discover-research

Gateway skill for research methodology - automatically loads relevant research skills based on task context

Research Skills Discovery

Auto-Activation

This skill is automatically activated when your task involves:

Research synthesis, literature reviews, meta-analysis
Quantitative research, statistical analysis, surveys, experiments
Qualitative research, interviews, ethnography, case studies
Study design, hypothesis testing, sampling strategies
Data collection, survey design, interview protocols
Data analysis, coding, statistical tests, visualization
Research writing, academic papers, citations, reporting

Available Research Skills

Core Methodology Skills

1. research-synthesis - Synthesizing information and conducting meta-analysis

Narrative synthesis approaches
Meta-analysis with Python implementation
Thematic synthesis of qualitative findings
Evidence mapping and gap analysis
GRADE framework for quality assessment
Use when: Integrating findings across studies

2. quantitative-methods - Quantitative research and statistical analysis

Experimental design with power analysis
Survey methods and analysis
Hypothesis testing framework
Regression analysis with diagnostics
Effect sizes and reporting
Use when: Testing hypotheses with numerical data

3. qualitative-methods - Qualitative research approaches

In-depth interview protocols
Thematic analysis (6 phases)
Grounded theory coding
Case study research design
Quality criteria and rigor
Use when: Exploring experiences and meanings

4. research-design - Planning and designing research studies

Research question formulation (FINER criteria)
Validity threat analysis
Sampling strategies with Python tools
Experimental control frameworks
Design quality assessment
Use when: Planning a new study from scratch

Implementation Skills

5. data-collection - Methods for gathering research data

Survey instrument design and validation
Interview protocol development
Observation methods and field notes
Data quality control frameworks
Response rate optimization
Use when: Implementing data collection

6. data-analysis - Analyzing quantitative and qualitative data

Comprehensive descriptive statistics
Inferential testing with full reporting
Systematic qualitative coding
Thematic development process
Publication-ready visualizations
Use when: Making sense of collected data

7. research-writing - Writing research papers and reports

IMRAD structure with guidelines
APA statistical reporting
Citation management
Argument construction
Peer review response strategies
Use when: Communicating research findings

Loading Skills

Load Individual Skills

# From skills directory
cat skills/research/research-synthesis.md
cat skills/research/quantitative-methods.md
cat skills/research/qualitative-methods.md
cat skills/research/research-design.md
cat skills/research/data-collection.md
cat skills/research/data-analysis.md
cat skills/research/research-writing.md

Common Workflow Combinations

Quantitative Research Study:

# Planning phase
cat skills/research/research-design.md

# Data collection
cat skills/research/data-collection.md
cat skills/research/quantitative-methods.md

# Analysis and reporting
cat skills/research/data-analysis.md
cat skills/research/research-writing.md

Qualitative Research Study:

# Planning phase
cat skills/research/research-design.md

# Data collection
cat skills/research/data-collection.md
cat skills/research/qualitative-methods.md

# Analysis and reporting
cat skills/research/data-analysis.md
cat skills/research/research-writing.md

Literature Review / Meta-Analysis:

# Synthesis phase
cat skills/research/research-synthesis.md

# If including quantitative synthesis
cat skills/research/quantitative-methods.md

# Writing phase
cat skills/research/research-writing.md

Mixed Methods Study:

# All methods
cat skills/research/research-design.md
cat skills/research/quantitative-methods.md
cat skills/research/qualitative-methods.md
cat skills/research/data-collection.md
cat skills/research/data-analysis.md
cat skills/research/research-writing.md

Progressive Loading

Load skills progressively based on research phase:

Phase 1: Planning (Load 1-2 skills)

research-design (always)
quantitative-methods OR qualitative-methods (based on approach)

Phase 2: Collection (Add 1-2 skills)

data-collection (always)
Keep loaded: specific method skill

Phase 3: Analysis (Add 1 skill)

data-analysis (always)
Keep loaded: method and collection skills for reference

Phase 4: Writing (Add 1 skill, can unload others)

research-writing (always)
research-synthesis (if synthesizing literature)
Keep one method skill for reporting details

Phase 5: Synthesis (If conducting review)

research-synthesis (load early)
quantitative-methods (if meta-analysis)
qualitative-methods (if thematic synthesis)

Decision Tree

Research Task
    ↓
Conducting new study?
    YES → Load research-design
        ↓
        Quantitative approach?
            YES → Load quantitative-methods + data-collection
        Qualitative approach?
            YES → Load qualitative-methods + data-collection
        Mixed methods?
            YES → Load both methods + data-collection
        ↓
        Ready to analyze?
            YES → Load data-analysis
        ↓
        Ready to write?
            YES → Load research-writing

    NO → Synthesizing existing research?
        YES → Load research-synthesis
            ↓
            Quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis)?
                YES → Also load quantitative-methods
            Qualitative synthesis?
                YES → Also load qualitative-methods
            ↓
            Ready to write?
                YES → Load research-writing

Context-Aware Loading

Based on keywords in your task, these skills auto-load:

Keywords → Skills Mapping:

"literature review", "meta-analysis", "systematic review" → research-synthesis
"survey", "experiment", "hypothesis", "statistical" → quantitative-methods
"interview", "ethnography", "case study", "lived experience" → qualitative-methods
"study design", "sampling", "validity", "research plan" → research-design
"questionnaire", "data collection", "measurement" → data-collection
"analyze data", "coding", "statistical test", "thematic" → data-analysis
"write paper", "manuscript", "citation", "peer review" → research-writing

Related Skill Categories

statistics: Advanced statistical techniques
data-science: Machine learning and big data approaches
visualization: Advanced data visualization
academic-writing: General academic writing skills
scientific-computing: Python/R for research computing

Quick Start Examples

"I need to design a survey study"

cat skills/research/research-design.md
cat skills/research/data-collection.md
cat skills/research/quantitative-methods.md

"I need to analyze interview transcripts"

cat skills/research/qualitative-methods.md
cat skills/research/data-analysis.md

"I need to conduct a meta-analysis"

cat skills/research/research-synthesis.md
cat skills/research/quantitative-methods.md

"I need to write up my results"

cat skills/research/research-writing.md
cat skills/research/data-analysis.md

Best Practices

Start with design: Load research-design first when planning new studies
Method-specific loading: Load only the method skill you need (quant OR qual)
Progressive addition: Add skills as you progress through research phases
Unload when done: Unload skills from completed phases to manage context
Keep writing loaded: research-writing useful throughout for documentation

Skill Maintenance

All research skills follow these standards:

Practical code examples (Python primary, R when appropriate)
Real-world templates and protocols
Best practices and anti-patterns
Cross-references to related skills
250-400 lines optimized for context efficiency

Integration with Other Skills

Research skills integrate well with:

python-data-science: For advanced analysis
python-visualization: For publication graphics
academic-latex: For paper formatting
git-workflow: For research project management
reproducibility: For reproducible research practices