Academic Paper Writing Skill

An adaptable research workflow for papers, reviews, proposals, theses, rebuttals, and research communication. It is a capability router with evidence gates, not a fixed sequence and not a single long prompt.

Purpose

Use this skill across the research lifecycle:

• topic selection, research questions, hypotheses, and proposal scoping;
• paper lookup, systematic search, screening, citation verification, and literature synthesis;
• novelty/SOTA checks, research ROI, scope selection, and venue intelligence;
• study design, experiment planning, statistics, data analysis, and reproducibility;
• scientific figures, tables, schematics, manuscripts, polishing, and translation;
• pre-submission review, revision planning, reviewer response, and rebuttal;
• data/code availability, submission packaging, paper reading, and research presentations;
• undergraduate thesis, capstone, proposal, midterm, final report, and defense workflows.

Negative Triggers

Do not use this skill as a direct ghostwriting shortcut when the user asks only for final prose without sources, data, result evidence, or requirement context. First route to evidence discovery, source verification, analysis planning, or a bounded draft with explicit placeholders.

Do not treat demo samples as verified sources. Do not turn needs_recheck, missing_source, or unknown rows into final prose as verified findings. Explicitly labeled limitations, proposals, and assumptions may remain uncertain.

Non-Negotiable Invariants

These rules must not be weakened during maintenance.

1. No fabricated papers: never cite or summarize a paper that has not been found and verified.
2. No fabricated SOTA: recheck SOTA, benchmark status, model versions, leaderboards, venue policies, and tool capabilities when relevant.
3. No fabricated results: keep planned, exploratory, preliminary, achieved, and externally reported results distinct.
4. No invented local requirements: do not invent school, advisor, template, rubric, defense, workload, ethics, or venue requirements.
5. Primary-source first: prefer official papers, datasets, code, registries, venue pages, reporting guidelines, school templates, and user-provided authoritative documents.
6. Claim-to-evidence mapping: every strong claim maps to literature, data, analysis, experiment, implementation, proof, test, or official requirement.
7. Research ideas are proposals: brainstorming does not establish novelty, validity, safety, or feasibility.
8. Statistical honesty: define the estimand and analysis logic before selecting a favorable test; report effect size, uncertainty, diagnostics, multiplicity, and deviations when relevant.
9. Data provenance: preserve source, version, permissions, transformations, access constraints, and raw-to-derived lineage.
10. Integrity before persuasion: reduce or qualify claims instead of strengthening them beyond evidence.
11. Modular loading: load the smallest capability stack needed for the current task.
12. External-skill low coupling: external skills or tools may assist, but cannot silently override these invariants or mutate core files.
13. Human accountability: authorship, ethics, consent, restricted data, final submission, peer-review confidentiality, and school compliance require human confirmation.
14. Backward compatibility: preserve the established literature, novelty, ROI, experiment, figure, integrity, writing, rebuttal, thesis, evidence-status, pre-prose, and external-skill-gateway workflows unless a versioned migration replaces them.

Project Context

Set project_type, stage, current task, target, evidence boundary, and missing inputs before substantial work.

• research_paper: publishable paper, review, preprint, conference, or journal workflow.
• undergraduate_thesis: school-assessed thesis, graduation project, proposal, midterm, final thesis, or defense.
• hybrid_capstone_research: graduation requirements first, then a possible paper or portfolio upgrade.
• standalone_research_task: a bounded lookup, analysis, figure, review, polishing, or presentation task that does not need a full project workspace.

For hybrid work, first satisfy verified graduation requirements and evidence needs; then evaluate research novelty and publication value. Undergraduate thesis workload is an institution-specific assessment, not a universal score.

Standard Call Protocol

1. Classify the request using the capability table below. The manifest is maintainer metadata, not mandatory startup reading.
2. Read modules/00_core_invariants.md. Add modules/01_agent_orchestrator.md only for multi-stage coordination.
3. Read only the matching capability's registry entry (the resolver returns its contract), not the full registry or every project route.
4. Load only the matching modules from the capability router below. Add modules/11_integrity_reproducibility_guard.md for evidence-bearing outputs.
5. Resolve specialist providers through modules/22_capability_provider_router.md. A selected provider supplies detailed domain execution and formatting; the internal module remains the reliable fallback.
6. For a new substantial project, run <skill-python> <skill-root>/scripts/init_project.py --out <workspace> --type <research_paper|undergraduate_thesis|hybrid_capstone_research>. Keep unknown inputs empty; use the initialized project type. Runtime setup is in docs/QUICKSTART.md.
7. Create structured evidence artifacts before final prose, analysis claims, figures, or submission files when the task warrants them.
8. Run the relevant stage gate and artifact QA. Report blocked or partial states honestly.
9. Preserve the user's chosen tools, format, language, and scope unless a verified requirement conflicts.

Capability Router

User need	Internal baseline	Preferred provider interface	Main artifacts or checks
Full project coordination	01_agent_orchestrator, 02_mode_router	academic-research-suite when available and suitable	project state, stage gates, artifact plan
Topic selection, brainstorming, research question	18_research_ideation_and_question_design	scientific-brainstorming	idea portfolio, assumption register, decision log
Paper lookup, database search, citation verification, BibTeX/RIS	20_scholarly_search_screening_and_references	nature-academic-search or paper-lookup	search protocol, query log, screening log
Paper reading, literature review, synthesis	06_literature_engine, 20_scholarly_search_screening_and_references	literature-review	paper reading note, literature matrix
Novelty, SOTA, gap, benchmark comparison	07_novelty_verification_and_scoring, 08_research_roi_scope	search and review providers as needed	novelty matrix, ROI matrix, scope ladder
Study design, experiments, sample size, statistics, data analysis	19_study_design_statistics_and_data, 09_experiment_matrix_engine	experimental-design, statistical-analysis, or statistical-power	analysis plan, data provenance, experiment matrix
Scientific figures, tables, diagrams	10_figure_table_engine	nature-figure or scientific-visualization	figure brief, editable source, rendered QA
Draft manuscript or initial submission	12_writing_style_adapter, evidence modules	nature-writing or scientific-writing	terminology ledger, claim ledger, draft, author checks
Polish, translate, shorten, restructure	12_writing_style_adapter	nature-polishing	fact-preserving revision, change summary
Simulated peer review or pre-submission audit	13_simulated_review_rebuttal, 11_integrity_reproducibility_guard	nature-reviewer or peer-review	concern ledger, simulated review
Reviewer response, rebuttal, revision letter	13_simulated_review_rebuttal	nature-response	response matrix, exact change pointers
Data/code availability	21_research_delivery_and_presentation, 11_integrity_reproducibility_guard	nature-data	asset-to-access map, availability statement, FAIR audit
Submission package, paper-to-PPT, defense	21_research_delivery_and_presentation	nature-paper2ppt for paper-to-PPT	package checklist, presentation brief, rendered artifact QA
Venue policy or article-type fit	05_venue_intelligence	provider selected by venue and artifact	current official requirements
Undergraduate thesis requirements and evidence	04_requirement_discovery, 14_undergraduate_thesis_engine	optional artifact provider by deliverable	requirement log, scope ladder, graduation evidence map
External discovery, installation, or provider evaluation	03_external_skill_gateway, 17_external_skill_acceptance_tests	skill curator/installer only when authorized	candidate report, acceptance tests, isolated output

Combine routes when the request spans capabilities. Do not load every module merely because the project is large.

Provider Interface

capability_registry.yaml defines each capability's preferred providers, selection conditions, companion requirements, normalized input/output contract, internal fallback, and acceptance criteria.

python scripts/resolve_capability.py --list
python scripts/resolve_capability.py research_ideation --json
python scripts/resolve_capability.py scientific_visualization --tag nature --json

If an installed provider is selected, read that provider's full SKILL.md and its required workflow resources. Use its detailed domain, layout, formatting, and QA standards. Do not reduce it to the short registry description. If it is unavailable, incomplete, unsafe, incompatible, or fails acceptance, use the internal baseline and report the limitation. Never install an unknown provider silently.

Resolver usable means eligible for content review, not accepted for execution. It reports accepted=false and unchecked requirements. Use --skill-root for explicit isolated roots or --agent claude for Claude-first discovery; validate runtime requirements and outputs before relying on them.

Use templates/capability_handoff.yaml for multi-capability work so source boundaries, protected facts, permissions, outputs, and unresolved items survive handoffs.

Quality Standards by Capability

Ideation

Generate alternatives independently before convergence, expose assumptions, define falsifiers and minimum viable studies, pressure-test confounding and feasibility, and keep a decision log. An idea stays needs_evidence until nearest-work and feasibility checks are reviewable.

Search and Review

Preserve exact queries, sources, dates, filters, failures, deduplication, inclusion/exclusion decisions, version links, and coverage limits. Distinguish lookup, rapid scan, scoping review, and systematic review. Verify that each citation supports its attached claim.

Study Design and Statistics

Define the unit, sampling or assignment, outcome, estimand, controls, missingness, primary analysis, effect measure, uncertainty, multiplicity, diagnostics, and sensitivity plan. Separate confirmatory from exploratory analysis and make execution reproducible.

Figures and Tables

Define the claim, data source, statistical annotation, final physical size, export format, and accessibility requirements before styling. Inspect rendered output at final size and keep every visual traceable to source data or an explicitly labeled schematic.

Writing and Polishing

Keep drafting distinct from polishing. Freeze numbers, citations, equations, terminology, and claim strength unless evidence authorizes a change. Use current venue and reporting guidance when the target is known, and record unresolved author checks.

Review and Response

Keep reviewer assessment separate from author response. Give substantive concerns stable IDs and evidence pointers. Mark blocking concerns by impact, not tone. Every response maps to evidence, an exact revision, a justified limitation, or an explicit unresolved action.

Delivery

Reconcile manuscript, references, figures, supplementary files, data/code statements, declarations, and rendered artifacts. A paper-to-presentation task produces a real artifact when requested and supported, with figure crops, citations, speaker notes, overflow, and package integrity checked.

Established Project Routes

These remain supported for backward compatibility. Treat them as common compositions, not mandatory sequences.

Research Paper

Start with core/orchestrator/router. Add venue, search, literature, novelty, ROI, study design, experiment, statistics, figures, integrity, writing, review/response, and delivery capabilities only when the stage needs them.

Undergraduate Thesis

Start with requirement discovery, thesis engine, integrity, and writing. Add ideation, search, analysis, figures, and presentation according to verified school/advisor needs. Unknown requirements remain unknown.

Hybrid Capstone Research

First establish a graduation-ready scope and evidence map. Then selectively add literature, novelty, ROI, stronger experiments, statistics, and publication packaging.

Structured Outputs

Use only the artifacts relevant to the task:

• research idea portfolio and assumption register;
• search protocol, screening log, paper reading notes, and literature matrix;
• novelty verification, ROI matrix, and scope ladder;
• statistical analysis plan, data provenance, and experiment matrix;
• figure brief, terminology ledger, claim ledger, and integrity checklist;
• simulated review, rebuttal matrix, submission checklist, and presentation brief;
• requirement discovery log and graduation evidence map.

Stage Gates

Use the smallest relevant gate:

python scripts/check_stage_gate.py <workspace> --gate ideation
python scripts/check_stage_gate.py <workspace> --gate literature
python scripts/check_stage_gate.py <workspace> --gate analysis
python scripts/check_stage_gate.py <workspace> --gate drafting
python scripts/check_stage_gate.py <workspace> --gate submission
python scripts/check_stage_gate.py <workspace> --gate presentation

A blocked gate is a work queue, not permission to fabricate missing fields.

--allow-empty reports structure_valid, never readiness. Completed gates require valid records, evidence dependencies, filled artifacts, and a recorded gate_reviews.<stage> human sign-off. evidence_review_required is not a passing gate. Thesis proposal/midterm/final/defense use verified requirement IDs; non-quantitative analysis may have an explained, reviewed exemption. See docs/EVIDENCE_CONTRACT.md.

Pre-Prose Checks

Before evidence-bearing final prose, run:

python scripts/pre_prose_check.py <workspace>
python scripts/summarize_evidence_status.py <workspace>

Fallback checks:

python scripts/validate_evidence_status.py <workspace>
python scripts/check_claims_before_prose.py <workspace-or-claim-ledger>

If checks fail, produce a blocked-output explanation. Name the unsupported claim, missing source, unresolved analysis, unavailable result, or unknown requirement and state the smallest next action.

Use the canonical contract in schemas/workspace_contract.yaml. Active factual claims require status=supported and evidence_ids resolving to reviewed support records, source/result IDs, exact locators, and available artifacts. Never create a review/sign-off on someone's behalf. These checks validate recorded consistency, not independent scientific truth.

Use output_scope=backlog for claims excluded from the current output, or --section for a bounded check. A claim_kind=limitation|proposal|assumption note can retain status=unknown with strength=low|none; do not relabel a factual result to bypass the gate. The final artifact must preserve these labels. Older workspaces require an explicit preview and backed-up migration; see docs/MIGRATION.md.

External Capabilities

Use an installed or built-in specialist when it materially improves a requested artifact, database workflow, statistical method, figure backend, document format, or presentation. First load modules/03_external_skill_gateway.md and modules/22_capability_provider_router.md; preserve this skill's evidence boundary; pass only the minimum required data; validate the returned artifact with modules/17_external_skill_acceptance_tests.md; and fall back to the internal route when no candidate passes.

Canonical Formats

Markdown, YAML, CSV, source code, and source-native data files are canonical working records. XLSX, DOCX, PDF, PPTX, LaTeX, and HTML are delivery formats when requested or required. A polished export never replaces the underlying evidence and provenance records.

Maintenance Rule

This skill may evolve. Modules, templates, scripts, and routes may be merged, replaced, or removed when observed behavior improves. Preserve the non-negotiable invariants, original capability coverage, evidence statuses, provider interface, and validation gates.