Academic Paper Writing Skill

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for writing excellent academic and research papers across all disciplines. It covers structure, style, argumentation, and best practices from initial planning through final revision.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when working on:

Research papers and journal articles

Conference papers and proceedings

Technical reports and white papers

Thesis chapters and dissertations

Literature reviews and survey papers

Position papers and perspectives

Quick Start

For immediate guidance, see the task-specific workflows below. For comprehensive reference material, consult:

references/REFERENCE.md

- Complete writing guidelines and best practices

references/STRUCTURE.md

- Detailed templates for different paper types

references/STYLE.md

- Writing style and clarity guidelines

assets/

- Ready-to-use paper templates

Core Workflow

1. Planning Phase

Understand the Requirements

Identify target venue (journal, conference, report)

Check formatting requirements (APA, IEEE, ACM, Chicago, etc.)

Note page limits, section requirements, and citation style

Clarify submission deadlines and review process

Define the Research Question

Formulate a clear, focused research question or hypothesis

Ensure the question is specific, measurable, and answerable

Identify the gap in existing knowledge or practice

State the contribution your work will make

Create an Outline

Draft section headings based on paper type (see Structure section)

Allocate approximate space to each section

Identify key points for each section

Map evidence and references to sections

2. Writing Phase

Follow the Structured Approach

Work section-by-section, not necessarily in order. Many authors write in this sequence:

Methods (clearest, most concrete)

Results (present findings)

Introduction (frame the problem)

Discussion (interpret results)

Conclusion (summarize contributions)

Abstract (last, summarizes everything)

Section-Specific Guidance

Abstract (150-300 words)

State the problem and motivation (1-2 sentences)

Describe your approach/method (1-2 sentences)

Summarize key results (2-3 sentences)

State conclusions and implications (1-2 sentences)

Make it self-contained (no citations, no undefined acronyms)

Introduction

Hook: Why should anyone care? (1 paragraph)

Context: What's the broader problem space? (1-2 paragraphs)

Gap: What's missing in current solutions? (1 paragraph)

Your contribution: What does this paper do? (1 paragraph)

Paper organization: Brief roadmap (optional, 1 paragraph)

Related Work / Literature Review

Group work thematically, not chronologically

Compare and contrast approaches

Identify limitations of existing work

Position your work clearly vs. alternatives

Be fair and accurate (don't strawman competitors)

Methodology / Approach

Describe methods with enough detail for replication

Justify design choices

Define metrics and evaluation criteria

Explain data collection and analysis procedures

Include diagrams for complex processes

Results

Present findings objectively without interpretation

Use tables and figures effectively (see Visualization section)

Report statistical significance where applicable

Address both positive and negative results

Organize by research question or hypothesis

Discussion

Interpret results in context of research questions

Compare with related work

Explain unexpected findings

Acknowledge limitations honestly

Discuss implications for theory and practice

Conclusion

Restate key contributions (1 paragraph)

Summarize main findings (1 paragraph)

Discuss broader implications (1 paragraph)

Suggest future work (1 paragraph)

End with a strong closing statement

3. Refinement Phase

First Revision: Structure and Argument

Does each section serve its purpose?

Is the argument logical and complete?

Are transitions between sections smooth?

Does evidence support all claims?

Are counterarguments addressed?

Second Revision: Clarity and Style

Remove jargon and define technical terms

Eliminate redundancy and wordiness

Use active voice for clarity (prefer "We analyzed" over "Analysis was performed")

Ensure parallel structure in lists

Check paragraph length (aim for 4-8 sentences)

Third Revision: Polish

Check grammar, spelling, punctuation

Verify all citations are formatted correctly

Ensure figures/tables are referenced in text

Number sections, equations, figures consistently

Proofread carefully (reading aloud helps)

Visualization Best Practices

Tables

Use for precise numerical comparisons

Keep simple and readable (avoid excessive gridlines)

Include clear column headers and units

Caption goes above the table

Reference in text before the table appears

Figures

Use for trends, patterns, relationships

Ensure axes are labeled with units

Use readable fonts (at least 10pt in final size)

Caption goes below the figure

Make interpretable in grayscale (avoid color-only distinctions)

General Rules

Every table/figure must be referenced in the text

Each should be self-explanatory with its caption

Number consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)

Place close to first reference when possible

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Structural Issues

❌ Burying the contribution in the middle

✅ State contribution clearly in introduction

❌ Results section that interprets rather than presents

✅ Keep results objective, interpret in discussion

❌ Conclusion that introduces new information

✅ Conclusion only synthesizes existing content

Writing Issues

❌ Passive constructions: "It was found that..."

✅ Active voice: "We found that..."

❌ Hedging excessively: "It seems to possibly suggest..."

✅ Be direct: "The results indicate..."

❌ Undefined acronyms and jargon

✅ Define terms on first use

Citation Issues

❌ Missing citations for claims

✅ Every factual claim needs a source

❌ Over-citing obvious facts

✅ Common knowledge doesn't need citation

❌ Citing without reading (citation padding)

✅ Cite only what you've actually read and verified

Discipline-Specific Considerations

Computer Science / Engineering

Emphasize reproducibility and implementation details

Include complexity analysis where relevant

Provide algorithm pseudocode or code snippets

Compare against state-of-the-art baselines

Make code/data available when possible

Natural Sciences

Follow strict IMRAD structure (Intro, Methods, Results, Discussion)

Report statistical power and effect sizes

Include detailed experimental protocols

Address confounding variables

Report null results honestly

Social Sciences

Contextualize within theoretical frameworks

Justify sampling and participant selection

Report demographic information

Address potential biases

Discuss generalizability limitations

Humanities

Develop clear thesis statement

Support arguments with textual evidence

Engage with scholarly debates

Use close reading and analysis

Contextualize within historical/cultural frameworks

Conversation-First Approach

When helping users write papers, prioritize natural conversation over rapid-fire questions:

Start simple

Ask ONE opening question to understand their situation

"What's your paper about?" (topic/working title)

OR "What stage are you at?" (if they're already focused)

Listen and follow up

Based on their answer, ask the next most relevant question

If they're starting: Ask about target venue or research gap

If they're revising: Ask which section needs work

If they're stuck: Ask what specific challenge they're facing

Build context progressively

Let information emerge naturally through dialogue

Provide targeted help

Focus on their immediate need, not all possible topics

Maintain author voice

Edit to improve, not to rewrite in a different style

Explain recommendations

Help them understand why changes strengthen their paper

Load references as needed

Use reference documents for deeper guidance only when relevant

Using Reference Materials

This skill includes detailed reference materials for deeper guidance:

Load

references/REFERENCE.md

for comprehensive writing guidelines, style guides, and detailed best practices

Load

references/STRUCTURE.md

for complete templates for different paper types (journal article, conference paper, thesis, etc.)

Load

references/STYLE.md

for in-depth guidance on academic writing style, word choice, and clarity

Check

assets/

for ready-to-use templates in various formats

Only load these materials when needed to conserve context. For most tasks, the guidance above is sufficient.

Progressive Enhancement

Basic use

Follow the Core Workflow for writing or revising papers

Intermediate use

Consult reference materials for specific sections or challenges

Advanced use

Use templates from assets/ and customize for specific venues Quality Checklist Before considering a paper complete, verify: Clear research question or contribution stated in introduction All claims supported by evidence or citations Logical flow from section to section Methods sufficiently detailed for replication Results presented objectively Discussion interprets results and addresses limitations All figures/tables referenced in text and have clear captions Citations formatted consistently Abstract accurately summarizes the paper No typos or grammatical errors Meets venue requirements (format, length, style) Examples Example 1: Progressive discovery—starting fresh User: Help me write a research paper. Claude: What's your paper about? (topic, working title, or research question) User: It's about federated learning for edge devices. Claude: Got it—that's a focused topic. Are you at the stage of having completed research and needing to write it up, or are you still planning the work? User: I've done the research and have preliminary results. I just don't know where to start. Claude: Perfect—let me help you structure this. What's your target venue? (e.g., a specific conference, journal, or is this a thesis chapter?) Notice: One question asked, then the next, building naturally from their answers. Example 2: Targeted revision (existing draft) User: My introduction feels weak and I'm not sure why. Claude: I'd like to take a look. Can you share what you have, or tell me what the main challenge is? (e.g., doesn't grab attention, doesn't explain why this work matters, etc.) User: I think I'm not making the research gap clear enough. Here's what I wrote... Claude: [Reads their draft] Looking at your introduction, I see you've identified the problem nicely, but you're right—the gap (what's missing in current solutions) isn't explicit. Here's what I'd suggest... Notice: Start with curiosity about their specific challenge, then provide targeted feedback on the actual content. Example 3: Stuck in the middle User: I have my methods section written, but I'm stuck on results. Claude: What's tripping you up about the results section specifically? (e.g., how to organize findings, whether to include raw data, interpretation vs. presentation, etc.) User: I have a lot of data. I don't know what to include and how to present it so it's not overwhelming. Claude: That's a common challenge. Let me help you think through data selection and visualization... Notice: Rather than lecturing about results sections in general, we drill down into their specific problem first. Tips for Success Writing Process Write regularly in focused sessions (2-3 hours) Don't edit while drafting (separate creation from refinement) Get feedback early and often Read papers in your target venue for style/structure Revision Strategy Take breaks between revision passes Read paper aloud to catch awkward phrasing Get fresh eyes (colleagues, advisors) Use revision checklist systematically Time Management Allocate 40% planning, 30% writing, 30% revision Build in buffer time before deadlines Start with rough drafts, refine iteratively Don't aim for perfection in first draft Remember: All good papers go through multiple revisions. Writing is rewriting. Sources and Credits This skill is based on authoritative academic writing resources: Thatcher, Jason Bennett (2024). "Rules for Writing Elite Information Systems Papers." Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5993034 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5993034 APA Publication Manual (7th Edition) IEEE Editorial Style Manual Academic writing best practices from Ohio University, Duke University, MIT, USC, and UCSD