Paper Outliner Skill

Purpose

Produce high-rigor, structured outlines for research papers and manuscripts that explicitly align claims to evidence, surface missing evidence, suggest figure/table strategies, flag weak sections, and provide a publication readiness checkpoint. Outputs are designed for direct use by Reviewer Mode and for seamless handoff from Statistical Analysis.

Scope

Academic papers, reviews, and reports
Outputs: section breakdowns, outline templates, section notes, Reviewer Exposure Block
Upstream: Statistical Analysis (Paper Claims Block)
Downstream: Reviewer Mode

When to Use

After statistical analysis, during manuscript preparation or collaborative writing

When Not to Use

If study results or research topic are missing, ambiguous, or unreviewed

Required Inputs

Study results or structured research topic (see skills/statistical-analysis/skill.md)
Target journal or format
Paper Claims Block from Statistical Analysis

Optional Inputs

Section emphasis, custom structure, or reporting standards (e.g., IMRAD, PRISMA)
Output format preference (Markdown, table)

Workflow

Parse study results, Paper Claims Block, and target format
Propose outline structure and section breakdowns, aligning claims to evidence and surfacing missing evidence
Suggest figure/table strategy and flag weak sections before drafting
Output structured outline with section notes, Reviewer Exposure Block, and publication readiness checkpoint

Output Contract

Outline (Markdown list or table, with explicit section headers)
Section Notes (purpose, content, rationale, evidence linkage)
Figure/Table Strategy
Reviewer Exposure Block (machine-readable: weak sections, missing evidence, likely reviewer concerns)
Publication Readiness Checkpoint
References Section (placeholder or populated)
Errors (if any)

Quality Checks

Outline is complete, logically structured, and standards-compliant
Claims are explicitly linked to evidence
Missing evidence and weak sections are surfaced
Figure/table strategy is present
Reviewer Exposure Block is present and machine-readable
Output is suitable for direct use by Reviewer Mode skill

Failure Modes

Missing, irrelevant, or unjustified sections
Overly generic, incomplete, or non-actionable outlines
Failure to address journal or reporting standards
Missing Reviewer Exposure Block or evidence linkage

Domain Adaptation Notes

For biomechanics: include methods, sensor details, population notes, and harmonization challenges
For neuroperformance: include cognitive domain sections, task descriptions, and domain-specific reporting needs

Example Invocation Patterns

"Outline a paper on wearable sensor validation in sports (target: IEEE TBME, 2024, Paper Claims Block attached), including Reviewer Exposure Block and figure/table strategy."
"Generate a manuscript outline for cognitive task performance analysis, with explicit claims-to-evidence linkage, section notes, and publication readiness checkpoint."