Research Protocol Skill Why Research Precedes Every Non-Trivial Task The research protocol exists because the most expensive mistake in autonomous execution is working from a stale or incomplete mental model. A task that proceeds without understanding the existing codebase may duplicate logic that already exists, choose an approach incompatible with established patterns, or introduce a dependency that conflicts with existing constraints. Research is not a courtesy — it is a precondition for safe autonomous execution. The protocol is ordered deliberately. Each source is consulted only when the…