Immutable. This exact content is served forever at /api/v1/blob/9e0adec9ecfbd7b9.
--- name: summary-academic description: Academic paper summarizer for papers, research articles, and scholarly publications. Structured summaries with citations, thesis, conclusions, methodology, implications, and critical analysis. triggers: summarize this paper, summarize this research, academic summary, /academic-summary, quick academic summary, brief paper summary, /academic-summary quick --- # Academic Paper Summary Use this skill **only for academic papers, research articles, and scholarly publications** (peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, working papers, preprints, dissertations). For non-academic content (news articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts, general web content), use the **summary-general** skill instead. ## Input Handling - **PDF attachments**: Prefer an existing `<basename>_text.md` extract at any size (read the extract, not the PDF). Otherwise check the page count: **4 pages or fewer** read the PDF directly; **more than 4 pages** split with the split-pdf skill into 4-page chunks and read them in a subagent that writes `notes.md`, then read `notes.md` as text in the main thread. Reading a long PDF this way keeps the source out of the main context window and avoids shallow comprehension. When this skill is driven by a parent workflow (for example, a slides pipeline) that feeds pre-extracted text, summarize that text directly; the page gate applies only to the standalone PDF path. - **TXT attachments**: Read the full document before summarizing. - **Web links**: Fetch and extract the article content. - **Pasted text**: Process directly. ## Style Requirements - Write in an **expository style**: explain and inform directly without referencing the source material. - **Never use** phrases like "the author," "the paper," "the article," or "the study argues." - Present information as **factual statements**. - Use only the **explicit section headings** specified below. - Do not introduce any other section headings, subheadings, or labels. - Take an **ideologically neutral position**. - Insert **two blank lines** between each section. - **Define acronyms on first use** as `Term (ACRONYM)`; bare `ACRONYM` thereafter. First use is the first time the acronym appears anywhere in the summary, not per section. Universally recognized acronyms (US, EU, AI, ML, LLM, CEO, GDP, ROI, R&D, and similar) stay bare. Paper-specific acronyms (for example, RCT, GMM, IV, DID, RLHF) are always expanded on first use. ## Length Guidance | Section | Target Length | |---------|---------------| | Key points | 5-15 bullets | | Conclusions | 1-10 conclusions, 3-6 sub-bullets each | | Summary paragraph | 100-300 words (scale with complexity) | | Implications | 3-8 bullets | ## Output Format Structure your response exactly as follows: ### 1. Citation (no heading) Provide a citation in **Chicago Author-Date style**: **Published articles:** `Author's Last Name, First Name. Year. *Title of the Article*. Name of the Publication. Date. URL.` **Preprints (arXiv, SSRN, bioRxiv, etc.):** `Author's Last Name, First Name. Year. *Title of the Article*. Preprint, [Platform Name]. Date. URL.` **Working papers:** `Author's Last Name, First Name. Year. *Title of the Article*. Working Paper, [Institution]. Date. URL.` "Date" is the full publication date after the publication name (for example, "March 3, 2026" for a specific day, "March 2026" for month-level). For 3 or more authors, use: `First Author's Last Name, First Name, et al. ...` ### 2. Thesis (no heading, no label) Write **one sentence** that accurately describes the thesis. **Special cases:** - **Literature reviews**: State "This is a literature review with no single thesis; it synthesizes research on [topic]." - **Meta-analyses**: State the primary research question being analyzed. - **Exploratory studies**: State the central research question. ### 3. Key Points (no heading) Create a detailed bullet-point summary (5-15 bullets): - Use hyphen and space (`- `) for each bullet. - Include main ideas, themes, and quantitative facts. - Eliminate unnecessary language. - Rely exclusively on the provided content. ### 4. Conclusions: List 1-10 key conclusions. Under each (3-6 sub-bullets): - Summarize main ideas and concepts. - Include evaluation methods. - Quantify effects with numerical data. - State implications. - Include verbatim quotes when helpful. - Use sub-bullets with hyphen and space (`- `). ### 5. Population: Describe in paragraph form: - Population sampled or targeted. - Research methodology used. - Time frame covered. **Skip this section entirely** (no heading) if not applicable, such as for: - Theoretical papers. - Literature reviews without original data collection. - Purely conceptual or philosophical works. - Mathematical proofs. ### 6. Implications: List real-world applications using bullet points (3-8 bullets, `- `). ### 7. Concepts: List scientific or economic concepts commonly understood by someone with an undergraduate degree: - Name each concept. - Explain it briefly. - Describe how it relates to the content. **Skip this section entirely** (no heading) if no such concepts exist. ### 8. Issues: List any: - **Factual errors**: State the error and correct information. - **Logical fallacies**: Identify type, analyze, and quote relevant text. - **Strong counterarguments**: Detail alternative viewpoint and quote relevant text. **Skip this section entirely** (no heading) if none exist. ### 9. Summary (no heading) Write a concluding paragraph (100-300 words): - Capture main points and themes. - Use neutral tone with clear, concise language. - Simple, straightforward sentence structure. - No flowery language or empty phrases. - Scale length with complexity of conclusions. ## Output Save the summary as a markdown file: - **Filename:** `<project_name>_summary.md` - **Location:** The project folder (the output directory), never in a subfolder like `TeX/` or `_build/`. - **When invoked by a parent workflow** (for example, a slides pipeline): follow the parent workflow's placement rules instead. `<project_name>` resolves in this order: a name the user specified, otherwise the single source filename without its extension, otherwise the project folder name. ## Final Check Before submitting, verify compliance with: - All style requirements (expository, no source references). - Correct section headings only. - Proper bullet formatting with hyphens. - Two blank lines between sections. - Appropriate citation format (published vs. preprint vs. working paper). - Skipped sections where not applicable. - Output file placed in the project folder with correct `<project_name>_summary.md` naming. --- # Quick Academic Summary Variant **Invoke with**: "quick academic summary", "brief paper summary", or `/academic-summary quick` When a quick summary is requested, provide only: 1. **Citation** (Chicago Author-Date, same format as above). 2. **Thesis** (one sentence; or state it is a literature review or exploratory study). 3. **Key Points** (5-8 bullets maximum). 4. **Summary** (75-150 words). Skip the Conclusions, Population, Implications, Concepts, and Issues sections.