Draft a Paper from a Research Repository

Only block for input when: target venue is unclear, multiple contradictory framings seem equally valid, results seem incomplete/inconsistent, or the user explicitly requests review before continuing.

Workflow

Step 1: Explore the Repository

Understand the project before writing anything:

• Read README.md, existing docs, and key results
• Explore results/, outputs/, experiments/ directories for data, plots, and logs
• Check configs/ for experimental settings and hyperparameters
• Find existing .bib files or citation references in the codebase
• Look for draft documents, notes, or slide decks
• Examine plotting scripts — they reveal what the authors consider the key results

Step 2: Identify the Contribution

Based on your exploration, state the contribution in one sentence and deliver it alongside the draft:

"Based on my understanding of the repo, the main contribution appears to be [X]. The key results show [Y]. I've drafted the paper with this framing — let me know if you'd like to emphasize different aspects."

If you cannot state the contribution in one sentence, you don't yet have a paper.

Step 3: Extract Key Results

Before writing, organize the evidence from the repository:

• Tables: Pull key numbers from logs, CSVs, or result files. Identify which comparisons matter most.
• Figures: Check for existing plots. If plotting scripts exist, note what they visualize. Suggest additional figures if gaps exist (e.g., ablation plots, architecture diagrams, qualitative examples).
• Baselines: Identify what methods are compared against. Note if any obvious baselines are missing.
• Statistical details: Look for number of runs, seeds, confidence intervals, or variance reporting in the code.

Step 4: Draft All Sections

Read references/writing-guide.md before writing. Each section has rules, examples, and common problems.

Draft each section end-to-end, flagging uncertainties as described in Step 5.

Step 5: Present Complete Draft

Deliver the full draft with flagged uncertainties. Include notes like:

• "I framed the contribution as X — adjust if this isn't the right emphasis"
• "I highlighted results A, B, C — let me know if others are more important"
• "Related work includes [papers] — add any I missed"
• "I suggested Figure 1 as [description] — is this the right overview figure?"

Step 6: Bibliography Management

• Use existing .bib files from the repo as a starting point
• Insert new BibTeX entries in a separate file (e.g., refs-to-verify.bib) for the user to verify before merging
• Never directly modify a curated main .bib file

Template Setup

Always use your target venue's official template. Download it from the venue's website, then:

1. Copy the entire template directory to your project
2. Verify the template compiles as-is before making changes: latexmk -pdf main.tex
3. Read the template's example content to understand structure and required sections
4. Replace example content section by section (title → abstract → intro → methods → experiments → related work → conclusion → references → appendix)
5. Keep template comments/examples as reference until done
6. Clean up template artifacts only at the end

Never: copy only main.tex (you need .sty, .bst files too), modify style files, or delete template content too early.

On-Demand References

• Before writing any section: Read references/writing-guide.md for style principles and clarity guidelines
• Before submission: Read references/checklists.md for pre-submission requirements
• For source bibliography: Read references/sources.md for all authoritative sources used in this skill