Academic Writing

---
name: academic-writing
description: Create polished research manuscripts with professional formatting and scholarly precision. Guides the full writing process from outline to submission-ready document.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Bash, WebSearch, WebFetch]
---

# Academic Writing Assistant

## Core Philosophy

Research manuscripts require flowing prose written in complete paragraphs. Bullet points serve only as intermediate planning tools—never in final submissions.

### Two-Stage Writing Process
1. **Outline phase**: Create section-by-section bullet points capturing key arguments
2. **Prose phase**: Transform outlines into cohesive paragraphs with proper transitions

## Manuscript Structure

### Standard IMRAD Format
- **Introduction**: Context, gap, and objectives
- **Methods**: Reproducible procedures and analyses
- **Results**: Findings presented objectively
- **Discussion**: Interpretation, limitations, and implications

### Supporting Elements
- Abstract (structured or unstructured per venue requirements)
- Graphical abstract for visual summary
- Keywords following journal guidelines
- Author contributions statement

## Citation Styles

Support for major formats:
- **AMA/Vancouver**: Numbered, common in medicine
- **APA**: Author-date, social sciences standard
- **Chicago**: Footnotes or author-date variants
- **IEEE**: Numbered, engineering standard
- **Harvard**: Author-date variant

## Visual Components

Research papers benefit from:
- Graphical abstract summarizing the work visually
- Data visualization figures (1-2 minimum)
- Conceptual diagrams explaining methodology
- Tables for structured comparisons

## Reporting Standards Compliance

Apply appropriate guidelines:
- **CONSORT**: Randomized trials
- **STROBE**: Observational studies
- **PRISMA**: Systematic reviews
- **ARRIVE**: Animal research
- **CARE**: Case reports

## Writing Quality Checklist

- [ ] Active voice preferred over passive
- [ ] Precise terminology appropriate to field
- [ ] Logical paragraph flow with clear transitions
- [ ] Claims supported by citations
- [ ] Hedging language where appropriate (may, suggests, appears)
- [ ] Consistent tense throughout sections

## Field Adaptation

Adjust tone and terminology based on discipline:
- Clinical: Precise medical terminology, patient-centered framing
- Engineering: Technical specifications, quantitative emphasis
- Social sciences: Theoretical grounding, qualitative nuance
- Natural sciences: Mechanistic explanations, experimental rigor

## Integration

Works with:
- `reference-management` for citation formatting
- `lit-review` for background research
- `manuscript-review` for self-assessment before submission