research

Investigates questions against primary sources and writes cited findings to a Markdown file.

1|Updated Jul 23, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/sanjanb/my-agent-harness --skill research-sanjanb
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: research
Source: https://github.com/sanjanb/my-agent-harness/tree/main/skills/mp-research
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/sanjanb/my-agent-harness --skill research-sanjanb

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Researching a topic properly means reading official documentation, source code, and specs, which consumes the main agent's context and time. This Skill delegates that reading legwork to a background agent so you keep working while findings are gathered and written down. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Primary-source investigation: Follows every claim back to official docs, source code, specs, or first-party APIs rather than secondary write-ups. - Cited Markdown output: Writes findings to a single Markdown file with each claim's source cited. - Convention-aware placement: Saves the file where the repo already keeps such notes, matching existing conventions. - Use Case: Ask how a third-party API's rate limiting works; a background agent reads the official docs and source, then saves a cited summary you can reference while coding. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to research how a specific library or API feature works and save the findings as a Markdown note in the repo.

Frequently Asked Questions about research

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I delegate research to a background agent?

Invoke the research skill with your question, and it spins up a background agent that reads primary sources while you keep working. The agent writes findings to a cited Markdown file in the repo when finished.

What sources does the research agent use?

The agent investigates against primary sources only: official documentation, source code, specifications, and first-party APIs. It follows every claim back to the source that owns it rather than relying on secondary write-ups.

Where are research findings saved in the repo?

Findings are saved as a single Markdown file wherever the repo already keeps such notes, matching existing conventions. If no convention exists, the agent picks a sensible location and tells you where it saved the file.

Does the research output include source citations?

Yes, each claim in the Markdown findings file cites its source. This lets you verify statements against the original documentation or code instead of trusting unsourced summaries.

When should I not use a background research agent?

Avoid it for questions answerable from code already in your working context or when you need an immediate inline answer. The background approach suits deeper investigations where reading time would otherwise block your main task.