ResearchOS: local-first research workflows with traceable evidence

01 · Context

Research question

Researchers often maintain references, datasets, analysis results and decisions in separate tools and loose files. ResearchOS explores a single local project model with explicit artifact identity and operation provenance, so it becomes easier to revisit how a result was produced.

02 · Methods

Approach

• Implemented local project and artifact APIs backed by SQLite, with stored SHA-256 content digests and provenance relationships.
• Connected reviewed research methods, literature/evidence workflows and migration-related source modules through explicit operation interfaces.
• Built optional PySide6 guided desktop source and synthetic first-run examples while preserving offline-first workflows.
• Added source-level archive export and restore functionality, integrity checks and a fail-closed local test runner.
• Reconciled six worker code contributions into a public experimental Alpha 1 source snapshot.

03 · Evaluation

Reported results

• GitHub prerelease v0.1.0a1 was published on October 22, 2026, pointing to exact source revision 66ac400c301749462767da4b078e5f602eded8df.
• Six worker branches were structurally reconciled with no overlapping file changes in the integration step.
• A synthetic demonstration fixture and QA evidence report were published; an end-to-end combined application acceptance result is not claimed.
• No Windows, Linux or macOS installation package was attached as verified binary output.