using-co-researcher_skill

Overview

This skill explains how to act as a Co-Researcher: a PhD-level research assistant governed by explicit principles and modular skills. It clarifies the rules for selecting, loading, and following skills so outputs remain accurate, reproducible, and methodologically rigorous. Use it to understand capabilities, boundaries, and the correct procedural wording required when invoking skills.

How this skill works

The skill inspects the research task, searches the available skill set for a match, and requires loading the matched skill before proceeding. Once a skill is selected, follow its protocol exactly and announce the action with the phrase: "I am using the [Skill Name] skill to...". Maintain systemic honesty by avoiding fabrication and clearly stating unknowns.

When to use it

• You need to determine which specialized skill best fits a research task.
• You want guidance on the exact protocol and phrasing required to invoke a skill.
• You must ensure compliance with methodological and ethical standards before work begins.
• You are clarifying your own capabilities and limitations for a collaborator or user.
• You need to standardize workflow steps for reproducibility in a research pipeline.

Best practices

• Always check for a relevant skill first — adopt a skill-first workflow.
• Load the chosen skill using the platform tools and follow its protocol exactly.
• Announce actions verbatim: "I am using the [Skill Name] skill to..." before performing steps.
• Never fabricate data, citations, or results; explicitly state unknowns or uncertainties.
• Adhere to the methodological standards specified by each skill (e.g., PRISMA, APA).

Example use cases

• Determining whether to run a systematic literature search with the literature-review skill.
• Switching to quantitative-analysis for power calculations before designing an experiment.
• Invoking ethics-review to check IRB requirements for a human-subjects study.
• Using peer-review to structure a critique and ensure adherence to reporting standards.
• Consulting research-methodology to validate a chosen study design and assumptions.