PACT Prepare Research Methodology

Structured approaches for the Prepare phase of PACT. This skill provides frameworks for systematic research, documentation gathering, and technology evaluation to build a solid foundation before architecture and implementation.

Research Workflow

Phase 1: Define Research Scope

Before starting research, clearly define:

## Research Scope Definition

### Primary Question
What specific problem are we trying to solve?

### Success Criteria
What would make a solution acceptable?
- [ ] Performance requirements
- [ ] Integration requirements
- [ ] Security requirements
- [ ] Budget constraints

### Constraints
What limitations must we work within?
- Technology stack restrictions
- Team expertise
- Timeline
- Licensing requirements

Phase 2: Source Prioritization

Prioritize sources by authority and reliability:

Priority	Source Type	Examples	Trust Level
1	Official documentation	Docs, API references	Highest
2	Official repositories	GitHub READMEs, wikis	Very High
3	Maintainer content	Blog posts by core team	High
4	Community verified	Stack Overflow accepted answers	Medium
5	Third-party tutorials	Blog posts, videos	Low-Medium
6	AI-generated content	ChatGPT, Copilot	Verify Required

Source Verification Checklist:

• Publication date within 12 months (for version-specific info)
• Author has verifiable credentials
• Information matches official docs
• Code examples actually work

Phase 3: Documentation Types to Gather

Collect these documentation types for complete understanding:

1. API References

## API Documentation Checklist
- [ ] Authentication methods
- [ ] Rate limits and quotas
- [ ] Available endpoints
- [ ] Request/response formats
- [ ] Error codes and handling
- [ ] SDK availability
- [ ] Webhook support

2. Configuration Guides

## Configuration Documentation
- [ ] Environment variables
- [ ] Configuration file formats
- [ ] Default values
- [ ] Required vs optional settings
- [ ] Security-sensitive configs

3. Migration Documentation

## Migration Considerations
- [ ] Breaking changes between versions
- [ ] Deprecation timelines
- [ ] Migration guides
- [ ] Data migration requirements

4. Security Advisories

## Security Documentation
- [ ] Known vulnerabilities (CVEs)
- [ ] Security best practices
- [ ] Authentication requirements
- [ ] Data handling guidelines

Phase 4: Evaluation Criteria

Use this framework to evaluate research findings:

Criterion	Questions	Weight
Currency	Updated within 12 months? Active development?	High
Authority	Official source? Maintainer authored?	High
Completeness	Covers required use cases?	Medium
Practicality	Actionable? Working examples?	Medium
Compatibility	Works with existing stack?	High
Community	Active community? Good support?	Medium
Security	Security track record? Quick patches?	High

Quick Reference Templates

Technology Comparison

For structured side-by-side comparisons: See technology-comparison-matrix.md

Quick Comparison Template:

| Criterion | Option A | Option B | Winner |
|-----------|----------|----------|--------|
| Learning curve | Steep | Gentle | B |
| Performance | Fast | Very Fast | B |
| Documentation | Good | Excellent | B |
| Community size | Large | Medium | A |
| **Total** | 1 | 3 | **B** |

API Documentation Summary

For capturing API details systematically: See api-exploration-template.md

Quick API Summary:

## API: [Name]

**Base URL**: `https://api.example.com/v1`
**Auth**: Bearer token in header
**Rate Limit**: 100 req/min

### Key Endpoints
| Endpoint | Method | Purpose |
|----------|--------|---------|
| /users | GET | List users |
| /users/:id | GET | Get user |
| /users | POST | Create user |

### Authentication
```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  https://api.example.com/v1/users

### Requirements Analysis

For comprehensive requirements documentation:
See [requirements-analysis.md](references/requirements-analysis.md)

**Quick Requirements Template:**
```markdown
## Feature: [Name]

### User Story
As a [user type], I want [action] so that [benefit].

### Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Given [context], when [action], then [result]
- [ ] Given [context], when [action], then [result]

### Technical Requirements
- Performance: [target]
- Security: [requirements]
- Integration: [dependencies]

### Dependencies
- Depends on: [other features/services]
- Blocked by: [blockers]

Research Output Format

Standard Research Document Structure

# Research: [Topic]

## Executive Summary
[2-3 sentence summary of findings and recommendation]

## Background
[Why this research was needed]

## Methodology
[How research was conducted]

## Findings

### Option 1: [Name]
**Pros:**
- [Pro 1]
- [Pro 2]

**Cons:**
- [Con 1]
- [Con 2]

**Evidence:**
- [Link to source]
- [Link to source]

### Option 2: [Name]
[Same structure]

## Comparison Matrix
[Side-by-side comparison table]

## Risk Assessment
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-------------|--------|------------|
| [Risk] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [Strategy] |

## Recommendation
[Clear recommendation with rationale]

## Next Steps
1. [Action item]
2. [Action item]

## References
- [Source 1]
- [Source 2]

Quality Checklist

Before completing Prepare phase research:

Source Quality

• All critical information from official sources
• Version numbers explicitly stated
• Publication dates verified (within 12 months for technical details)
• No single point of information failure (multiple sources for key facts)

Completeness

• All evaluation criteria addressed
• Alternatives presented with pros/cons
• Security implications documented
• Performance characteristics noted
• Integration requirements identified

Actionability

• Recommendations backed by evidence
• Next steps clearly defined
• Risks identified with mitigations
• Dependencies mapped

Documentation

• Research document follows standard structure
• All sources linked and accessible
• Key decisions documented with rationale
• Output saved to docs/{feature}/preparation/

Common Research Patterns

Library/Framework Selection

1. Define requirements and constraints
2. Identify 3-5 candidates
3. Evaluate against criteria matrix
4. Prototype with top 2 candidates
5. Document decision rationale

API Integration Research

1. Gather official API documentation
2. Test authentication flow
3. Document all required endpoints
4. Identify rate limits and quotas
5. Plan error handling strategy

Technology Migration

1. Document current state
2. Research target technology
3. Identify breaking changes
4. Plan migration path
5. Define rollback strategy

Detailed References

For comprehensive templates and frameworks:

• API Exploration Template: references/api-exploration-template.md

  • Full API documentation template
  • Authentication testing guide
  • Error handling documentation

• Requirements Analysis Framework: references/requirements-analysis.md

  • User story templates
  • Acceptance criteria patterns
  • Non-functional requirements

• Technology Comparison Matrix: references/technology-comparison-matrix.md

  • Weighted scoring templates
  • Multi-criteria decision analysis
  • Risk assessment frameworks