Research Skill

Goal

Find accurate, current answers from authoritative sources only. Prevent API hallucination, deprecated usage, and wrong regulatory interpretation. All findings stored in semantic memory for reuse.

Authoritative Source Tiers

Steps

1. Formulate the precise research question

   • Include: exact library/framework name + version number
   • Include: what you need to know (API signature, behavior, requirements)
   • Example: "What are the valid values for the SameSite attribute in Set-Cookie header per RFC 6265?"

2. Use Context-7 MCP first (for library/SDK questions)

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   # Context-7 provides up-to-date, version-specific library documentation
   # Use it to avoid hallucinating deprecated or non-existent API methods
   context7: resolve-library-id "express"
   context7: get-library-docs "/expressjs/express" topic="routing"
   

3. Search with authoritative source filter

   Using Brave Search MCP or Tavily MCP:

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   # Add site: filter to restrict to official sources
   query: "JWT signature verification site:nodejs.org OR site:rfc-editor.org"
   query: "GDPR article 17 right to erasure site:gdpr-info.eu OR site:eur-lex.europa.eu"
   query: "bcrypt cost factor recommendation site:owasp.org"
   

4. Verify the source is current version

   • Check: does this documentation apply to the version we're using?
   • Check: is there a newer version of this API that deprecates this approach?
   • If version mismatch found: flag to human — do NOT assume old behavior applies

5. Cross-reference with at least 2 Tier 1/2 sources

   • A single source is insufficient for security decisions
   • If 2 sources conflict: flag as "uncertain, requires human validation"
   • If only 1 Tier 1 source found: note as "single source — verify before implementing"

6. Never guess or extrapolate

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   If authoritative source not found:
     DO NOT assume behavior
     DO NOT use knowledge cutoff info for rapidly evolving topics
     DO: Report "authoritative source not found" + propose alternatives:
       a) Use known alternative with documented behavior
       b) Human provides authoritative reference
       c) Skip feature until verified
   

7. Store finding in semantic memory

   • Append to: agents/memory/semantic/PROJECT_KNOWLEDGE_TEMPLATE.md
   • Format:
     markdownCopy

     ### [Topic] — verified [DATE]
     **Question:** [what was researched]
     **Finding:** [what was found]
     **Source:** [exact URL to official doc]
     **Applies to version:** [library@version]
     **Expires:** [date or "review at next major version"]
     

8. Return the answer with citation

   • Always include the source URL in your response
   • Always state which version the answer applies to
   • Always note if there are known future changes planned

Constraints

• NEVER cite blog posts, Medium, or StackOverflow as the authority on a technical question
• If only Tier 3 sources found: flag as "vendor documentation — verify against official spec"
• For security decisions: require Tier 1 source (OWASP, NIST, or official RFC)
• For regulatory requirements: require official government or standards body source

Output Format

Finding with: answer, source URL (Tier 1/2), version applicability, confidence level (High/Medium/Low based on source tier).