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Github Research

  • 1.3k installs
  • 255 repo stars
  • Updated February 27, 2026
  • lingzhi227/agent-research-skills

github-research provides documented workflows for Explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic. Reads deep-research output, discovers repos from multiple sources, deeply analyzes code, an

About

The github-research skill explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic Reads deep-research output discovers repos from multiple sources deeply analyzes code and produces integration blueprints GitHub Research Skill Trigger Activate this skill when the user wants to Find repos for topic GitHub research on topic Analyze open-source code for topic Find implementations of paper technique Which repos implement algorithm Uses github-research deep-research-output-dir slash command Overview This skill systematically discovers evaluates and deeply analyzes GitHub repositories related to a research topic It reads deep-research output paper database phase reports code references and produces an actionable integration blueprint for reusing open-source code Installation claude skills github-research scripts references and this skill definition Output github-research-output slug relative to the current working directory Input A deep-research output directory containing paper_db jsonl phase reports code_repos md etc 6-Phase Pipeline Phase 1 Intake Extract refs URLs keywords from deep-research output Phase 2 Discovery Multi-source broad GitHub search 50-200 repos Phase 3 Fi.

  • "Find repos for [topic]", "GitHub research on [topic]"
  • "Analyze open-source code for [topic]"
  • "Find implementations of [paper/technique]"
  • "Which repos implement [algorithm]?"
  • Uses `/github-research <deep-research-output-dir>` slash command

Github Research by the numbers

  • 1,336 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +46 installs in the week ending Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #230 of 2,064 Data Science & ML skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: MEDIUM risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
At a glance

github-research capabilities & compatibility

Capabilities
"find repos for [topic]", "github research on [t · "analyze open source code for [topic]" · "find implementations of [paper/technique]" · "which repos implement [algorithm]?" · uses `/github research <deep research output dir
Use cases
documentation · planning
From the docs

What github-research says it does

It reads **deep-research** output (paper database, phase reports, code references) and produces an actionable integration blueprint for reusing open-source code.
SKILL.md
npx skills add https://github.com/lingzhi227/agent-research-skills --skill github-research

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Last updatedFebruary 27, 2026
Repositorylingzhi227/agent-research-skills

How do I use github-research for the task described in its SKILL.md triggers?

Explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic. Reads deep-research output, discovers repos from multiple sources, deeply analyzes code, and produces integration blueprints.

Who is it for?

Teams invoking github-research when the user request matches documented triggers and prerequisites.

Skip if: Skip when cached docs are missing, the request is a negative trigger, or another sibling skill owns the workflow.

When should I use this skill?

Explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic. Reads deep-research output, discovers repos from multiple sources, deeply analyzes code, and produces integration blueprints.

What you get

Step-by-step guidance grounded in github-research documentation and reference files.

  • Structured keyword tiers
  • GitHub search queries
  • Candidate repository list

By the numbers

  • Consumes up to 4 deep-research phase artifacts beyond required paper_db.jsonl
  • Primary keyword extraction targets 2–3 word technical phrases from titles

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

GitHub Research Skill

Trigger

Activate this skill when the user wants to:

  • "Find repos for [topic]", "GitHub research on [topic]"
  • "Analyze open-source code for [topic]"
  • "Find implementations of [paper/technique]"
  • "Which repos implement [algorithm]?"
  • Uses /github-research <deep-research-output-dir> slash command

Overview

This skill systematically discovers, evaluates, and deeply analyzes GitHub repositories related to a research topic. It reads deep-research output (paper database, phase reports, code references) and produces an actionable integration blueprint for reusing open-source code.

Installation: ~/.claude/skills/github-research/ — scripts, references, and this skill definition. Output: ./github-research-output/{slug}/ relative to the current working directory. Input: A deep-research output directory (containing paper_db.jsonl, phase reports, code_repos.md, etc.)

6-Phase Pipeline

Phase 1: Intake     → Extract refs, URLs, keywords from deep-research output
Phase 2: Discovery  → Multi-source broad GitHub search (50-200 repos)
Phase 3: Filtering  → Score & rank → select top 15-30 repos
Phase 4: Deep Dive  → Clone & deeply analyze top 8-15 repos (code reading)
Phase 5: Analysis   → Per-repo reports + cross-repo comparison
Phase 6: Blueprint  → Integration/reuse plan for research topic

Output Directory Structure

github-research-output/{slug}/
├── repo_db.jsonl                     # Master repo database
├── phase1_intake/
│   ├── extracted_refs.jsonl          # URLs, keywords, paper-repo links
│   └── intake_summary.md
├── phase2_discovery/
│   ├── search_results/               # Raw JSONL from each search
│   └── discovery_log.md
├── phase3_filtering/
│   ├── ranked_repos.jsonl            # Scored & ranked subset
│   └── filtering_report.md
├── phase4_deep_dive/
│   ├── repos/                        # Cloned repos (shallow)
│   ├── analyses/                     # Per-repo analysis .md files
│   └── deep_dive_summary.md
├── phase5_analysis/
│   ├── comparison_matrix.md          # Cross-repo comparison
│   ├── technique_map.md              # Paper concept → code mapping
│   └── analysis_report.md
└── phase6_blueprint/
    ├── integration_plan.md           # How to combine repos
    ├── reuse_catalog.md              # Reusable components catalog
    ├── final_report.md               # Complete compiled report
    └── blueprint_summary.md

Scripts Reference

All scripts are Python 3, stdlib-only, located in ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/.

ScriptPurposeKey Flags
extract_research_refs.pyParse deep-research output for GitHub URLs, paper refs, keywords--research-dir, --output
search_github.pySearch GitHub repos via gh api--query, --language, --min-stars, --sort, --max-results, --topic, --output
search_github_code.pySearch GitHub code for implementations--query, --language, --filename, --max-results, --output
search_paperswithcode.pySearch Papers With Code for paper→repo mappings--paper-title, --arxiv-id, --query, --output
repo_db.pyJSONL repo database managementsubcommands: merge, filter, score, search, tag, stats, export, rank
repo_metadata.pyFetch detailed metadata via gh api--repos, --input, --output, --delay
clone_repo.pyShallow-clone repos for analysis--repo, --output-dir, --depth, --branch
analyze_repo_structure.pyMap file tree, key files, LOC stats--repo-dir, --output
extract_dependencies.pyExtract and parse dependency files--repo-dir, --output
find_implementations.pySearch cloned repo for specific code patterns--repo-dir, --patterns, --output
repo_readme_fetch.pyFetch README without cloning--repos, --input, --output, --max-chars
compare_repos.pyGenerate comparison matrix across repos--input, --output
compile_github_report.pyAssemble final report from all phases--topic-dir

---

Phase 1: Intake

Goal: Extract all relevant references, URLs, and keywords from the deep-research output.

Steps

1. Create output directory structure:

   SLUG=$(echo "$TOPIC" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | tr ' ' '-' | tr -cd 'a-z0-9-')
   mkdir -p github-research-output/$SLUG/{phase1_intake,phase2_discovery/search_results,phase3_filtering,phase4_deep_dive/{repos,analyses},phase5_analysis,phase6_blueprint}

2. Extract references from deep-research output:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/extract_research_refs.py \
     --research-dir <deep-research-output-dir> \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase1_intake/extracted_refs.jsonl

3. Review extracted refs: Read the generated JSONL. Note:

  • GitHub URLs found directly in reports
  • Paper titles and arxiv IDs (for Papers With Code lookup)
  • Research keywords and themes (for GitHub search queries)

4. Write intake summary: Create phase1_intake/intake_summary.md with:

  • Number of direct GitHub URLs found
  • Number of papers with potential code links
  • Key research themes extracted
  • Planned search queries for Phase 2

Checkpoint

  • extracted_refs.jsonl exists with entries
  • intake_summary.md written
  • Search strategy documented

---

Phase 2: Discovery

Goal: Cast a wide net to find 50-200 candidate repos from multiple sources.

Steps

1. Search by direct URLs: Any GitHub URLs from Phase 1 → fetch metadata:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_metadata.py \
     --repos owner1/name1 owner2/name2 ... \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase2_discovery/search_results/direct_urls.jsonl

2. Search Papers With Code: For each paper with an arxiv ID:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/search_paperswithcode.py \
     --arxiv-id 2401.12345 \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase2_discovery/search_results/pwc_2401.12345.jsonl

3. Search GitHub by keywords (3-8 queries based on research themes):

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/search_github.py \
     --query "multi-agent LLM coordination" \
     --min-stars 10 --sort stars --max-results 50 \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase2_discovery/search_results/gh_query1.jsonl

4. Search GitHub code (for specific implementations):

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/search_github_code.py \
     --query "class MultiAgentOrchestrator" \
     --language python --max-results 30 \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase2_discovery/search_results/code_query1.jsonl

5. Fetch READMEs for repos that lack descriptions:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_readme_fetch.py \
     --input <repos.jsonl> \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase2_discovery/search_results/readmes.jsonl

6. Merge all results into master database:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_db.py merge \
     --inputs github-research-output/$SLUG/phase2_discovery/search_results/*.jsonl \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl

7. Write discovery log: Create phase2_discovery/discovery_log.md with search queries used, results per source, total unique repos found.

Rate Limits

  • GitHub search API: 30 requests/minute (authenticated)
  • Papers With Code API: No strict limit but be respectful (1 req/sec)
  • Add --delay 1.0 to batch operations when needed

Checkpoint

  • repo_db.jsonl populated with 50-200 repos
  • discovery_log.md with search details

---

Phase 3: Filtering

Goal: Score and rank repos, select top 15-30 for deeper analysis.

Steps

1. Enrich metadata for all repos:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_metadata.py \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl \
     --delay 0.5

2. Score repos (quality + activity scores):

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_db.py score \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl

3. LLM relevance scoring: Read through the top ~50 repos (by quality_score) and assign relevance_score (0.0-1.0) based on:

  • Direct relevance to research topic
  • Implementation completeness
  • Code quality signals (from README, description)
  • Update the relevance scores:
   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_db.py tag \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl \
     --ids owner/name --tags "relevance:0.85"

4. Compute composite scores and rank:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_db.py score \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl
   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_db.py rank \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/repo_db.jsonl \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase3_filtering/ranked_repos.jsonl \
     --by composite_score

5. Select top repos: Filter to top 15-30:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/repo_db.py filter \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/phase3_filtering/ranked_repos.jsonl \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase3_filtering/ranked_repos.jsonl \
     --max-repos 30 --not-archived

6. Write filtering report: Create phase3_filtering/filtering_report.md:

  • Stats before/after filtering
  • Score distributions
  • Top 30 repos with scores and rationale

Scoring Formula

activity_score = sigmoid((days_since_push < 90) * 0.4 + has_recent_commits * 0.3 + open_issues_ratio * 0.3)
quality_score  = normalize(log(stars+1) * 0.3 + log(forks+1) * 0.2 + has_license * 0.15 + has_readme * 0.15 + not_archived * 0.2)
composite_score = relevance * 0.4 + quality * 0.35 + activity * 0.25

Checkpoint

  • ranked_repos.jsonl with 15-30 repos
  • filtering_report.md with scoring details

---

Phase 4: Deep Dive

Goal: Clone and deeply analyze the top 8-15 repos.

Steps

1. Select repos for deep dive: Take top 8-15 from ranked list.

2. Clone each repo (shallow):

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/clone_repo.py \
     --repo owner/name \
     --output-dir github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/repos/

3. Analyze structure for each cloned repo:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/analyze_repo_structure.py \
     --repo-dir github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/repos/name/ \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/analyses/name_structure.json

4. Extract dependencies:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/extract_dependencies.py \
     --repo-dir github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/repos/name/ \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/analyses/name_deps.json

5. Find implementations: Search for key algorithms/concepts from research:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/find_implementations.py \
     --repo-dir github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/repos/name/ \
     --patterns "class Transformer" "def forward" "attention" \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/analyses/name_impls.jsonl

6. Deep code reading: For each repo, READ the key source files identified by structure analysis. Write a per-repo analysis in phase4_deep_dive/analyses/{name}_analysis.md:

  • Architecture overview
  • Key algorithms implemented
  • Code quality assessment
  • API / interface design
  • Dependencies and requirements
  • Strengths and limitations
  • Reusability assessment (how easy to extract components)

7. Write deep dive summary: phase4_deep_dive/deep_dive_summary.md

IMPORTANT: Actually Read Code

Do NOT just summarize READMEs. You must:

  • Read the main source files (entry points, core modules)
  • Understand the actual implementation approach
  • Identify specific functions/classes that implement research concepts
  • Note code patterns, design decisions, and trade-offs

Checkpoint

  • Repos cloned in repos/
  • Per-repo analysis files in analyses/
  • deep_dive_summary.md written

---

Phase 5: Analysis

Goal: Cross-repo comparison and technique-to-code mapping.

Steps

1. Generate comparison matrix:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/compare_repos.py \
     --input github-research-output/$SLUG/phase4_deep_dive/analyses/ \
     --output github-research-output/$SLUG/phase5_analysis/comparison.json

2. Write comparison matrix: Create phase5_analysis/comparison_matrix.md:

  • Table comparing repos across dimensions (language, LOC, stars, framework, license, tests)
  • Dependency overlap analysis
  • Strengths/weaknesses per repo

3. Write technique map: Create phase5_analysis/technique_map.md:

  • Map each paper concept / research technique → specific repo + file + function
  • Identify gaps (techniques with no implementation found)
  • Note alternative implementations of the same concept

4. Write analysis report: phase5_analysis/analysis_report.md:

  • Executive summary of findings
  • Key insights from code analysis
  • Recommendations for which repos to use for which purposes

Checkpoint

  • comparison_matrix.md with repo comparison table
  • technique_map.md mapping concepts to code
  • analysis_report.md with findings

---

Phase 6: Blueprint

Goal: Produce an actionable integration and reuse plan.

Steps

1. Write integration plan: phase6_blueprint/integration_plan.md:

  • Recommended architecture for combining repos
  • Step-by-step integration approach
  • Dependency resolution strategy
  • Potential conflicts and how to resolve them

2. Write reuse catalog: phase6_blueprint/reuse_catalog.md:

  • For each reusable component: source repo, file path, function/class, what it does, how to extract it
  • License compatibility matrix
  • Effort estimates (easy/medium/hard to integrate)

3. Compile final report:

   python ~/.claude/skills/github-research/scripts/compile_github_report.py \
     --topic-dir github-research-output/$SLUG/

4. Write blueprint summary: phase6_blueprint/blueprint_summary.md:

  • One-page executive summary
  • Top 5 repos and why
  • Recommended next steps

Checkpoint

  • integration_plan.md complete
  • reuse_catalog.md with component catalog
  • final_report.md compiled
  • blueprint_summary.md as executive summary

---

Quality Conventions

1. Repos are ranked by composite score: relevance × 0.4 + quality × 0.35 + activity × 0.25 2. Deep dive requires reading actual code, not just READMEs 3. Integration blueprint must map paper concepts → specific code files/functions 4. Incremental saves: Each phase writes to disk immediately 5. Checkpoint recovery: Can resume from any phase by checking what outputs exist 6. All scripts are stdlib-only Python — no pip installs needed 7. `gh` CLI is required for GitHub API access (must be authenticated) 8. Deduplication by repo_id (owner/name) across all searches 9. Rate limit awareness: Respect GitHub search API limits (30 req/min)

Error Handling

  • If gh is not installed: warn user and provide installation instructions
  • If a repo is archived/deleted: skip gracefully, note in log
  • If clone fails: skip, note in log, continue with remaining repos
  • If Papers With Code API is down: skip, rely on GitHub search only
  • Always write partial progress to disk so work is not lost

References

  • See references/phase-guide.md for detailed phase execution guidance
  • Deep-research skill: ~/.claude/skills/deep-research/SKILL.md
  • Paper database pattern: ~/.claude/skills/deep-research/scripts/paper_db.py

Related skills

Forks & variants (2)

Github Research has 2 known copies in the catalog totaling 4 installs. They canonicalize to this original listing.

How it compares

Use GitHub Research when paper corpora already exist; use general GitHub search skills for ad-hoc repo lookup without structured research inputs.

FAQ

What does github-research do?

Explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic. Reads deep-research output, discovers repos from multiple sources, deeply analyzes code, and produces integration blueprints.

When should I use github-research?

Explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic. Reads deep-research output, discovers repos from multiple sources, deeply analyzes code, and produces integration blueprints.

What are common prerequisites?

--- name: github-research description: Explore and analyze GitHub repositories related to a research topic.

Is Github Research safe to install?

skills.sh reports 2 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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