Paths: File paths (shared/, references/, ../ln-*) are relative to skills repo root. If not found at CWD, locate this SKILL.md directory and go up one level for repo root.

Best Practices Researcher

Research industry standards and create project documentation in one workflow.

Purpose & Scope

• Research via MCP Ref + Context7 for standards, patterns, versions
• Create 4 types of documents from research results:
  • Guide: Pattern documentation (Do/Don't/When table)
  • Manual: API reference (methods/params/doc links)
  • ADR: Architecture Decision Record (Q&A dialog)
  • Research: Investigation document answering specific question
• Return document path for linking in Stories/Tasks

Phase 0: Stack Detection

Objective: Identify project stack to filter research queries and adapt output.

Detection:

Usage:

• Add query_prefix to all MCP search queries
• Link to stack-appropriate official docs

When to Use

• ln-310-story-validator detects missing documentation
• Need to document a pattern, library, or decision
• Replaces: ln-321-guide-creator, ln-322-adr-creator, ln-323-manual-creator

Input Parameters

Research Tools

Time-box: 5-10 minutes for research; skip if topic is trivial

Research Methodology by Type (for doc_type="research")

Workflow

Common Workflow: Detect number (if needed) → Research → Generate from template → Validate (SCOPE, POSIX) → Save → Return path

Extract & Sections by doc_type:

• guide: Extract principle, 2-3 do/don'ts, sources → Sections: Principle, Our Implementation, Patterns table, Sources, Related
• manual: Extract methods, params (type/required/default), returns → Sections: Package info, Overview, Methods table, Config table, Limitations
• adr: Dialog answers → Sections: Context, Decision, Rationale, Alternatives table, Consequences, Related
• research: Findings by methodology → Sections: Question, Context, Methodology, Findings (tables!), Conclusions, Next Steps, Sources

Validation specifics: guide: patterns table present; manual: version in filename; adr: ISO date, status field; all: sources ≤ 1 year old

ADR Dialog (5 questions): Q1: Title? → Q2: Category (Strategic/Technical)? → Q3: Context? → Q4: Decision + Rationale? → Q5: Alternatives (2 with pros/cons)?

Output: File path for linking in Stories/Tasks; for ADR remind to reference in architecture.md; for Research suggest ADR if decision needed

Critical Rules

MANDATORY FILE CREATION:

• ALL research MUST end with file creation (guide/manual/ADR/research document)
• Create target directory if missing (docs/guides/, docs/manuals/, docs/adrs/, docs/research/)
• No exceptions — file creation is required for ALL invocations

NO_CODE_EXAMPLES (ALL document types):

Format Priority (STRICT):

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. TABLES + ASCII diagrams  ←── PRIORITY      │
│    Params, Config, Alternatives, Flows        │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. LISTS (enumerations only)                  │
│    Enumeration items, file lists, tools       │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. TEXT (last resort)                         │
│    Only if cannot express as table            │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Other Rules:

• Research ONCE per invocation; reuse results
• Cite sources with versions/dates (≤ 1 year old)
• One pattern per guide; one decision per ADR; one package per manual
• Preserve language (EN/RU) from story_context
• Link to stack-appropriate docs (Microsoft for .NET, MDN for JS, etc.)
• MANDATORY: Create target directory if missing (docs/guides/, docs/manuals/, docs/adrs/, docs/research/); file creation is required

Definition of Done

• Research completed (standards/patterns/versions extracted) - for guide/manual
• Dialog completed (5 questions answered) - for ADR
• Document generated with all required sections; no placeholders
• Standards validated (SCOPE, maintenance, POSIX)
• File saved to correct directory with proper naming
• Path returned; README updated if placeholder present

Reference Files

• Guide template: shared/templates/guide_template.md
• Manual template: shared/templates/manual_template.md
• ADR template: shared/templates/adr_template.md
• Research template: shared/templates/research_template.md
• Standards: docs/DOCUMENTATION_STANDARDS.md (if exists)
• MANDATORY READ: shared/references/research_tool_fallback.md

Version: 3.0.1 Last Updated: 2026-02-14