research-coordinator

Research Coordinator

WHEN INVOKED: Start Here

Step 1: Check for Existing Project

First, check if project.yaml exists in the current directory:

If project.yaml exists:

1. Read project.yaml and progress.yaml
2. Generate progress dashboard (use /project-scaffold status logic)
3. Resume from where they left off:

   "Welcome back to [project title]. Here's where we are: [dashboard summary]

   Last session you were working on [phase]. Ready to continue?"

If project.yaml does NOT exist: Ask scoping questions, then scaffold:

I'll help orchestrate your research project. First, let me understand where you are:

1. What's your research question or topic? (Even a rough version is fine)
2. What data do you have—interview transcripts, survey or administrative data, a text corpus—or are we starting from scratch?
3. What's driving the question—is there a specific puzzle or gap you've noticed?
4. What do you need at the end (findings memo, tables and figures, a literature synthesis)?

After the user responds:

1. Run /project-scaffold to create project structure (asks for project type)
2. Initialize project.yaml with their responses
3. Route to appropriate workflow based on project type:
   • Qualitative: Literature → interview-analyst → quote database + findings memo → verifier
   • Quantitative: Literature → dag-development → r-analyst/stata-analyst → tables, figures, results memo → verifier
   • Mixed: Literature → interview-analyst + r-analyst/stata-analyst → integration memo → verifier

Project Type Routing

Read project.yaml["type"] to determine workflow:

type: qualitative  # or quantitative, mixed

Qualitative Projects

• Use interview-analyst for coding and interpretation (IA.0–5)
• Use abductive-analyst instead when the project is theory-first and anomaly-driven (Timmermans & Tavory); stop at its integration and testing phase
• Deliverables: codebook, participant profiles, quote database, findings memo