Research Before Coding

A Claude Code skill that enforces mandatory research using WebSearch and optional context7 before writing any implementation code.

Install

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anombyte93/claude-research-skill/main/install.sh | bash

Installs to ~/.claude/skills/research-before-coding/. Run the same command to upgrade.

The Core Principle

"You don't know anything until research confirms it"

This skill treats research as a mandatory first step, not an optional one. No exceptions for "obvious" patterns, "simple" fixes, or things you "know."

Why?

Approach	Time Cost
Research first: 3 parallel calls × 3 seconds = 9 seconds → Correct code
Guess and fix: Type code → Wrong → Debug → Wrong → Revert → Lost context = 15+ minutes

Usage

Invoke the skill before writing any implementation code:

/research-before-coding

The Research Workflow

Step 1: Run 3-4 Research Queries (ALL in parallel)

1. WebSearch("best practices <technology> <task> 2025")
2. WebSearch("<technology> architecture patterns <domain>")
3. WebSearch("github <technology> <use case> examples")
4. Optional: Skill("context7/resolve-library-id", args="<library-name>")

Step 2: Synthesize findings

• Extract key patterns from each source
• Note specific tools/libraries mentioned
• Capture code examples
• Identify conflicts between sources

Step 3: Document findings Write to CLAUDE-research.md in your project.

Manual Installation

1. Copy this repository to your skills directory:

   cp -r .claude/skills/research-before-coding ~/.claude/skills/

2. Or clone and symlink:

   git clone <repo-url>
   ln -s $(pwd)/.claude/skills/research-before-coding ~/.claude/skills/research-before-coding

Requirements

• Claude Code CLI (with web search enabled)
• Optional: context7 MCP server for library docs

License

MIT License - feel free to use and modify for your own workflows.

Contributing

This is a standalone skill. If you find improvements, submit a PR or fork for your own needs.