GitHub Issues & Discussions — table with date, type, authority, relevance
- •General Solutions — table with source, date, authority
- •Best Practices — (feature queries only) recommended patterns
- •Comparison — (comparison queries only) pros/cons/best-for per option
- •Specific Error Matches — (error queries only) causes and fixes
- •Stack Overflow — question table with date, votes, accepted status
- •Version/Changelog — (version queries only) breaking changes
- •Source Evaluation Summary — most credible, potentially outdated, conflicts found
- •Synthesis — goal, key findings weighted by credibility, recommended approach, confidence level
For the full output format template with markdown tables, see references/output-format.md.
Examples
Example 1: Feature Implementation
/research-online how to implement authentication in Next.js 14
Spawns: Docs, GitHub, General, Best Practices, StackOverflow
Example 2: Comparison Query
/research-online Redux vs Zustand for large React app
Spawns: Docs (both), General, Comparison, StackOverflow
Example 3: Specific Error
/research-online "Cannot read property 'navigate' of undefined" react-navigation
Spawns: Docs, GitHub, General, Specific, StackOverflow
Example 4: Version-Specific
/research-online auth navigation not working in react-navigation v7
Spawns: Docs, GitHub, General, Changelog, StackOverflow
Example 5: Best Practices
/research-online best practices for folder structure in Express API
Spawns: Docs, General, Best Practices, StackOverflow
Troubleshooting
Agent fails or times out
Solution: Continue with remaining agents. Note the gap in the synthesis and which source types are missing. The research is still useful with partial results.
No results found for a query
Solution: Widen search terms — try without the library name, use alternative terminology, or search for the underlying concept rather than the specific implementation.
All sources are outdated
Solution: Flag explicitly in the synthesis. Note the dates and recommend the user verify against current documentation. Prefer official docs over old blog posts.
Sources conflict with each other
Solution: Weight by recency and authority. Note the conflict clearly in the Source Evaluation Summary with a resolution explaining which source to trust and why.
Notes
- •All agents run in parallel for speed
- •Each agent should complete in under 60 seconds
- •Always capture source metadata for critical evaluation
- •Weight findings by credibility in synthesis — a recent GitHub issue from a maintainer outweighs a 5-year-old blog post
- •For comparisons, be especially careful about recency — library landscapes change quickly