/research-phase

description: "Research how to implement a phase (standalone — usually use /pbr:plan-phase instead)"
argument-hint: "[phase]"
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Bash
  - Task

<objective> Research how to implement a phase. Spawns researcher agent with phase context.

**Note:** This is a standalone research command. For most workflows, use `/pbr:plan-phase` which integrates research automatically.

**Use this command when:**

• You want to research without planning yet
• You want to re-research after planning is complete
• You need to investigate before deciding if a phase is feasible

</objective>

<context> Phase number: $ARGUMENTS (required)

@.planning/ROADMAP.md @.planning/STATE.md </context>

<process>

1. Validate Phase

PHASE_INFO=$(pbr-tools roadmap get-phase "$ARGUMENTS")

Error if phase not found. Extract phase_number, phase_name, goal.

2. Check Existing Research

Look for `.planning/phases/{NN}-*/RESEARCH.md`. If exists, offer: 1) Update research, 2) View existing, 3) Skip.

3. Gather Context

Read phase description, requirements, and prior decisions.

4. Spawn Researcher

Task({
  subagent_type: "pbr:researcher",
  prompt: "Research implementation approach for Phase {N}: {name}\n\nPhase goal: {goal}\nRequirements: {requirements}\nPrior decisions: {decisions}\n\nWrite to: .planning/phases/{NN}-{slug}/{NN}-RESEARCH.md"
})

5. Handle Return

• `## RESEARCH COMPLETE`: Display summary, offer `/pbr:plan-phase {N}`
• `## RESEARCH INCONCLUSIVE`: Show what was attempted, offer options

</process>