Spool Research

Structured research skill for feature development, technology evaluation, and problem investigation.

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

• Evaluate technology stacks or library choices
• Research architecture patterns for a new feature
• Analyze competitive features and prioritize
• Identify pitfalls and anti-patterns to avoid
• Review a change for security, scale, or edge cases
• Synthesize research findings into recommendations

Research Templates

This skill includes templates for different research and review activities. Use the appropriate template based on the research goal.

Research Templates (for new features/technologies)

Review Templates (for change proposals)

Workflow

For New Feature/Technology Research

1. Start with stack analysis - Use @research-stack.md to evaluate technology options
2. Map the feature landscape - Use @research-features.md to understand what's needed
3. Design the architecture - Use @research-architecture.md for patterns and decisions
4. Identify pitfalls - Use @research-pitfalls.md to learn from others' mistakes
5. Synthesize findings - Use @research-synthesize.md to create actionable recommendations

For Change Proposal Review

1. Security review - Use @review-security.md to find vulnerabilities
2. Scale review - Use @review-scale.md to identify bottlenecks
3. Edge case review - Use @review-edge.md to find error handling gaps

Output Location

Save research outputs to:

• .spool/research/{{topic}}/ for feature/technology research
• .spool/changes/{{change_id}}/reviews/ for change reviews

Example Usage

Technology Research

User: Research options for implementing real-time notifications

Agent: I'll use the spool-research skill to evaluate options.

1. First, I'll use @research-stack.md to compare:
   - WebSockets vs SSE vs Polling
   - Library options (socket.io, ws, etc.)

2. Then @research-architecture.md for:
   - Pub/sub patterns
   - Scaling considerations

3. Finally @research-synthesize.md to recommend an approach.

Change Review

User: Review the auth refactor change for security issues

Agent: I'll use @review-security.md to audit the change:
- Map attack surface
- Check for auth bypasses
- Verify input validation
- Review cryptographic usage

Integration with Spool Workflow

Research outputs can feed into change proposals:

1. Complete research using templates above
2. Save findings to .spool/research/{{topic}}/
3. Reference research in proposal.md or design.md
4. Use research to inform tasks.md prioritization