/paper-self-review

name: paper-self-review
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "review paper quality", "check paper completeness", "validate paper structure", "self-review before submission", "audit claims", "check overclaiming", "verify whether results support claims", or mentions systematic paper quality checking. Provides comprehensive quality assurance checklist for academic papers.
version: 0.1.0

Paper Self-Review

A systematic paper quality checking tool that helps researchers conduct comprehensive self-review before submission.

Core Features

1. Structure Review

Check whether all sections of the paper are complete and conform to academic standards:

• Does the Abstract include problem, method, results, and contributions?
• Does the Introduction clearly articulate research motivation and background?
• Is the Method detailed enough to be reproducible?
• Do the Results sufficiently support the conclusions?
• Does the Discussion address limitations and future work?

2. Logic Consistency Check

Verify the logical coherence of the paper:

• Do research questions match the methodology?
• Does the experimental design support the research hypotheses?
• Are result interpretations reasonable?
• Are conclusions supported by evidence?

3. Citation Completeness

Check the completeness and accuracy of citations:

• Are all citations present in the references?
• Is the reference format consistent?
• Are key related works cited?
• Do citations accurately reflect the original content?

4. Research Claim Audit

Check whether the paper's claims are supported by the available evidence:

• Are the main claims supported by results, citations, or analysis artifacts?
• Are speculative observations clearly marked as tentative?
• Does the paper avoid stronger wording than the evidence allows?
• Are negative results, limitations, and missing baselines presented honestly?
• Do conclusions stay inside the tested scope?

This audit does not replace `results-analysis` for statistics or `citation-verification` for bibliographic verification. It checks whether paper claims correctly use the available evidence.

5. Figure/Table Quality

Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of figures and tables:

• Do all figures/tables have clear titles and captions?
• Do figures/tables support the text narrative?
• Are figures/tables clear and readable?
• Do formats comply with journal/conference requirements?

6. Writing Clarity

Check writing clarity and readability:

• Is the language concise and clear?
• Is technical terminology used appropriately?
• Are sentence structures clear?
• Is paragraph organization logical?

Quality Checklist

Use this checklist for systematic paper self-review:

Paper Quality Checklist:
- [ ] Abstract includes problem, method, results, contributions
- [ ] Introduction clearly states research motivation
- [ ] Method is reproducible
- [ ] Results support conclusions
- [ ] Main claims are supported by named evidence
- [ ] Over-strong claims are weakened or removed
- [ ] Discussion addresses limitations
- [ ] All figures/tables have captions
- [ ] Citations are complete and accurate

When to Use

Use this skill in the following scenarios:

• **Pre-submission check** - Final review before submitting to a journal or conference
• **After first draft** - Systematic review after completing the first draft
• **Before advisor review** - Self-check before requesting advisor feedback to improve quality
• **Post-revision verification** - After revising based on reviewer comments, verify all issues are addressed
• **Collaborator review** - Quality check before sending to collaborators

Review Process

Follow these steps for systematic paper review:

Step 1: Structure Review

Start with the overall structure, checking if all sections are complete and logically coherent.

Step 2: Content Review

Dive into each section, checking content accuracy and completeness.

Step 3: Research Claim Audit

Check whether each major claim is supported by the evidence available in the draft, analysis bundle, citations, or project notes.

Use this output shape:

## Claim Audit

Claim:
Verdict: keep | weaken | revise | remove
Evidence used:
Missing evidence:
Overclaim risk:
Suggested wording:

Step 4: Citation Check

Verify the completeness and accuracy of all citations.

Step 5: Figure/Table Review

Check the quality and captions of all figures and tables.

Step 6: Writing Quality

Review language expression and writing clarity.

Step 7: Final Checklist

Use the quality checklist for final verification.

Best Practices

Review Timing

• **Spaced review** - Wait 1-2 days after completing the draft before reviewing to maintain objectivity
• **Multiple rounds** - Conduct multiple review rounds, focusing on different aspects each time
• **Print review** - Print a hard copy for review; issues are easier to spot on paper

Review Techniques

• **Reverse reading** - Read from conclusion backwards to check logical coherence
• **Read aloud** - Reading the paper aloud helps identify language issues
• **Reviewer perspective** - Assume you are a reviewer and read critically

Common Issues

• Abstract too brief or too verbose
• Introduction lacks clear research question statement
• Method lacks sufficient detail for reproduction
• Results lack statistical significance tests
• Discussion doesn't address research limitations
• Figures/tables lack clear titles and captions
• Inconsistent citation formatting

Summary

The Paper Self-Review skill provides a systematic paper quality checking process, helping researchers identify and resolve issues before submission, improving paper quality and acceptance rates.

Reference Files

Load only what is needed:

• `references/SECTION-CHECKLIST.md` - section-by-section review questions
• `references/FINAL-VERDICT.md` - how to summarize submission readiness and blocking issues
• `examples/example-self-rev