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/ardd-research

Tier: extension

Targeted investigation or proposal vetting, written to .project/plans/ — one-off output with no lifecycle; substantial or decision-reversing ideas get vetted here before they reach the backlog or a plan.

Usage

/ardd-research <topic>                 # investigate a question
/ardd-research proposal: <the idea>    # vet a proposed change

Two modes, classified from the input: a question to investigate (library options, API behavior, an algorithm) runs a normal investigation; a proposal to vet (a change to how the system should work — anything substantial, architecture-shaped, or reversing a committed decision) additionally applies /ardd-audit's critical lenses to the idea itself.

The line for decision reversals: a reversal you're already sure about goes straight to /ardd-feedback (planning confirms it explicitly); one you still need to convince yourself of gets vetted here first, and the research doc's recommendation routes it onward.

Reads

  • Relevant .project/artifacts/*.md — decided things aren't re-investigated; proposals are evaluated against what the system actually is today
  • Whatever the investigation needs: code, URLs, library docs

Writes

  • .project/plans/research-<slug>-<date>-<hex>.md (filename minted via ardd-state.sh mint research) — Question, Findings, Recommendation, Rejected Alternatives, Open Questions

The output has no lifecycle

Nothing reads a research doc back automatically. If the recommendation is a standing decision, fold it into the relevant artifact with /ardd-refine; if it surfaces backlog-worthy scope, log it with /ardd-backlog. In proposal-vetting mode the Recommendation closes with exactly one of three routes:

  • /ardd-backlog <description> — worth doing; log it and design it later via /ardd-plan <slug>
  • /ardd-plan — worth doing now and well-enough understood to plan directly
  • drop — with the reasoning stated, so the next person with the same idea finds it
  • /ardd-audit — the same lenses, applied to decisions already recorded
  • /ardd-refine — where standing decisions actually get captured