Consolidate research for: $ARGUMENTS
Purpose
When research is conducted in parallel — multiple agents exploring different aspects of a problem — each produces a separate findings file. This skill combines those files into one self-contained document that a reader with no prior context can understand completely.
Process
1. Locate Research Files
Search for research files related to the topic:
Glob pattern: docs/plans/*-<topic>-*.md
Exclude: *-plan.md, *-research.md (the consolidated output)
If no files are found, ask the user to specify the file paths.
2. Read All Source Files
Read each research file completely. Note:
- Key findings from each source
- Overlapping or contradictory information
- Gaps — topics mentioned but not investigated
- Confidence levels stated by each researcher
3. Organize by Theme
Restructure findings by theme, NOT by source. Multiple researchers may have found related information — group it together rather than presenting each researcher's output sequentially.
Themes to look for:
- Architecture and design patterns
- Data flow and state management
- External dependencies and APIs
- Security and performance considerations
- Testing patterns and coverage
- Gaps and open questions
4. Write Consolidated Document
Create the synthesis at: docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-research.md
(Use today's date in YYYY-MM-DD format)
# Research: <Topic> (YYYY-MM-DD)
## Problem Statement
[What is being investigated and why]
## Requirements
[Key requirements gathered from research]
## Findings
### [Theme 1]
[Findings organized by theme, not by source document]
### [Theme 2]
[Continue for each theme...]
## External Research
[Findings from web research with source citations and confidence
assessments]
## Technical Constraints
[Limitations, dependencies, and compatibility concerns]
## Open Questions
[Questions that remain unanswered across all research]
## Recommendations
[Synthesis of all findings into actionable recommendations]
## Sources
| Document | Researcher | Focus Area |
| -------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| [path] | [agent] | [scope] |
5. Validate and Present
After writing the document:
- Present a summary of key findings to the user
- Note any contradictions or gaps found during synthesis
Quality Criteria
A good synthesis document:
- Is self-contained — no prior context required to understand it
- Organizes by theme, not by source
- Resolves contradictions between sources (or flags them explicitly)
- Preserves source citations for external research
- Identifies gaps where more research may be needed
- Provides actionable recommendations
Anti-Patterns
| Do Not | Instead |
|---|---|
| Copy-paste each researcher's output sequentially | Reorganize by theme |
| Drop source citations from web research | Preserve all citations |
| Silently resolve contradictions | Flag them explicitly |
| Include raw notes or exploration logs | Distill into findings |
| Assume all findings are equally confident | Note confidence levels |