# Research Topics

Gather findings from primary sources into a Markdown file in the repo.

- Repository: https://github.com/mattpocock/skills (309182 stars)
- Category: Writing
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill research -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add mattpocock/skills`

## Description

Investigate a question against high-trust primary sources and capture the findings as a Markdown file in the repo. Use when the user wants a topic researched, docs or API facts gathered, or reading legwork delegated to a background agent.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

Spin up a **background agent** to do the research, so you keep working while it reads. Start it with a fresh context window.

Its job:

1. Investigate the question against **primary sources** (official docs, source code, specs, first-party APIs), not a secondary write-up of them. Follow every claim back to the source that owns it.
2. Write the findings to a single Markdown file, citing each claim's source.
3. Save it where the repo already keeps such notes; match the existing convention, and if there is none, put it somewhere sensible and say where.