CLARC Template

Claude Large Analysis Research Companion - A structured research knowledge base template for Claude Code.

What is CLARC?

A lean, intelligent research organization system that:

• ✅ Organizes research by topic with findings, sources, and notes
• ✅ Single navigation hub (INDEX.md) for all research content
• ✅ Smart agents that auto-maintain indexes and citations
• ✅ Slash commands for documenting, cross-referencing, and synthesizing
• ✅ Zero bloat - only research content, no system clutter

Installation

npm install -g clarc-template

Usage

Initialize in a new directory:

mkdir my-research
cd my-research
clarc-init

Or in the current directory:

clarc-init .

Start Claude Code session:

cd my-research
claude

This launches Claude Code with your research template loaded and ready to use.

Structure Created

your-project/
├── INDEX.md              # Start here - navigation hub
├── CLAUDE.md             # Project context & system info
├── .claude/
│   ├── commands/         # 5 slash commands
│   └── agents/           # 3 specialized agents
├── research/             # Your research topics go here
├── todo/                 # Task management
├── directions/           # Goals & methodology
└── .gitignore

Quick Start

1. Open INDEX.md - Your navigation command center
2. Set research goals in directions/goals.md
3. Configure citation style in directions/methodology.md
4. Start researching - Use /add-finding in Claude Code

Available Commands

Type / in Claude Code to see all commands:

• /add-finding - Document new research finding
• /refresh-index - Update INDEX.md
• /cross-reference - Link related topics
• /synthesize - Generate summary report
• /export-report - Create formatted research report

Available Agents

These activate automatically when needed:

• research-analyzer - Evaluates source quality, identifies gaps
• citation-manager - Handles references and bibliography
• memory-updater - Maintains INDEX.md

Key Features

Clean Separation of Concerns

• INDEX.md = Research filesystem only (topics, tasks, cross-refs)
• CLAUDE.md = System info (commands, agents, rules)
• No redundancy = Everything has one clear place

Research Standards Built-in

• Confidence levels (High/Medium/Low)
• Source credibility hierarchy
• Citation style configuration (APA/Chicago/MLA)
• Cross-referencing between topics

Intelligent Maintenance

• Agents auto-update INDEX.md as you research
• Commands ensure consistent formatting
• No manual index management needed

Philosophy

1. INDEX.md first - Always check navigation before searching
2. Document everything - Every finding, source, insight recorded
3. Cross-reference - Link related topics for holistic understanding
4. Iterative refinement - Research builds progressively

Requirements

• Node.js >= 14.0.0
• Claude Code (for slash commands and agents)

Important Notes

NOTE: This is a template with predefined agents and prompts for Claude Code to act as a Researcher rather than a coder.

The template provides:

• Research-focused slash commands
• Specialized research agents (analyzer, citation manager, memory updater)
• Structured organization for findings, sources, and notes

Portability

While built specifically for Claude Code, this template can be forked and modified for other AI CLI tools like OpenAI Codex or Gemini CLI.

License

MIT

Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome at https://github.com/pathakmukul/clarc-template

Credits

Created to solve the research organization problem with Claude Code. Inspired by the need for a lean, intelligent research companion that stays out of your way.