scout

To run a structured research spike, you define the research question, set a timebox, investigate configurable sources, and generate a spike report documenting scope, findings, and recommendations to inform architecture evaluation.

A spike report documents the research question, scope, sources, findings, and recommendations for product discovery. It can also generate optional artifacts like draft user stories and Architecture Decision Records to accelerate downstream work.

You create an ADR by applying the spike workflow to requirements gathering, performing timeboxed trade-off analysis, and generating the optional Architecture Decision Record artifact directly from the documented research findings and recommendations.

Yes, the workflow reads project context and existing documentation to avoid duplicating known information and mitigate bias, ensuring the research findings produced are relevant and reproducible.

The best way to document reproducible research workflows is to define the research question, set a strict timebox, investigate sources, and produce a structured spike report using artifact-generation templates for consistent outcomes.

You should not use a timeboxed spike when exhaustive analysis is required rather than quick, informed decisions, as the workflow is designed for rapid, focused investigation rather than comprehensive long-term architecture evaluation.