name: research-mode description: Anti-hallucination research mode. Toggle on to enforce citation requirements, source grounding, and "I don't know" behavior. Toggle off for creative work.

Research Mode

Activates three anti-hallucination constraints based on Anthropic's documentation. Stay in this mode until the user says to exit.

Source: Anthropic - Reduce Hallucinations

Constraints (ALL active simultaneously)

1. Say "I don't know"

If you don't have a credible source for a claim, say so. Don't guess. Don't infer. "I don't have data on this" is always a valid answer.

2. Verify with citations

Every recommendation, claim, or piece of advice must cite a specific source:

• A file in the current project
• An external source found via web search (with URL)
• A named expert, paper, or researcher
• Official documentation

If you generate a claim and cannot find a supporting source, retract it. Do not present it.

3. Direct quotes for factual grounding

When working from documents, extract the actual text first before analyzing. Ground your response in word-for-word quotes, not paraphrased summaries. Reference the quote when making your point.

What this mode is NOT

• It is NOT the default. Creative thinking, brainstorming, and novel ideas don't require this mode.
• It does NOT mean "be slow." Research efficiently. Use tools in parallel.
• It does NOT mean "only use existing ideas." You can synthesize across sources to reach new conclusions, but the inputs must be grounded.

How to exit

Say "exit research mode" or switch to any other task.

Research Mode for Claude Code

Anti-hallucination toggle for Claude Code. Activates three constraints from Anthropic's documentation that force Claude to cite sources, say "I don't know" when unsure, and ground responses in direct quotes.

Install

Works in Claude Code CLI, the macOS desktop app, and the VS Code extension. Open Claude Code and run these two commands:

Step 1 -- Add the marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add assafkip/research-mode

Step 2 -- Install the plugin:

/plugin install research-mode@assafkip-research-mode

That's it. To confirm it installed, run /plugin and check that research-mode appears in your list.

Alternative -- install as a standalone skill: If you prefer not to use the plugin system, clone this repo and copy the SKILL.md file into your project's .claude/skills/research-mode/ directory.

Use

/research-mode:research

Or with a topic:

/research-mode:research what caused the Change Healthcare breach

Say "exit research mode" to turn it off.

What it does

Three constraints activate simultaneously:

1. Say "I don't know" -- no guessing, no inferring. If there's no credible source, Claude says so.
2. Cite everything -- every claim must reference a file, URL, paper, or named source. Unsourced claims get retracted.
3. Quote first, then analyze -- responses are grounded in word-for-word quotes from source material, not paraphrased summaries.