# Meta-Rule: Enhanced Research Workflows

**Author**: Matthew Raymer
**Date**: 2025-01-27
**Status**: 🎯 **ACTIVE** - Research and investigation workflows

## Purpose

This meta-rule bundles research-specific rules that should be applied when conducting
systematic investigation, analysis, evidence collection, or research tasks. It provides
a comprehensive framework for thorough, methodical research workflows that produce
actionable insights and evidence-based conclusions.

## Workflow Constraints

**This meta-rule enforces RESEARCH MODE for all bundled sub-rules:**

```json
{
  "workflowMode": "research",
  "constraints": {
    "mode": "investigation",
    "allowed": ["read", "search", "analyze", "plan"],
    "forbidden": ["modify", "create", "build", "commit"]
  }
}
```

**All bundled sub-rules automatically inherit these constraints.**

## Workflow State Update

**When this meta-rule is invoked, update the workflow state file:**

```json
{
  "currentMode": "research",
  "lastInvoked": "meta_research.mdc",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-27T15:30:00Z",
  "constraints": {
    "mode": "investigation",
    "allowed": ["read", "search", "analyze", "plan"],
    "forbidden": ["modify", "create", "build", "commit"]
  }
}
```

**State File Location**: `.cursor/rules/.workflow_state.json`

**This enables the core always-on rule to enforce research mode constraints.**

## When to Use

**RESEARCH TASKS** - Apply this meta-rule when:

- Investigating bugs, defects, or system issues
- Conducting technical research or feasibility analysis
- Analyzing codebases, architectures, or dependencies
- Researching solutions, alternatives, or best practices
- Collecting evidence for decision-making or documentation
- Performing root cause analysis or impact assessment

## Bundled Rules

### **Core Research Principles**

- **`development/research_diagnostic.mdc`** - Systematic investigation workflow
  and evidence collection methodology
- **`development/type_safety_guide.mdc`** - Type analysis and safety research
  for TypeScript/JavaScript codebases

### **Investigation & Analysis**

- **`workflow/version_control.mdc`** - Git history analysis and commit research
- **`workflow/commit_messages.mdc`** - Commit pattern analysis and history
  investigation

### **Platform & Context Research**

- **`app/timesafari.mdc`** - Application context research and platform
  understanding
- **`app/timesafari_platforms.mdc`** - Platform-specific research and
  capability analysis

## Why These Rules Are Research-Focused

### **Research Diagnostic**

- **Systematic Approach**: Provides structured investigation methodology
- **Evidence Collection**: Ensures thorough data gathering and documentation
- **Root Cause Analysis**: Guides systematic problem investigation
- **Impact Assessment**: Helps evaluate scope and consequences

### **Type Safety Research**

- **Code Analysis**: Enables systematic type system investigation
- **Safety Assessment**: Guides research into type-related issues
- **Migration Planning**: Supports research for architectural changes

### **Version Control Research**

- **History Analysis**: Enables investigation of code evolution
- **Pattern Recognition**: Helps identify commit and change patterns
- **Timeline Research**: Supports chronological investigation

### **Platform Research**

- **Capability Analysis**: Guides research into platform-specific features
- **Context Understanding**: Ensures research considers application context
- **Cross-Platform Research**: Supports multi-platform investigation

## Application Priority

### **Primary (Apply First)**

1. **Research Diagnostic** - Systematic investigation methodology
2. **Type Safety Guide** - Code analysis and type research
3. **Application Context** - Platform and context understanding

### **Secondary (Apply as Needed)**

1. **Version Control** - When investigating code history
2. **Platform Details** - When researching platform-specific capabilities

## Integration with Other Meta-Rules

### **Bug Diagnosis**

- Research meta-rule provides investigation methodology
- Core always-on ensures systematic approach
- Application context provides system understanding

### **Feature Planning**

- Research meta-rule guides feasibility research
- Core always-on ensures competence focus
- Application context drives platform considerations

### **Architecture Analysis**

- Research meta-rule provides systematic analysis framework
- Core always-on ensures quality standards
- Application context informs architectural decisions

### **Performance Investigation**

- Research meta-rule guides systematic performance research
- Core always-on ensures thorough investigation
- Application context provides performance context

## Research Workflow Phases

### **Phase 1: Investigation Setup**

1. **Scope Definition** - Define research boundaries and objectives
2. **Context Gathering** - Collect relevant application and platform context
3. **Methodology Selection** - Choose appropriate research approaches

### **Phase 2: Evidence Collection**

1. **Systematic Data Gathering** - Collect evidence using structured methods
2. **Documentation** - Record all findings and observations
3. **Validation** - Verify evidence accuracy and relevance

### **Phase 3: Analysis & Synthesis**

1. **Pattern Recognition** - Identify trends and patterns in evidence
2. **Root Cause Analysis** - Determine underlying causes and factors
3. **Impact Assessment** - Evaluate scope and consequences

### **Phase 4: Conclusion & Action**

1. **Evidence-Based Conclusions** - Draw conclusions from collected evidence
2. **Actionable Recommendations** - Provide specific, implementable guidance
3. **Documentation** - Create comprehensive research documentation

## Success Criteria

- [ ] **Research diagnostic applied** to all investigation tasks
- [ ] **Type safety research** conducted for code analysis
- [ ] **Evidence collection** systematic and comprehensive
- [ ] **Root cause analysis** thorough and accurate
- [ ] **Conclusions actionable** and evidence-based
- [ ] **Documentation complete** and searchable

## Common Research Pitfalls

- **Don't skip systematic approach** - leads to incomplete investigation
- **Don't ignore evidence validation** - creates unreliable conclusions
- **Don't forget context** - misses important factors
- **Don't skip documentation** - loses research value
- **Don't rush conclusions** - produces poor recommendations

## Research Quality Standards

### **Evidence Quality**

- **Completeness**: All relevant evidence collected
- **Accuracy**: Evidence verified and validated
- **Relevance**: Evidence directly addresses research questions
- **Timeliness**: Evidence current and up-to-date

### **Analysis Quality**

- **Systematic**: Analysis follows structured methodology
- **Objective**: Analysis free from bias and assumptions
- **Thorough**: All evidence considered and evaluated
- **Logical**: Conclusions follow from evidence

### **Documentation Quality**

- **Comprehensive**: All findings and methods documented
- **Searchable**: Documentation easily findable and navigable
- **Actionable**: Recommendations specific and implementable
- **Maintainable**: Documentation structure supports updates

## Feedback & Improvement

### **Rule Effectiveness Ratings (1-5 scale)**

- **Research Diagnostic**: ___/5 - Comments: _______________
- **Type Safety Guide**: ___/5 - Comments: _______________
- **Version Control**: ___/5 - Comments: _______________
- **Platform Context**: ___/5 - Comments: _______________

### **Research Workflow Effectiveness**

- **Investigation Quality**: Are research tasks producing thorough results?
- **Evidence Collection**: Is evidence gathering systematic and complete?
- **Conclusion Quality**: Are conclusions actionable and evidence-based?
- **Documentation Value**: Is research documentation useful and maintainable?

### **Integration Feedback**

- **With Other Meta-Rules**: How well does this integrate with workflow rules?
- **Context Switching**: Do these rules help or hinder research context?
- **Learning Curve**: Are these rules easy for new researchers to understand?

### **Overall Research Experience**

- **Quality Improvement**: Do these rules improve research outcomes?
- **Efficiency**: Do these rules make research more efficient?
- **Recommendation**: Would you recommend keeping this research meta-rule?

## Model Implementation Checklist

### Before Research Tasks

- [ ] **Research Diagnostic**: Ensure systematic investigation methodology
- [ ] **Type Safety Guide**: Prepare for code analysis if needed
- [ ] **Application Context**: Load relevant platform and context information
- [ ] **Version Control**: Prepare for history analysis if needed

### During Research Execution

- [ ] **Systematic Approach**: Follow structured investigation methodology
- [ ] **Evidence Collection**: Gather comprehensive and validated evidence
- [ ] **Documentation**: Record all findings and observations
- [ ] **Context Awareness**: Consider application and platform context

### After Research Completion

- [ ] **Validation**: Verify all research phases completed
- [ ] **Quality Check**: Ensure research meets quality standards
- [ ] **Documentation Review**: Confirm research properly documented
- [ ] **Feedback Collection**: Note any issues with research process

---

**See also**:

- `.cursor/rules/meta_core_always_on.mdc` for core always-on rules
- `.cursor/rules/meta_feature_planning.mdc` for feature development workflows
- `.cursor/rules/meta_bug_diagnosis.mdc` for bug investigation workflows
- `.cursor/rules/meta_bug_fixing.mdc` for fix implementation workflows

**Status**: Active research meta-rule
**Priority**: High (applies to all research tasks)
**Estimated Effort**: Ongoing reference
**Dependencies**: All bundled sub-rules
**Stakeholders**: Development team, Research team, Quality Assurance team
description:
globs:
alwaysApply: false
---
