Nature-Style Academic Polishing

Use this skill to improve scientific writing at two levels:

```
main strategy
```
: paper architecture, section logic, reader workflow, evidence thresholds, and ethics
```
reference support
```
: reusable phrase families, move patterns, transitions, and style checks

The main strategy should come from the course notes in

Chapter1-Week1-7

. The reference wording layer should come from

Academic Phrasebank

Default stance

Language serves argument. Do not polish sentences while leaving the reasoning broken.
Write with empathy for the reader: relevance first, then novelty, then trust, then reuse, then meaning.
There should be no mystery for the writer, but there may be one for the reader.
Do not invent data, references, mechanisms, or novelty claims.
Do not let AI draft the paper's core scientific argument from scratch.
If the draft is Chinese or structurally rough, reconstruct the logic first and the prose second.

When to open extra files

These files are reference support. Use them after the section's rhetorical job is clear.

File	Open when
references/section-moves.md	You need section-specific move orders or phrase patterns derived from Academic Phrasebank
references/phrasebank-playbook.md	You need hedging, transition, evidence, limitation, or future-work phrase families
references/style-guardrails.md	You need academic-style checks, paragraph/sentence checks, article use, register, or mechanics

Core architecture

1. Identify the paper type first

Before editing, determine what kind of paper or section this is.

```
Research paper
```
: the reader asks why the phenomenon matters, what was done, what was found, and what it means.
```
Methods paper
```
: the reader asks whether the method works, whether it is reproducible, and whether it is better under a fair comparison.
```
Hypothesis-based work
```
: the argument tries to establish or rule out a causal explanation.
```
Algorithmic or device work
```
: the argument proposes a procedure, tool, or system and must show that it performs reliably and advantageously.

Do not use one narrative logic for all paper types.

2. Write for the reader, not for the draft chronology

Most readers follow a stable sequence:

Is this relevant to me?
What is new here?
Do I trust it?
Can I reuse it?
What does it mean, and where are the boundaries?

Polishing should help the paper answer these questions in this order.

3. Use the hourglass structure

Strong papers often mirror an hourglass:

```
Introduction
```
: open broadly, then narrow to the specific gap, question, hypothesis, methods, and study
```
Discussion/Conclusion
```
: widen again, connecting the findings back to the literature and explaining how the knowledge gap was filled

If a paragraph or section violates this architecture, rebuild it before polishing wording.

4. Use the correct writing order

For a research article, a productive writing order is:

Results
Introduction and Conclusion
Title
Discussion
Materials and Methods
Authors
Abstract

For a methods paper, a productive writing order often begins with:

Methods
Results
Introduction
Conclusion
Discussion
Abstract

The skill should follow the logic of evidence and argument, not the raw order in which the user drafted sentences.

5. Protect the core argument

The paper's core argument includes:

the scientific question the paper actually answers
why that question matters
how the work differs from existing research
what the results imply
how the main line of reasoning unfolds

AI may help polish, structure, or compare phrasings. AI should not invent or author the core argument. If the argument is weak or unclear, expose that weakness rather than hiding it under polished language.

6. Diagnose the failure mode before editing

Before rewriting, identify the main problem:

wrong paper type logic
missing gap or poor positioning
claim without evidence
evidence without a clear claim
missing boundary or limitation
Results and Discussion mixed together
weak title or abstract signal
sentence-level clutter only

Prioritize in this order:

paper type -> section job -> paragraph logic -> claim/evidence/boundary -> sentence polish

Section responsibilities

Introduction

The Introduction should:

tell the reader why the work matters
explain what gap it fills
explain why that gap matters
state what is already known
state what remains unresolved
state what question the paper asks
indicate how the study addresses it

Do not summarize the Results section here. Do not summarize the Conclusion here.

Results

Results are a summary of the data collected to address the problem stated in the Introduction.

Results writing should:

stay mainly in past tense
report what was observed, under what conditions, and with what quantitative support
use statistics correctly and sparingly
use supplementary data sparingly

Results should answer

what happened

, not

what it ultimately means

Discussion

Discussion should answer:

how the work fits within the broader field
what has been added to understanding
who should be credited for earlier work
whether the findings support, complicate, or revise earlier results
how the findings are interpreted
when that interpretation may fail

Short rule:

```
Results = what we observed
```

Discussion = how we understand it, and when it may fail

Conclusion

Use the three-part close:

restate the central contribution
summarize the key evidence or outcome
state the implication with a boundary

Do not introduce new data in the conclusion. Always run an overclaim check here.

Title

A strong title should:

tell the reader what to expect
avoid unnecessary technical language
be easy to search
be substantiated by data
create curiosity without sacrificing credibility

Use

curiosity with credibility

, not empty cleverness. A hook is only acceptable if the claim remains fully defensible.

Materials and Methods

Methods should be specific, complete, transparent, and reproducible.

Another group should be able to determine:

whether the work conforms to ethical norms
what materials and conditions were used
which key parameters, controls, and replicates were used
how data were processed and analysed
which statistical tests and software versions were used

It is acceptable to abbreviate by citing an earlier report only when that report truly contains the necessary detail.

Never leave vague phrases such as:

```
under standard conditions
```
```
using routine methods
```
```
data were analyzed statistically
```
```
differences were significant
```
```
samples were randomly assigned
```
```
the method was validated
```

Replace them with the actual reproducible information.

Methods-paper variant

In a methods paper, the Results section must show the advantages of the method over existing methods. Typical questions are:

Is it more reliable?
Is it faster?
Does it require fewer resources?
Is the comparison fair and reproducible?

The Methods section in a methods paper may need additional detail such as:

axioms, conditions, and assumptions
hardware and software environment
mathematical derivations
evaluation protocol
datasets, baselines, metrics, splits, and hyperparameters

Abstract

The abstract is a mini-paper:

context/problem -> gap/objective -> approach -> key results -> implication

It should answer:

What question was addressed?
How was it addressed?
What was found?
Why should anyone care?

Some journals require a strict abstract format. Follow the journal if it conflicts with the generic pattern.

Sentence and paragraph control

Sentence rules

Keep every sentence at
```
<= 30
```
words.
If any sentence exceeds
```
20
```
words, check whether it contains more than one main proposition.
Split overloaded sentences rather than polishing them cosmetically.
The last sentence of a paragraph often becomes the longest and weakest. Check it explicitly.
Prefer one core subject-verb proposition per sentence.

Paragraph rules

Each paragraph should have one controlling idea followed by support.
Supporting material may include data, comparison, explanation, consequence, literature, or limitation.
If a new idea appears, start a new paragraph instead of stacking it onto the old one.
Use thematic linking, not repetitive
```
This suggests ...
```
openings.

Results vs Discussion sentence types

Results sentences usually report:

```
was detected
```
```
increased
```
```
showed
```
```
enabled
```
```
achieved
```

Discussion sentences usually interpret:

```
may reflect
```
```
suggests that
```
```
could indicate
```
```
is likely due to
```
```
may facilitate
```

Do not let a Results paragraph drift into Discussion syntax unless the transition is intentional.

Chinese-to-English mode

When the source is Chinese or strongly Chinese-influenced English:

extract the core propositions first
do not translate clause-by-clause mechanically
reconstruct explicit logical links: contrast, cause, implication, limitation
verify terminology, causality, hedging, and disciplinary nuance
keep key technical terms stable

Citation, ethics, and AI boundaries

Intellectual debt

Originality is usually an amendment, combination, or extension of prior knowledge. A careful writer acknowledges that debt openly.

Do not minimize others' contributions just to make the present work seem more original.

Position attribution clearly

Make it obvious:

how the paper builds on prior work
who was responsible for the earlier idea, method, data, or interpretation
where the reader can locate the source

Cite the source you actually read and verified

Cite paper
```
A
```
for
```
A
```
's own data, methods, claims, or conclusions.
Cite paper
```
B
```
for
```
B
```
's interpretation, comparison, critique, or commentary on
```
A
```
.
Avoid leaning on secondary sources when the source article can be cited directly.

What needs citation

someone else's ideas
data
methods
wording
structure
images
distinctive interpretation

Do not assume internet material is public domain just because it is online.

Proofreading checks

Always verify:

grammatical errors
typographical errors
figure numbering
missing citations
whether the paper is a pleasure or an ordeal to read

AI traffic-light boundary

Green

: generally acceptable with author verification

improve grammar, clarity, concision, or tone
generate outline options or paragraph structures
produce alternative titles or abstract phrasings
summarize literature for categorization, not as a substitute for reading
translate with terminology and hedging checks

Yellow

: allowed only with strong human control

explain methods or results for wording support
draft reviewer-response frameworks that are then checked line by line
help with code or statistics explanations only if outputs are reproduced and validated

Red

: generally inappropriate

ask AI to draft the paper's core argument from scratch
insert AI-generated references, data, or claims without checking them
upload unpublished manuscripts, sensitive data, or peer-review material to public models
use AI to fabricate, manipulate, or conceal substantive image creation

The main danger is not that AI cannot write. The main danger is that it can write incorrectly with great confidence.

Output format

Default output:

The polished text as plain prose, not in a code block.
```
Revision notes:
```
with
```
3-5
```
short bullets on the major structural and stylistic changes.
If the rewrite changed section logic, say so explicitly.

If the user asks for side-by-side revision, provide:

```
Original
```
```
Polished
```
```
Why changed
```

nature-polishing

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content