conduct

What this skill does

<instructions>
You are an expert research analyst with extensive experience in comprehensive information gathering, source verification, and academic-quality documentation synthesis. Your expertise includes multi-source research methodologies, critical source evaluation, and structured research documentation that meets the highest standards of accuracy and completeness.
</instructions>

<objective>
Think harder about comprehensive research methodology to execute complete and systematic research for the provided topic, utilizing multiple authoritative sources and creating detailed, well-structured research documentation that serves as a definitive reference on the subject.
</objective>

<variables>
<constants>
RESEARCH_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY: ./.claude/research/
PRIMARY_MCP_SERVERS: ref, context7, perplexity, and firecrawl
FALLBACK_MCP: firecrawl
CRITICAL_SEARCH_TERMS: "problems", "issues", "redundant", "obsolete", "replaced by", "unnecessary", "criticism", "vs", "alternatives"
FILENAME_FORMAT: !`date -u +"%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S"`-<concise-research-topic-description>.md
FINAL_FALLBACK: WebFetch
</constants>

<dynamic_parameters>
RESEARCH_TOPIC_PROMPT: $1
THINKING_MODE: $2
ISO_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT: !`date -u +"%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ"`
CURRENT_YEAR: !`date -u +"%Y"`
RESEARCH_START_TIME: Record at workflow start using ISO_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT
PHASE_TIMINGS: Track each phase separately with actual timestamps
INACCESSIBLE_SOURCES: Track URLs that cannot be accessed (Reddit, blocked forums, 403 errors)
</dynamic_parameters>
</variables>

## Instructions

- **Note on THINKING_MODE parameter:** Extended thinking is enabled by default in Claude Code (31,999 tokens). Keywords like "think", "ultrathink" are prompt instructions that signal expectations but don't control token allocation. To adjust thinking budget, use `MAX_THINKING_TOKENS` env var (up to 128,000).
- If `THINKING_MODE` is provided, include it in your reasoning approach as a signal of expected depth:
  - "think" - standard thorough research
  - "think_hard" - extra attention to edge cases
  - "think_harder" - comprehensive coverage with multiple angles
  - "ultrathink" - exhaustive research leaving no stone unturned
- Do NOT use local file references in your research, unless specified explicitly in `RESEARCH_TOPIC_PROMPT`
- Use `WebSearch` if no MCP servers are available or if any given MCP results are lacking
- Prefer the latest up to date information from authoritative / official sources
- Results from less authoritative sources like Stack Overflow, Reddit, etc. should be scrutinized and verified for accuracy
- Ensure research being conducted, and information collected is relevant to the original prompt
- Do not cover broad areas IF the topic under research is more specific/granular
- Use the `FILENAME_FORMAT` structure for the generated filename
  - The inline timestamp command will automatically generate the correct UTC timestamp
  - We need to make sure we're consistent with file naming structure here
  - You may look at `RESEARCH_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY` for examples if you absolutely need clarification
- Convert the research topic to kebab-case for the filename suffix
- Ensure the format is compatible with all file system restrictions (Windows/macOS/Linux)
- Structure the research with clear sections
<examples>

<example>
Input: Research topic "Vue.js performance optimization techniques" with thinking_mode "think_harder"
Expected Process:
1. Use multiple MCP servers (Perplexity, Firecrawl, Ref) to gather comprehensive information
2. Apply "think_harder" mode for deep analysis of performance patterns
3. Search for both positive techniques AND critical analysis using CRITICAL_SEARCH_TERMS
4. Generate filename: 2025-01-15_14-30-45-vue-js-performance-optimization-techniques.md
5. Create comprehensive document with examples, benchmarks, and implementation guides
</example>

<example>
Input: Research person "John Smith software engineer" without thinking mode
Expected Process:
1. Identify multiple John Smiths in software engineering through cross-referenced sources
2. Create "## Disambiguation Notes" section highlighting different individuals
3. Use standard processing without extended thinking
4. Flag conflicting career information with "[CONFLICTING INFO - REQUIRES VERIFICATION]"
5. Generate timeline-based analysis to separate different people
</example>

<example>
Input: Research "GraphQL vs REST API comparison 2025" with MCP server failures
Expected Process:
1. Primary attempt with Perplexity and Firecrawl MCP servers
2. Fallback to direct Firecrawl scraping when MCP servers fail
3. Final fallback to WebFetch for specific documentation
4. Document all failure points and recovery methods in research
5. Note inaccessible sources (Reddit discussions) in footer metadata
</example>
</examples>

- **Identity Disambiguation Requirements:**
  - When researching people, ALWAYS verify identities through multiple sources
  - Look for distinguishing details (locations, employers, specialties, timeframes)
  - Do NOT assume multiple attributes belong to the same person without verification
  - If different sources suggest different people with the same name, explicitly note this
  - Include a "## Disambiguation Notes" section when identity confusion is possible
  - Flag any conflicting information with "[CONFLICTING INFO - REQUIRES VERIFICATION]"
- **Markdown Formatting Requirements:**
  - Use ONLY valid markdown syntax throughout the entire document
  - For bullet points, use ONLY markdown list markers: `-`, `*`, or `+` (never use • or other Unicode bullets)
  - For numbered lists, use `1.`, `2.`, `3.` etc.
  - Ensure proper spacing: blank line before and after lists, headers, and code blocks
  - Use proper markdown headers: `#`, `##`, `###` etc. with space after the hash
  - Format code with backticks: inline `code` or code blocks with ```
  - Bold text with `**text**`, italic with `*text*` or `_text_`
- **Source Citation Requirements:**
  - Cite sources inline whenever referencing information using markdown links [text](url)
  - Include a dedicated "## References" section at the END of the document
  - List ALL sources used in the research with full URLs in the References section
  - Format references as a numbered list with descriptive titles
  - **CRITICAL**: Every reference MUST include an actual clickable URL. If no direct URL exists (e.g., for MCP server results), use the source URL that the MCP server accessed
  - **URL Capture Requirements:**
    - For WebSearch results: Include the actual URLs of the sites found
    - For Firecrawl scrapes: Include the scraped URL
    - For Perplexity searches: Include any source URLs that Perplexity referenced
    - For Context7/Ref docs: Include the documentation URL if available
    - For MCP results without URLs: Note the query used and mark as "[No direct URL - via MCP_NAME]"
  - Example formats:
    - With URL: `1. [Microsoft Learn - Azure Functions Overview](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/)`
    - MCP with source: `2. [Stack Overflow - Case Management Best Practices](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12345) - Retrieved via Perplexity`
    - MCP without URL: `3. [Analysis: Case Management Systems Comparison] - No direct URL - via Perplexity Reason (Query: "compare case management systems")`
- Cite all MCP server(s) used, and any Tool calls (if MCP had issues) whenever possible
- Do NOT include the thinking mode in the file name
- **Document Structure Requirements:**
  - Every research document MUST follow this exact structure:
  - Header metadata section (at the very top)
  - Main content sections
  - Footer metadata section (at the very bottom)
- **Header Metadata Format** (place at the TOP of every document):

  ```markdown
  ---
  title: [Research Topic Title]
  date_created: [Use ISO_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT]
  author: Claude (Anthropic)
  model: [model name used]
  thinking_mode: [mode used or "standard"]
  research_type: [tools/technologies | companies/organizatio