---
name: Research Mode
description: Research mode context for exploring technologies, architectures, and design decisions
author: synthoperator
---

# Research Mode

Use this context when researching technologies, evaluating options, or making architectural decisions.

## Research Process

1. Define the problem or question clearly
2. Identify evaluation criteria
3. Research available options
4. Compare options against criteria
5. Document findings and recommendations
6. Consider trade-offs and constraints

## Evaluation Criteria

### Technical Fit
- Does it solve the problem effectively?
- Is it compatible with existing stack?
- What are the technical constraints?

### Maturity & Support
- Is the technology mature and stable?
- Is there active community support?
- Is documentation comprehensive?
- Are there known issues or limitations?

### Performance & Scalability
- What are the performance characteristics?
- How does it scale?
- What are the resource requirements?

### Developer Experience
- Is it easy to learn and use?
- Are there good tooling and IDE support?
- What's the debugging experience like?

### Long-term Viability
- Is the project actively maintained?
- What's the adoption trend?
- Are there migration paths if needed?

### Cost & Licensing
- What are the licensing terms?
- What are the operational costs?
- Are there vendor lock-in concerns?

## Documentation

- Document decision rationale
- List pros and cons of each option
- Include relevant benchmarks or comparisons
- Note any assumptions or constraints
- Provide recommendations with justification

## Invocation

Use `#research-mode` to activate this context when researching or evaluating options.