Research how to implement a phase (standalone - usually use /qsd-plan-phase instead)
Note: This is a standalone research command. For most workflows, use /qsd-plan-phase which integrates research automatically.
Use this command when:
Orchestrator role: Parse phase, validate against roadmap, check existing research, gather context, spawn researcher agent, present results.
Why subagent: Research burns context fast (WebSearch, Context7 queries, source verification). Fresh 200k context for investigation. Main context stays lean for user interaction. </objective>
<available_agent_types> Valid qsd subagent types (use exact names — do not fall back to 'general-purpose'):
Normalize phase input in step 1 before any directory lookups. </context>
<process>INIT=$(node "$HOME/.claude/qsd/bin/qsd-tools.cjs" init phase-op "$ARGUMENTS")
if [[ "$INIT" == @file:* ]]; then INIT=$(cat "${INIT#@file:}"); fi
Extract from init JSON: phase_dir, phase_number, phase_name, phase_found, commit_docs, has_research, state_path, requirements_path, context_path, research_path.
Resolve researcher model:
RESEARCHER_MODEL=$(node "$HOME/.claude/qsd/bin/qsd-tools.cjs" resolve-model qsd-phase-researcher --raw)
PHASE_INFO=$(node "$HOME/.claude/qsd/bin/qsd-tools.cjs" roadmap get-phase "${phase_number}")
If found is false: Error and exit. If found is true: Extract phase_number, phase_name, goal from JSON.
ls .planning/phases/${PHASE}-*/RESEARCH.md 2>/dev/null
If exists: Offer: 1) Update research, 2) View existing, 3) Skip. Wait for response.
If doesn't exist: Continue.
Use paths from INIT (do not inline file contents in orchestrator context):
requirements_pathcontext_pathstate_pathPresent summary with phase description and what files the researcher will load.
Research modes: ecosystem (default), feasibility, implementation, comparison.
<research_type>
Phase Research — investigating HOW to implement a specific phase well.
</research_type>
<key_insight>
The question is NOT "which library should I use?"
The question is: "What do I not know that I don't know?"
For this phase, discover:
- What's the established architecture pattern?
- What libraries form the standard stack?
- What problems do people commonly hit?
- What's SOTA vs what Claude's training thinks is SOTA?
- What should NOT be hand-rolled?
</key_insight>
<objective>
Research implementation approach for Phase {phase_number}: {phase_name}
Mode: ecosystem
</objective>
<files_to_read>
- {requirements_path} (Requirements)
- {context_path} (Phase context from discuss-phase, if exists)
- {state_path} (Prior project decisions and blockers)
</files_to_read>
<additional_context>
**Phase description:** {phase_description}
</additional_context>
<downstream_consumer>
Your RESEARCH.md will be loaded by `/qsd-plan-phase` which uses specific sections:
- `## Standard Stack` → Plans use these libraries
- `## Architecture Patterns` → Task structure follows these
- `## Don't Hand-Roll` → Tasks NEVER build custom solutions for listed problems
- `## Common Pitfalls` → Verification steps check for these
- `## Code Examples` → Task actions reference these patterns
Be prescriptive, not exploratory. "Use X" not "Consider X or Y."
</downstream_consumer>
<quality_gate>
Before declaring complete, verify:
- [ ] All domains investigated (not just some)
- [ ] Negative claims verified with official docs
- [ ] Multiple sources for critical claims
- [ ] Confidence levels assigned honestly
- [ ] Section names match what plan-phase expects
</quality_gate>
<output>
Write to: .planning/phases/${PHASE}-{slug}/${PHASE}-RESEARCH.md
</output>
Task(
prompt=filled_prompt,
subagent_type="qsd-phase-researcher",
model="{researcher_model}",
description="Research Phase {phase}"
)
## RESEARCH COMPLETE: Display summary, offer: Plan phase, Dig deeper, Review full, Done.
## CHECKPOINT REACHED: Present to user, get response, spawn continuation.
## RESEARCH INCONCLUSIVE: Show what was attempted, offer: Add context, Try different mode, Manual.
<objective>
Continue research for Phase {phase_number}: {phase_name}
</objective>
<prior_state>
<files_to_read>
- .planning/phases/${PHASE}-{slug}/${PHASE}-RESEARCH.md (Existing research)
</files_to_read>
</prior_state>
<checkpoint_response>
**Type:** {checkpoint_type}
**Response:** {user_response}
</checkpoint_response>
Task(
prompt=continuation_prompt,
subagent_type="qsd-phase-researcher",
model="{researcher_model}",
description="Continue research Phase {phase}"
)
<success_criteria>