Paper Audit Skill v2.0

Unified academic paper auditing across formats (LaTeX, Typst, PDF) and languages (English, Chinese). Runs automated checks, computes dimension scores, and optionally dispatches multi-perspective review agents.

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Capability Summary

• Run automated paper checks across .tex, .typ, and .pdf inputs.
• Produce self-check, peer-review, gate, polish, and re-audit outputs with explicit severity and priority labels.
• Combine script findings, venue-specific checklist items, and optional agent synthesis into one report flow.
• Reuse sibling writing-skill scripts for LaTeX and Typst inputs instead of re-implementing duplicate checks.

Triggering

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• run a pre-submission readiness audit
• simulate a reviewer-style critique
• make a pass/fail submission gate decision
• compare a revised paper against a previous audit
• audit a PDF when the source format is unavailable

Trigger it even when the user only says “check my paper”, “review this submission”, “is this ready to submit?”, or “re-audit against the old report”.

Do Not Use

• fixing the paper source as the first step when the project still fails to compile badly
• full literature research or survey drafting
• writing a paper from scratch
• template-specific LaTeX or Typst editing when the user wants direct source surgery instead of an audit report

Critical Rules

• NEVER modify \cite{}, \ref{}, \label{}, math environments, or any content listed in $SKILL_DIR/references/FORBIDDEN_TERMS.md
• NEVER fabricate bibliography entries; only verify existing .bib or .yml files
• NEVER change domain terminology without explicit user confirmation
• ALWAYS distinguish [Script] (automated) findings from [LLM] (agent judgment) assessments in output
• All dimension scores from scripts are indicators, not definitive judgments

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Mode Selection Guide

Mode	When to Use	Output	Speed
self-check	Pre-submission readiness check	Scores + issues + checklist	~30s
review	Simulate multi-perspective peer review	Agent review reports + synthesis + revision roadmap	~2min
gate	CI/CD quality gate, binary pass/fail	PASS/FAIL verdict + blocking issues	~15s
polish	Expression refinement via agents	Precheck JSON + Critic/Mentor agent dispatch	~1min+
re-audit	Verify revisions against prior report	Verification checklist + new issues + score delta	~1min

Mode Selection Logic

"Check my paper"                         -> self-check
"Review my paper" / "peer review"        -> review
"Is this ready to submit?"               -> gate
"Polish the writing"                     -> polish
"Did I fix the issues?" / "re-check"     -> re-audit

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Steps

All Modes (Common)

1. Parse $ARGUMENTS for file path and mode. If missing, ask the user for the target .tex, .typ, or .pdf file.
2. Read $SKILL_DIR/references/REVIEW_CRITERIA.md for scoring framework.
3. Read $SKILL_DIR/references/CHECKLIST.md for universal + venue-specific checklist items.
4. Run the orchestrator: uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" $ARGUMENTS.
5. Present the Markdown report directly to the user.

Self-Check Mode

6. Review scores and highlight any Critical/P0 issues that block submission.
7. If --scholar-eval is present, read $SKILL_DIR/references/SCHOLAR_EVAL_GUIDE.md and formulate LLM assessments for Novelty, Significance, Ethics, and Reproducibility. Provide as --llm-json on a second run.

Review Mode (Multi-Perspective)

6. Read $SKILL_DIR/references/SCHOLAR_EVAL_GUIDE.md for LLM assessment dimensions.
7. Read $SKILL_DIR/references/quality_rubrics.md for scoring anchors and decision mapping.
8. Phase 0 (automated): The script output provides automated findings and scores.
9. Phase 1 (agents): For each agent in $SKILL_DIR/agents/:
   • Read the agent definition file for persona and protocol.
   • Dispatch a Task with: agent definition + paper content + Phase 0 results as context.
   • Agents: methodology_reviewer_agent.md, domain_reviewer_agent.md, critical_reviewer_agent.md.
10. Phase 2 (synthesis): Read $SKILL_DIR/agents/synthesis_agent.md and dispatch a Task to consolidate all reviews.
    • Input: Phase 0 automated results + Phase 1 agent reviews.
    • Output: Consensus classification, merged scores, final review report, revision roadmap.
11. Read $SKILL_DIR/templates/review_report_template.md for output structure.
12. Present synthesized report following the template format.

Gate Mode

6. Report PASS or FAIL based on: zero Critical issues AND all checklist items pass.
7. List blocking issues (Critical only) and failed checklist items.

Polish Mode

6. Read .polish-state/precheck.json generated by the script.
7. If blockers detected, report them and ask user to resolve before polishing.
8. Read $SKILL_DIR/references/POLISH_GUIDE.md for style targets and critic protocol.
9. Spawn nested tasks for the Critic Agent and Mentor Agents as defined in the polish workflow.

Re-Audit Mode

6. Requires --previous-report PATH pointing to a prior audit report.
7. Script runs fresh checks and compares against previous findings.
8. Present verification checklist: each prior issue classified as FULLY_ADDRESSED / PARTIALLY_ADDRESSED / NOT_ADDRESSED.
9. Report any NEW issues introduced during revision.
10. Show score comparison (before vs after).

Required Inputs

• A target .tex, .typ, or .pdf file.
• An audit mode, or enough intent to infer one from the mode-selection guide.
• Optional venue or journal context when the checklist should be venue-specific.
• Optional --previous-report PATH for re-audit.

If the user omits the mode, infer it using the selection guide and state the assumption before running the audit.

Output Contract

• Always return a report, not raw script output.
• Keep [Script] and [LLM] findings visibly separated.
• Include the selected mode, target file, and venue context near the top of the report.
• For blocking failures, list the exact blocking issue(s) and failed checklist items first.
• When a script or nested agent step fails, report the command, exit code, and what coverage was skipped.
• Preserve the source; this skill audits and synthesizes, it does not rewrite the paper by default.

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Venue-Specific Behavior

When --venue (or --journal) is specified, the audit adds venue-specific checks:

Venue	Key Rules
neurips	9-page limit, broader impact statement, paper checklist, double-blind
iclr	10-page limit, reproducibility statement, double-blind
icml	8-page limit, impact statement, 50MB supplementary limit
ieee	Abstract <=250 words, 3-5 keywords, >=300 DPI figures
acm	CCS concepts required, acmart class, rights management
thesis-zh	GB/T 7714-2015 bibliography, bilingual abstract, university template

Without --venue, only universal checklist items apply.

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Output Protocol

Issue Format

[Severity: Critical|Major|Minor] [Priority: P0|P1|P2]: message (Line N)

Severity Definitions

Severity	Impact	Score Deduction (4-dim)
Critical	Blocks submission	-1.5 per issue
Major	Significant quality concern	-0.75 per issue
Minor	Style/formatting improvement	-0.25 per issue

Source Labeling

• [Script] — Automated check result (objective, reproducible)
• [LLM] — Agent/LLM judgment (subjective, evidence-based)

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Scoring Systems

4-Dimension Score (1.0-6.0, base 6.0 with deductions)

Dimension	Weight	Primary Checks
Quality	30%	logic, bib, gbt7714
Clarity	30%	format, grammar, sentences, consistency, references, visual, figures
Significance	20%	logic, checklist
Originality	20%	deai, checklist

8-Dimension ScholarEval (1.0-10.0, optional via --scholar-eval)

Dimension	Weight	Source
Soundness	20%	Script
Clarity	15%	Script
Presentation	10%	Script
Novelty	15%	LLM
Significance	15%	LLM
Reproducibility	10%	Mixed
Ethics	5%	LLM
Overall	10%	Computed

See $SKILL_DIR/references/quality_rubrics.md for score-level descriptors and decision mapping.

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Integration with Sibling Skills

Paper-audit reuses check scripts from sibling skills via format-based routing:

Format	Script Source	Checks Available
.tex (English)	latex-paper-en/scripts/	format, grammar, logic, sentences, deai, bib, figures
.tex (Chinese)	latex-thesis-zh/scripts/ (primary), latex-paper-en/scripts/ (fallback)	+ consistency, gbt7714
.typ	typst-paper/scripts/	format, grammar, logic, sentences, deai
.pdf	paper-audit/scripts/ only	visual, pdf_parser (no format/bib/figures checks)

Scripts that live in paper-audit itself: audit.py, check_references.py, visual_check.py, pdf_parser.py, detect_language.py, parsers.py, report_generator.py, scholar_eval.py.

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Agent References

Agent	Definition File	Role
Methodology Reviewer	$SKILL_DIR/agents/methodology_reviewer_agent.md	Research design, statistical rigor, reproducibility
Domain Reviewer	$SKILL_DIR/agents/domain_reviewer_agent.md	Literature coverage, theoretical framework, contribution
Critical Reviewer	$SKILL_DIR/agents/critical_reviewer_agent.md	Core argument challenges, logical fallacies, overclaims
Synthesis Agent	$SKILL_DIR/agents/synthesis_agent.md	Consolidate reviews, consensus classification, revision roadmap

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Reference Files

Reference	Purpose	Used By
references/REVIEW_CRITERIA.md	4-dimension scoring framework	All modes
references/CHECKLIST.md	Universal + venue-specific checklists	self-check, gate
references/SCHOLAR_EVAL_GUIDE.md	8-dimension ScholarEval scoring guide	review (with --scholar-eval)
references/quality_rubrics.md	Score-level descriptors and decision mapping	review, self-check
references/AUDIT_GUIDE.md	User guide for modes and report interpretation	Reference
references/POLISH_GUIDE.md	Style targets and critic/mentor protocol	polish
references/FORBIDDEN_TERMS.md	Protected content (citations, math, terminology)	All modes
references/QUICK_REFERENCE.md	Check support matrix and CLI quick reference	Reference
references/editorial_decision_standards.md	Consensus rules and decision matrix	review (synthesis)

Example Requests

• “Run a self-check on paper.tex and tell me what blocks submission.”
• “Review this paper like a harsh reviewer and give me a revision roadmap.”
• “Is paper.pdf ready to submit to IEEE, or does it fail the gate?”
• “Re-audit this revision against my previous report and tell me which issues are still open.”

Templates

Template	Purpose
templates/audit_report_template.md	Output structure for self-check/gate
templates/review_report_template.md	Output structure for multi-perspective review
templates/revision_roadmap_template.md	Prioritized revision action plan

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Quality Standards

Dimension	Requirement
Evidence-based	Every weakness must cite specific text, line, or section from the paper
Specificity	Avoid vague comments; provide exact locations and concrete suggestions
Balance	Report both strengths and weaknesses; never only criticize
Actionability	Each issue must include a specific improvement suggestion
Source transparency	Always label findings as [Script] or [LLM]
Format consistency	All reports follow the corresponding template structure
Constructive tone	Professional and helpful; avoid dismissive language

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Examples

Self-Check

uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.tex --mode self-check
uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.tex --mode self-check --journal neurips

Review (Multi-Perspective)

uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.tex --mode review --scholar-eval

Then follow Steps 8-12 to dispatch review agents.

Gate (CI/CD)

uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.tex --mode gate --journal ieee --format json

Polish

uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.tex --mode polish

Re-Audit

uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.tex --mode re-audit --previous-report report_v1.md

PDF Input

uv run python -B "$SKILL_DIR/scripts/audit.py" paper.pdf --mode self-check --pdf-mode enhanced

See $SKILL_DIR/examples/ for complete output examples.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
No file path provided	Ask user for a valid .tex, .typ, or .pdf file
Script execution fails	Report the command, exit code, and stderr output
Missing sibling skill scripts	Check that latex-paper-en/scripts/, latex-thesis-zh/scripts/, or typst-paper/scripts/ exist
PDF checks limited	PDF mode skips format/bib/figures checks; only visual and content analysis available
--venue not recognized	Use one of: neurips, iclr, icml, ieee, acm, thesis-zh
ScholarEval LLM dimensions show N/A	Run with --scholar-eval, then provide LLM scores via --llm-json
Re-audit missing previous report	Provide --previous-report PATH pointing to the prior audit output

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Changelog

Version	Date	Changes
2.0	2026-03-11	Full rewrite: venue filtering, multi-perspective review agents, re-audit mode, templates, examples, quality rubrics
1.0	2026-03	Initial version: 4 modes, script-based audit, 4-dim + 8-dim scoring