Conduct Deep Research with Extended Thinking

This command conducts comprehensive research on a topic using extended thinking and documents findings in organized markdown files.

Instructions for Claude

You are executing the /dr-research command to conduct deep research and create structured documentation.

Phase 1: Gather Research Topic

CRITICAL: The command arguments are provided in the <command-args> tag at the top of this message.

1. Check the <command-args> tag for arguments:

   • If <command-args> contains text (not empty): Use it as the research prompt
   • If <command-args> is empty: Ask the user interactively for a detailed research prompt

2. Interactive prompt (if needed):

   • Ask: "What topic would you like me to research? Please provide as much detail as possible, including:"
   • " - Core questions you want answered"
   • " - Specific aspects to focus on"
   • " - Context for why this research matters"
   • " - Any constraints or requirements"
   • Wait for user response before proceeding

Phase 2: Plan Research Approach

1. CRITICAL: Check current date/time

   • Access the system environment to get the ACTUAL current date
   • Format as YYYY-MM-DD
   • NEVER use hardcoded or assumed dates

2. Use extended thinking to analyze the research request:

   • What are the key questions that need to be answered?
   • What different angles should be explored?
   • What are the most important aspects to research?
   • What sources would be most valuable?
   • How should the findings be organized?
   • What would make this research most useful?

3. Extract core topic:

   • Identify the main topic from the research prompt
   • Create a slug from the topic (lowercase, hyphens for spaces, remove special chars)
   • Example: "OAuth 2.1 Implementation Patterns" → "oauth-2.1-implementation-patterns"

4. Create directory name:

   • Combine slug with actual current date: [slug]-[YYYY-MM-DD]
   • Example: oauth-2.1-implementation-patterns-2025-11-09

Phase 3: Conduct Research

1. Create research directory:

   mkdir -p _claude/research/[slug]-[date]
   

2. Conduct thorough research:

   • Use WebSearch to find current information
   • Use WebFetch to read detailed documentation, articles, and resources
   • Explore multiple perspectives and approaches
   • Look for best practices, common pitfalls, and real-world examples
   • Gather specific technical details, code examples, and case studies
   • Consider trade-offs, alternatives, and edge cases

3. Take comprehensive notes:

   • Document all important findings
   • Capture key insights and patterns
   • Note sources and references
   • Identify actionable recommendations

Phase 4: Structure Documentation

1. Create multiple interconnected markdown files:

   index.md - Overview and navigation:

   # Research: [Topic Name]
   
   **Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD from system]
   **Research Question:** [Original research prompt or question]
   
   ## Overview
   
   [1-2 paragraph executive summary of what was researched and key insights discovered]
   
   ## Structure
   
   This research is organized into multiple documents:
   
   - **[Findings](./findings.md)** - Core research findings and analysis
   - **[Resources](./resources.md)** - Links, documentation, and references
   - **[Recommendations](./recommendations.md)** - Actionable recommendations
   - [**[Additional Topic](./additional-file.md)** - Deep dive into specific aspect (if needed)]
   
   ## Key Takeaways
   
   1. [Most important insight or finding]
   2. [Second most important insight or finding]
   3. [Third most important insight or finding]
   4. [Additional key takeaways as needed]
   

   findings.md - Use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/research-findings-template.md as a guide:

   • Comprehensive analysis of the topic
   • Technical details and explanations
   • Comparison of approaches or solutions
   • Best practices and patterns
   • Common pitfalls and challenges
   • Code examples or diagrams where relevant

   resources.md - Use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/research-resources-template.md as a guide:

   • Links to documentation
   • Articles and blog posts
   • Case studies
   • Tools and libraries
   • Community resources
   • Each resource with brief annotation explaining its value

   recommendations.md - Use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/research-recommendations-template.md as a guide:

   • Actionable next steps
   • Recommended approaches
   • Implementation priorities
   • Things to avoid
   • Further research needed

2. Create additional files as needed:

   • If the topic is complex, create additional files for deep dives
   • Name them descriptively (e.g., security-considerations.md, implementation-examples.md)
   • Link to them from index.md

3. Use markdown links for navigation:

   • Link between files using relative paths: [Text](./filename.md)
   • Create a cohesive set of documents that work together

Phase 5: Confirm Completion

1. Show success message:

   ✅ Research completed: [topic name]
   
   Created: _claude/research/[slug]-[date]/
     - index.md (overview and navigation)
     - findings.md (comprehensive research findings)
     - resources.md (links and references)
     - recommendations.md (actionable next steps)
     [- additional-file.md (topic-specific deep dive)]
   
   Key Findings:
     - [3-5 bullet points with most important insights]
   
   Next steps:
     - Review detailed findings in _claude/research/[slug]-[date]/
     - Create PRD if ready: /dr-prd [feature description]
     - Create implementation plan: /dr-plan [plan description]
   

Important Notes

1. Always check system date/time - Never use hardcoded dates
2. Use extended thinking - Take time to deeply analyze the research request before starting
3. Be comprehensive - Research thoroughly and document everything important
4. Create multiple files - Don't put everything in one file; organize logically
5. Add cross-references - Link between files for easy navigation
6. Provide value - Make the research actionable and useful, not just informational
7. Use templates as guides - Read templates from ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/ for structure

Execute Now

Follow the instructions above to conduct comprehensive research and create well-organized documentation.