jnuyens/gsd-plugin/research-phase

Claude Code and agent skill by jnuyens/gsd-plugin

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Checking that the SKILL.md file is still in the repository.

Research how to implement a phase (standalone - usually use /gsd:plan-phase instead)

Install

npx vskill@latest install jnuyens/gsd-plugin/research-phase

SKILL.md

<objective> Research how to implement a phase. Spawns bm-phase-researcher agent with phase context.

Note: Standalone research command. For most workflows, use /gsd:plan-phase which integrates research automatically.

Use this command when:

  • You want to research without planning yet
  • You want to re-research after planning is complete
  • You need to investigate before deciding if a phase is feasible

Orchestrator role: Parse phase, validate against roadmap, check existing research, gather context, spawn researcher agent, present results.

Why subagent: Research burns context fast (WebSearch, Context7 queries, source verification). Fresh 200k context for investigation; main context stays lean. </objective>

<available_agent_types> Valid GSD subagent types (use exact names — do not fall back to 'general-purpose'):

  • bm-phase-researcher — Researches technical approaches for a phase

</available_agent_types>

<context> Phase number: $ARGUMENTS (required)

Normalize phase input in step 1 before any directory lookups. </context>

<process>

0. Initialize Context

bash
INIT=$(bm-sdk query init.phase-op "$ARGUMENTS")
if [[ "$INIT" == @file:* ]]; then INIT=$(cat "${INIT#@file:}"); fi

Extract from init JSON: phase_dir, phase_number, phase_name, phase_found, commit_docs, has_research, state_path, requirements_path, context_path, research_path.

Resolve researcher model:

bash
RESEARCHER_MODEL=$(bm-sdk query resolve-model bm-phase-researcher --raw)

1. Validate Phase

bash
PHASE_INFO=$(bm-sdk query roadmap.get-phase "${phase_number}")

If `found` is false: Error and exit. If `found` is true: Extract phase_number, phase_name, goal from JSON.

2. Check Existing Research

bash
ls .planning/phases/${PHASE}-*/RESEARCH.md 2>/dev/null

If exists: Offer: 1) Update research, 2) View existing, 3) Skip. Wait for response.

If doesn't exist: Continue.

3. Gather Phase Context

Use paths from INIT (do not inline file contents in orchestrator context):

  • requirements_path
  • context_path
  • state_path

Present summary with phase description and what files the researcher will load.

4. Spawn bm-phase-researcher Agent

Research modes: ecosystem (default), feasibility, implementation, comparison.

markdown
<research_type>
Phase Research — investigating HOW to implement a specific phase well.
</research_type>
<key_insight>
The question is NOT "which library should I use?"
The question is: "What do I not know that I don't know?"
For this phase, discover:
-What's the established architecture pattern?
-What libraries form the standard stack?
-What problems do people commonly hit?
-What's SOTA vs what Claude's training thinks is SOTA?
-What should NOT be hand-rolled?
</key_insight>
<objective>
Research implementation approach for Phase {phase_number}: {phase_name}
Mode: ecosystem
</objective>
<files_to_read>
-{requirements_path} (Requirements)
-{context_path} (Phase context from discuss-phase, if exists)
-{state_path} (Prior project decisions and blockers)
</files_to_read>
<additional_context>
**Phase description:** {phase_description}
</additional_context>
<downstream_consumer>
Your RESEARCH.md will be loaded by `/gsd:plan-phase` which uses specific sections:
-`## Standard Stack` → Plans use these libraries
-`## Architecture Patterns` → Task structure follows these
-`## Don't Hand-Roll` → Tasks NEVER build custom solutions for listed problems
-`## Common Pitfalls` → Verification steps check for these
-`## Code Examples` → Task actions reference these patterns
Be prescriptive, not exploratory. "Use X" not "Consider X or Y."
</downstream_consumer>
<quality_gate>
Before declaring complete, verify:
-[ ] All domains investigated (not just some)
-[ ] Negative claims verified with official docs
-[ ] Multiple sources for critical claims
-[ ] Confidence levels assigned honestly
-[ ] Section names match what plan-phase expects
</quality_gate>
<output>
Write to: .planning/phases/${PHASE}-{slug}/${PHASE}-RESEARCH.md
</output>
Task(
prompt=filled_prompt,
subagent_type="gsd:bm-phase-researcher",
model="{researcher_model}",
description="Research Phase {phase}"
)

5. Handle Agent Return

`## RESEARCH COMPLETE`: Display summary, offer: Plan phase, Dig deeper, Review full, Done.

`## CHECKPOINT REACHED`: Present to user, get response, spawn continuation.

`## RESEARCH INCONCLUSIVE`: Show what was attempted, offer: Add context, Try different mode, Manual.

6. Spawn Continuation Agent

markdown
<objective>
Continue research for Phase {phase_number}: {phase_name}
</objective>
<prior_state>
<files_to_read>
-.planning/phases/${PHASE}-{slug}/${PHASE}-RESEARCH.md (Existing research)
</files_to_read>
</prior_state>
<checkpoint_response>
**Type:** {checkpoint_type}
**Response:** {user_response}
</checkpoint_response>
Task(
prompt=continuation_prompt,
subagent_type="gsd:bm-phase-researcher",
model="{researcher_model}",
description="Continue research Phase {phase}"
)

</process>

<success_criteria>

  • [ ] Phase validated against roadmap
  • [ ] Existing research checked
  • [ ] bm-phase-researcher spawned with context
  • [ ] Checkpoints handled correctly
  • [ ] User knows next steps

</success_criteria>

Security

  • Security scanPassed, 95 of 100Pattern checks on the skill's files.
  • Model reviewPassed

Quality evaluation

  • Task evaluationNot runNo evaluation yet. Run one in Skill Studio.

Source

Popularity

Repository stars
89
Repository forks
12
7-day trend score
22

Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Refreshed 25 Sep 2026, a month ago.

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