Ralph Prompt Generator: Research & Analysis

Overview

Generates structured prompts for research, analysis, and planning tasks using the Ralph Wiggum technique. These prompts define clear research methodology, required sources, synthesis requirements, and concrete deliverables rather than code.

Best For:

• Codebase analysis and audits
• Security vulnerability assessments
• Technology research and comparison
• Migration planning
• Architecture design documents
• Performance analysis
• Dependency audits
• Documentation generation from code

Ralph Philosophy: This generator embraces the principle that failures are deterministic and fixable. Each research iteration builds on previous findings. Don't fear incomplete first passes—they're expected and provide data for deeper analysis in subsequent iterations.

Quick Start

Input Required:

1. Research objective (what you need to understand/analyze)
2. Scope (what to include/exclude)
3. Deliverable format (report, plan, document)
4. Completion promise

Generate prompt with:

Generate a Ralph research prompt for:
Objective: [What to research/analyze]
Scope: [What's included]
Deliverable: [What to produce]
Promise: [COMPLETION_PHRASE]

Prompt Generation Workflow

Step 1: Define Research Scope

Research Definition Template:

OBJECTIVE: [What question to answer or what to analyze]
SCOPE:
  Include: [What's in scope]
  Exclude: [What's explicitly out of scope]
SOURCES: [Where to look for information]
DELIVERABLE: [What artifact to produce]
SUCCESS: [How to know research is complete]

Step 2: Map Research Phases

Standard research phases:

Step 3: Define Completion Criteria

Research completion criteria must be:

• Based on coverage (examined all relevant items)
• Based on depth (sufficient analysis per item)
• Based on deliverable completeness (all sections written)

Examples:

Step 4: Structure the Prompt

Use this template:

# Research: [Research Title]

## Objective
[Clear statement of what this research aims to answer or analyze]

## Scope

### In Scope
- [Item 1 to analyze]
- [Item 2 to analyze]
- [Item 3 to analyze]

### Out of Scope
- [Explicitly excluded 1]
- [Explicitly excluded 2]

## Sources to Examine
- [Source type 1]: [Where to find]
- [Source type 2]: [Where to find]
- [Source type 3]: [Where to find]

---

## Phase 1: Discovery

### Objective
Create comprehensive inventory of [what to inventory].

### Tasks
1. [Discovery task 1]
2. [Discovery task 2]
3. [Discovery task 3]

### Deliverable: Inventory
Create `[filename].md` with:
```markdown
# [Inventory Title]

## Items Found
| # | Item | Location | Type | Notes |
|---|------|----------|------|-------|
| 1 | | | | |
| 2 | | | | |

Phase 1 Success Criteria

• All [scope items] examined
• Inventory file created
• No areas unexplored

Phase 1 Checkpoint

Document in inventory file:

DISCOVERY COMPLETE:
- Items found: [count]
- Areas examined: [list]
- Coverage: Complete/Partial

---

Phase 2: Analysis

Objective

Deep analysis of each discovered item.

Analysis Framework

For each item, analyze:

• [Dimension 1]: [What to examine]
• [Dimension 2]: [What to examine]
• [Dimension 3]: [What to examine]

Tasks

1. Analyze each item against framework
2. Document findings per item
3. Identify patterns across items
4. Note anomalies or concerns

Deliverable: Analysis Notes

Create [analysis-filename].md with:

# Analysis: [Item Name]

## [Dimension 1]
[Findings]

## [Dimension 2]
[Findings]

## [Dimension 3]
[Findings]

## Summary
[Key takeaways for this item]

Phase 2 Success Criteria

• All inventory items analyzed
• Analysis notes for each item
• Patterns identified
• Anomalies documented

Phase 2 Checkpoint

ANALYSIS COMPLETE:
- Items analyzed: [X/Y]
- Key patterns: [list]
- Concerns identified: [count]

---

Phase 3: Synthesis

Objective

Synthesize findings into coherent conclusions.

Tasks

1. Review all analysis notes
2. Identify overarching themes
3. Draw conclusions from patterns
4. Prioritize findings by impact
5. Formulate key insights

Deliverable: Findings Summary

Create `[findings-f

...