Parallel Research

Overview

When research scope is large, decompose into independent questions and spawn parallel researchers. This skill turns a single researcher into a research coordinator.

When to Use

• When research question spans multiple distinct domains
• When research would exceed context window if done sequentially
• When independent aspects can be researched concurrently
• When RPIV or Planner requests broad research coverage

Decomposition Criteria

A research question should be decomposed when:

A research question should NOT be decomposed when:

• Topics are deeply interrelated
• Sequential discovery is required (A informs B)
• Total scope fits in single context window

Decomposition Process

Step 1: Analyze Research Scope

Parse the research request to identify:

• Core questions that must be answered
• Independent aspects that can be parallelized
• Dependencies between aspects (if any)

Step 2: Design Research Questions

For each independent aspect, create a focused research question:

## Research Question: [Aspect Name]

**Focus**: [Specific scope - what to research]
**Boundaries**: [What NOT to research - stay focused]
**Output**: [Expected deliverable format]
**Context needed**: [What context to provide]

Step 3: Spawn Parallel Researchers

Use the Task tool to spawn researchers:

task({
  subagent_type: "researcher",
  description: "Research [aspect name]",
  prompt: "Research Question: [question]
           Focus: [scope]
           Boundaries: [limits]
           Output format: [expected format]
           
           Return findings as structured Markdown with file:line references."
})

Spawn all independent researchers simultaneously by issuing multiple Task calls in parallel.

Step 4: Collect Results

As each researcher returns:

1. Validate the response addresses the question
2. Extract key findings
3. Note any cross-references or dependencies discovered

Step 5: Synthesize Findings

Combine all research into a unified output:

# Research Synthesis: [Original Topic]

## Executive Summary
[High-level findings across all research tracks]

## Detailed Findings

### [Aspect 1 Name]
[Synthesized findings from Researcher 1]
- Key discovery 1 (file:line)
- Key discovery 2 (file:line)

### [Aspect 2 Name]
[Synthesized findings from Researcher 2]
- Key discovery 1 (file:line)
- Key discovery 2 (file:line)

## Cross-Cutting Themes
[Patterns or connections discovered across research tracks]

## Recommendations
[Actionable next steps based on findings]

## References
[All file:line references from all researchers]

Output to Parent

When research is complete, return to orchestrator (RPIV or Planner):

RESEARCH_COMPLETE
Topics researched: N
Key findings:
  - [Finding 1]
  - [Finding 2]
Full synthesis: [path to research doc]

Error Handling

• Researcher fails: Continue with other researchers, note gap in synthesis
• Context overflow in child: Accept partial findings, note limitation
• Conflicting findings: Document both perspectives, flag for human review