ark-research

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

Example Usage

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

1. Web search: "terminal recording library node typescript"
2. Find GitHub repos → clone to /tmp and examine
3. Find asciinema, VHS, xterm.js
4. Compare approaches in ./scratch/research/terminal-recording.md
5. Present options with 2-3 sources each