Ark Research

Research technical solutions and gather evidence before implementation.

Research Process

1. Web Search First

Always start with web search to find:

• Official documentation

• GitHub repositories

• Blog posts and tutorials

• Protocol specifications (PDFs, RFCs)

2. Examine GitHub Repositories

GitHub raw content is often blocked. Clone repos to examine them:

cd /tmp git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git cat /tmp/repo/README.md

Look for:

• README documentation

• Code examples

• Architecture patterns

• Dependencies and requirements

3. Handle Blocked Content

If a website cannot be loaded:

• Ask the user to paste the relevant content

• Request PDFs or specification documents

• Ask for screenshots if visual content is needed

Example prompt:

"I found a relevant resource at [URL] but cannot access it. Could you paste the key content or provide the PDF?"

4. Local Research Workspace

Store findings in ./scratch/research/ for review:

mkdir -p ./scratch/research

Save:

• Cloned repo summaries

• Code snippets

• Architecture diagrams

• Comparison notes

5. Evidence Requirements

Minimum 2-3 datapoints required before recommending a solution:

• GitHub repo with active maintenance

• Documentation or specification

• Real-world usage examples

• Community feedback (issues, discussions)

If insufficient evidence, ask for guidance:

"I found only one reference to this approach. Can you point me to additional resources or clarify the requirements?"

Output Format

Always back up findings with sources:

Research: [Topic]

Option 1: [Solution Name]

• Source: [URL or repo link]
• Pros: ...
• Cons: ...
• Evidence: [What confirms this works]

Option 2: [Solution Name]

...

Recommendation

Based on [N] sources, I recommend [Option] because...

Sources

• Title
• [Repo](GitHub URL) - cloned and examined
• Spec - user provided

Example Usage

User: "Research options for terminal recording in an MCP server"

• Web search: "terminal recording library node typescript"

• Find GitHub repos → clone to /tmp and examine

• Find asciinema, VHS, xterm.js

• Compare approaches in ./scratch/research/terminal-recording.md

• Present options with 2-3 sources each