name: ipps-deep-research description: Apply when conducting deep research on technologies, APIs, frameworks, or other software development topics requiring systematic investigation

Deep Research Skill

Systematic research patterns for in-depth investigation of software development topics.

Core

When to Use
MUST-NOT-FORGET
Output Format

Patterns

MEPI vs MCPI - When to use quick vs exhaustive research
Source Hierarchy - Priority order for sources
Verification Labels - How to mark claims

Strategies

Technology/API Research (MCPI) - 6-phase exhaustive documentation
Quick Research (MEPI) - Abbreviated approach for low-stakes

Planning & Tracking

Planning Structure - STRUT vs TASKS
Time Tracking - Net research time calculation

Reference

Tool Reference - Source collection, PDF processing, transcription
Source ID Format - How to cite sources
File Naming Conventions - Prefix rules for documents

When to Use

Deep research (this skill):

"Should we use X or Y for our project?"
"How does X work internally?"
"What are the production considerations for X?"
Multi-source synthesis required
Exhaustive documentation needed

Quick lookup (not this skill):

"What's the syntax for X?"
"How do I install Y?"
Single-source answers

MUST-NOT-FORGET

Start with assumptions check - write down what you think you know before researching
Primary sources > secondary sources > community opinions
Document all sources with URLs and access dates
Flag information age (APIs change rapidly)
Distinguish facts from opinions from assumptions
Version-match community sources to subject version
Create INFO document for findings
Always create STRUT for research session orchestration
Track time - log task start/end for net research time calculation
Track credits - detect model via screenshot, log switches, calculate usage
Never auto-switch models - respect user's model selection throughout research

Global Patterns

MEPI vs MCPI

MEPI (Most Executable Point of Information) - Default

Present 2-3 curated options
Filter and recommend
Use for: reversible decisions, time-constrained, action-oriented

MCPI (Most Complete Point of Information) - Exception

Present exhaustive options
Document everything
Use for: irreversible decisions, high-stakes, archival reference

Source Hierarchy

Official PDFs/papers - Legislation, specs, whitepapers, academic papers (often not available as web)
Official documentation - Authoritative, version-specific
Official blog/changelog - Announcements, rationale
GitHub repo - Source code, issues, PRs, discussions
Conference talks by maintainers - Design decisions, roadmap
Reputable tech blogs - Analysis, comparisons
Stack Overflow - Specific problems (verify currency)
Community forums/Discord - Anecdotes, edge cases

Source Persistence: Download and store all sources in session folder for later reference. Web content changes - PDFs and local copies ensure reproducibility.

Verification Labels

[VERIFIED] - Confirmed from official documentation
[ASSUMED] - Inferred but not explicitly stated
[TESTED] - Manually tested by running code
[PROVEN] - Confirmed from multiple independent sources
[COMMUNITY] - Reported by community sources (cite source ID)

Source ID Format

[TOPIC]-IN01-SC-[SOURCE]-[DOCNAME]

Examples:

GRPH-IN01-SC-MSFT-APIOVERVIEW - Microsoft Graph official docs
GRPH-IN01-SC-SO-RATELIMIT - Stack Overflow rate limit discussion
GRPH-IN01-SC-GH-ISSUE1234 - GitHub issue #1234

File Naming Conventions

__ prefix (double underscore): Master/index documents (SOURCES, TOC, TEMPLATE)
_ prefix (single underscore): Topic content files (INFO documents)
No prefix: Tracking files (TASKS, NOTES, PROBLEMS, PROGRESS)

Information Currency

Note version numbers for all API/library info
Check last updated date on documentation
Cross-reference with changelog for breaking changes
Mark stale info with [STALE: YYYY] tag

Research Strategies

Available research strategies (each has its own file):

Technology/API Research (MCPI) - RESEARCH_STRATEGY_TECH_MCPI.md - Exhaustive API/framework documentation

Quick research (MEPI-style) until full strategy implemented: For reversible/low-stakes decisions, use abbreviated approach:

Phase 1 (Preflight): 5-10 sources max, skip community deep-dive
Skip Phases 2-4 (no TOC, template, or TASKS)
Phase 5: Create single _INFO_[TOPIC].md with findings
Phase 6: Quick /verify, done

Future strategies (not yet implemented):

Technology Research (MEPI) - Quick technology evaluation
Decision Research - Choose between options
Problem-Solving Research - Debug and fix issues

Tool Reference

See RESEARCH_TOOLS.md for:

Source collection tools (search_web, read_url_content, Playwright)
Document processing tools (pdf-tools)
Transcription tools (llm-transcription)
Tool selection flowchart
Common workflows

Planning Structure

STRUT (high-level orchestration) - REQUIRED for all research:

Tracks phases, objectives, deliverables, transitions
Contains time log for net research time
Created at research start, updated at phase transitions
File: STRUT_[TOPIC].md in session folder

TASKS (low-level execution) - Created in Phase 4:

Flat list of individual research tasks with durations
Each task: file to create, sources to use, done-when criteria
Tracks task timing: [HH:MM-HH:MM] per task
File: TASKS.md in session folder

Time Tracking

Net research time = active work time, excluding pauses.

STRUT time log format:

## Time Log
Started: 2026-01-30 09:00
Ended: 2026-01-30 14:30

Active intervals:
- 09:00-10:30 (Phase 1-3)
- 11:00-12:15 (Phase 4-5)
- 13:00-14:30 (Phase 5-6)

Net research time: 4h 15m

TASKS timing format:

- [x] TK-01: Research auth [10:00-10:45] 45m
- [x] TK-02: Research limits [10:15-11:00] 45m (parallel)

Rules:

Pause detection: Gap > 30min in file timestamps = pause (don't count)
Parallel tasks: Overlapping intervals count once, not doubled
Log start time when beginning task, end time when completing

Credit Tracking (Mandatory)

Workflow:

At phase start: simple-screenshot.ps1 → detect model from Windsurf header
Lookup cost in windsurf-model-registry.json
Log model + timestamp in STRUT Credit Tracking section
At session end: calculate total estimated credits

STRUT Credit Tracking format:

## Credit Tracking
Phase 1: Claude Opus 4.5 (Thinking) [5x] - 09:00
Phase 2: Claude Opus 4.5 (Thinking) [5x] - 09:30
Phase 4: Claude Sonnet 4.5 [2x] - 10:15 (user switched)
Phase 5: Claude Sonnet 4.5 [2x] - 10:45
Phase 6: Claude Sonnet 4.5 [2x] - 11:30

Estimated credits: (2 phases × 5x) + (3 phases × 2x) = 16 units