# Research

Focused research investigations.

- Repository: https://github.com/SethGammon/Citadel (927 stars)
- Category: AI and agents
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

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

## Description

Focused research investigations. Converts questions into structured findings with confidence levels and source citations. Single agent by default; with --parallel (or when the question decomposes into 3+ independent angles) it spawns scout agents whose findings are compressed into a unified brief. Does not make decisions; produces information that informs the next step.

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

# /research, Focused Investigation

## When to Use

- Evaluating whether a dependency has a newer version or has been superseded
- Finding community best practices for a specific technical problem
- Reading official documentation for an API or library
- Investigating how other projects solve a similar problem
- Checking if a pattern used in the codebase has known issues
- Any time you need external information before making a decision

**Don't use when:** you need to act on findings immediately (use /marshal which calls /research internally).

## Modes

**Single (default):** one agent, 2-4 queries, 3-6 sources. Steps 1-5 below.

**Parallel (`/research --parallel`):** scout agents investigate independent
angles of the same question using Fleet wave mechanics. See Parallel Mode
below. Without the flag, prefer parallel mode (and say so in the plan) when
the question naturally decomposes into 3+ independent angles: evaluating
multiple competing technologies or approaches, distinct sub-questions that
don't depend on each other, or time-sensitive research where parallel
execution matters.

If the question is narrow and focused, stay single-agent. Don't parallelize
what a single agent can answer in 5 minutes.

## Protocol (Single Mode)

### Step 1: FORMULATE

Convert the research question into 2-4 specific search queries:
- Official docs query (e.g., "express.js middleware error handling docs")
- Community/GitHub query (e.g., "express error middleware best practices site:github.com")
- Technical blog/comparison query (e.g., "express vs fastify error handling 2025")
- Release notes query if version-specific (e.g., "express 5.x changelog breaking changes")

State the question clearly in one sentence before searching.

### Step 2: SEARCH

The rest: https://github.com/SethGammon/Citadel/blob/HEAD/skills/research/SKILL.md