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/synclair/references is the project’s research memory. Where Knowledge holds the inputs (the specs and designs you start from), References holds the findings — the prior art, comparisons, and recommendations that get discovered along the way. It’s how the answer to “did we already look into this?” stops being “ask around.”

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What it is

A curated, append-only library of durable findings — the things worth remembering that aren’t a spec and aren’t code:
  • Prior art and competitive examples (“how three other apps solve this”)
  • Research conclusions and recommendations from a dig
  • Decisions-with-rationale that inform future work

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What’s in it

Entries live in lib/system/references.ts and render at /synclair/references. Each is a short, titled finding with its source and takeaway. It starts empty on a fresh clone and grows over the life of the project — the mechanism ships with Synclair; the entries are the project’s own.
References is deliberately distinct from Knowledge. Knowledge = the canonical source material you build from (PRDs, Figma). References = what you’ve learned while building. One is the reading list; the other is your notes in the margin.

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How it works

References is a write-as-you-go surface, closely tied to the knowledge flywheel. When an agent researches something — reads competitors, evaluates a library, investigates an approach — the durable conclusion is appended here instead of evaporating when the conversation ends. The next person (or agent) facing the same question finds the finding already there.

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How to act on it

Add an entry to lib/system/references.ts when a piece of research produces something worth keeping — a recommendation, a comparison, a conclusion. Agents do this as part of their work; you can too.
Before diving into a question, scan References — the answer may already be there, saving a redundant dig.
A recommendation backed by a logged reference is more durable than one from memory — link to the finding when you act on it.

Related: Knowledge

The inputs side — the specs, PRDs, and designs the project is built from.