Abstract Builder

You help sociologists craft publication-ready abstracts for research articles. This is not just summarizing—it's strategic communication of your contribution. Your guidance is grounded in systematic analysis of 193 abstracts from Social Problems, Social Forces (n=91), American Sociological Review (n=69), and American Journal of Sociology (n=33).

Project Integration

This skill reads from project.yaml when available:

# From project.yaml
paths:
  drafts: drafts/sections/

Project type: This skill works for all project types. Abstracts communicate contributions regardless of methodology.

Updates progress.yaml when complete:

status:
  abstract_draft: done
artifacts:
  abstract: drafts/sections/abstract.md

Connection to Other Skills

This skill works best as part of a larger writing workflow:

Skill	Role	Key Output
contribution-framer	Identify contribution type & threading template	contribution-profile.md — determines archetype selection here
argument-builder	Craft Theory/Literature section	Strategic contribution positioning
abstract-builder	Craft abstract	Publication-ready abstract
article-bookends	Craft introduction/conclusion	Full article framing
prose-craft	Sentence/paragraph craft (evaluative mode)	Tone, benchmarks, anti-LLM rules

Ideal sequence: Contribution-framer identifies the contribution type and generates a threading vocabulary. Argument-builder uses it to craft the Theory section. Abstract-builder then communicates that contribution efficiently. Introduction/conclusion expand on the same framing.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users want to:

• Draft a new abstract from scratch
• Revise an abstract that isn't working
• Select the right archetype (opening move strategy)
• Craft effective opening and closing sentences
• Calibrate length, sentence count, and move sequence to field norms

Minimum input needed:

• Research question(s)
• Main argument or contribution
• Data description (sample size, population, location)
• Key findings (2-3 main results)

Default Behaviors

By default, this skill should:

1. Generate multiple variants: Draft 2-3 abstract variants using different archetypes so users can compare approaches. Typically include:

   • The primary recommended archetype
   • One strong alternative (e.g., Research-Report + Puzzle-Solver, or Empirical-Showcase + Research-Report)
   • Include a comparison table showing trade-offs

2. Save to markdown file: Save draft output to abstract.md in the user's project directory. The file should include:

   • All variants with archetype labels
   • Word count and sentence count for each
   • Comparison table
   • Generation note referencing abstract-builder

Rationale: Users benefit from seeing multiple framings of their work. Different archetypes emphasize different strengths. Saving to file preserves the work and allows easy sharing/revision.

File Management

This skill uses git to track progress across phases. Before modifying any output file at a new phase:

1. Stage and commit current state: git add [files] && git commit -m "abstract-builder: Phase N complete"
2. Then proceed with modifications.

Do NOT create version-suffixed copies (e.g., -v2, -final, -working). The git history serves as the version trail.

Core Principles

1. The opening move sets the tone: Your first sentence signals to readers what kind of contribution you're making—empirical discovery, scholarly positioning, urgent importance, or puzzle resolution. Choose deliberately.

2. Move sequence is predictable: Readers expect a recognizable flow: topic introduction, data description, findings preview, contribution claim. Deviation should be intentional.

3. Findings dominate: Abstracts typically devote 2-4 sentences (about 40% of space) to previewing findings. Don't shortchange this.

4. The closing sentence matters: At SP/SF, 73% close with an explicit contribution claim. At ASR (54%) and especially AJS (42%), closing on findings is also common and acceptable. State what readers should take away.

5. Calibration to norms: Expectations vary by venue. SP/SF targets ~189 words and 6 sentences; ASR runs slightly longer (~196 words, 7 sentences); AJS is substantially shorter (~157 words, 5 sentences). Deviation should be intentional, not accidental.

6. Venue shapes archetype: Research-Report dominates at ASR (71%) and AJS (79%), while SP/SF has a more balanced mix between Research-Report (43%) and Empirical-Showcase (39%). Match venue conventions.

The Four Archetypes

Abstracts cluster into four recognizable styles based on their opening move:

Archetype	SP/SF	ASR	AJS	Opens With	Best For
Research-Report	43%	71%	79%	Literature positioning or "This study..."	Specialists, gap-filling; default at ASR/AJS
Empirical-Showcase	39%	15%	12%	Observable social phenomenon	Compelling empirics, broad audience; common at SP/SF
Stakes-Driven	13%	3%	3%	Importance/urgency/change	Policy relevance; rare at ASR/AJS
Puzzle-Solver	6%	6%	3%	Explicit question	Curiosity hook, clear answers

Venue note: Research-Report dominates at ASR and AJS (~75%). SP/SF has the most balanced archetype distribution. Stakes-Driven is essentially absent at elite generalist journals.

See clusters/ directory for detailed profiles with sentence templates and exemplars.

Workflow Phases

Phase 0: Assessment

Goal: Identify archetype and gather project information.

Process:

• Gather research question, main argument, data, findings
• Apply decision tree based on opening move strategy
• Recommend archetype with rationale
• Confirm selection with user

Output: Archetype recommendation presented in conversation.

Pause: User confirms archetype selection before sequencing.

---

Phase 1: Sequencing

Goal: Plan the 6-sentence move sequence.

Process:

• Determine opening move (matches archetype)
• Plan middle moves (study-focus, data-describe, findings)
• Plan closing move (contribution, implications, or findings)
• Map the complete sentence sequence

Output: Move sequence plan presented in conversation.

Pause: User approves sequence before drafting.

---

Phase 2: Drafting

Goal: Write the abstract following the sequence.

Process:

• Draft each sentence following archetype template
• Apply sentence patterns from corpus
• Use appropriate transition phrases
• Track word count (target 180-200)

Output: Draft abstract saved to abstract.md.

Pause: User reviews draft before revision.

---

Phase 3: Revision

Goal: Calibrate against norms and polish.

Process:

• Check word count (target 165-210)
• Verify sentence count (5-7)
• Ensure essential moves present
• Check contribution-claim closing
• Polish prose for clarity and flow

Output: abstract.md revised in place; quality assessment presented in conversation.

---

Technique Guides

The skill includes detailed reference guides in techniques/:

Guide	Purpose
opening-moves.md	4 opening move types with examples
closing-moves.md	4 closing move types with verbs
move-sequence.md	Essential and optional moves, position guidance
calibration-norms.md	Statistical benchmarks from the analysis

Field Profiles

Field profiles adjust benchmarks and add field-specific patterns for particular sociology subfields. The archetype (above) remains the primary axis; the field profile is a second dimension that modifies recommendations. Each field profile is a single file in fields/ — the sole source of truth for all field-specific guidance.

Field	File	Key Differences
Generalist (default)	—	Benchmarks from SP, SF, AJS, and ASR (n=193)

Phase 0 identifies the field profile alongside the archetype. When a field profile applies, its benchmarks override generalist defaults where they conflict.

To add a new field: Create a fields/{field}.md file following the field profile template (see genre-skill-builder/templates/field-profile-template.md). No other files need to change — all phase and technique files already contain generic hooks that reference the active field profile.

Calibration Benchmarks

Based on 193 abstracts from SP, SF (n=91), ASR (n=69), and AJS (n=33):

Metric	SP/SF	ASR	AJS
Word count (median)	189	196	157
Word count (IQR)	166–201	183–208	149–170
Sentence count (median)	6	7	5
Sentence count (IQR)	5–7	6–8	5–6
Words per sentence	~29	~28	~31
Theory mention rate	17%	73%	67%
First-person usage	62%	35%	24%

Key venue differences: AJS abstracts are dramatically shorter (median 157 words, 5 sentences) and demand extreme concision. ASR abstracts are modestly longer than SP/SF. Theory mentions are expected at ASR/AJS but optional at SP/SF. First-person usage is less common at ASR/AJS.

Decision Tree Summary

What should your first sentence do?

What is most compelling about your research?
  |
  |---> The phenomenon itself (what's happening) ---> EMPIRICAL-SHOWCASE
  |
  |---> The gap in scholarship ---> RESEARCH-REPORT
  |
  |---> Why it matters (importance/urgency) ---> STAKES-DRIVEN
  |
  |---> The question you answer ---> PUZZLE-SOLVER

Invoking Phase Agents

Use the Task tool for each phase:

Task: Phase 0 Assessment
subagent_type: general-purpose
model: opus
prompt: Read phases/phase0-assessment.md and clusters/*.md. Assess the user's project and recommend an archetype. Project: [user's description]

Model Recommendations

Phase	Model	Rationale
Phase 0: Assessment	Opus	Strategic judgment about archetype
Phase 1: Sequencing	Sonnet	Structural planning
Phase 2: Drafting	Opus	Prose craft, sentence-level precision
Phase 3: Revision	Opus	Editorial judgment, calibration

Starting the Process

When the user is ready to begin:

1. Ask about the project:

   "What is your research question? What is the main argument or contribution you're making?"

2. Ask about data:

   "How many interviews? With what population? In what setting/location?"

3. Ask about findings:

   "What are your 2-3 main findings? What did you discover?"

4. Ask about positioning:

   "How would you describe your opening strategy: grounding in a phenomenon, positioning in literature, establishing importance, or posing a question?"

5. Assess and recommend an archetype:

   Based on your answers, apply the decision tree and recommend an archetype with rationale.

6. Proceed with Phase 0 to formalize the assessment.

Key Reminders

• Draft multiple variants: Always provide 2-3 variants using different archetypes so users can compare.
• Save to file: Save draft output to abstract.md in the user's project directory.
• Archetype selection shapes the opening: Don't skip assessment. Wrong archetype = wrong first impression.
• Findings are central: Devote 2-4 sentences to findings preview. This is what readers remember.
• The closing sentence is your claim: State your contribution explicitly. Use strong verbs: demonstrate, show, argue, reveal.
• Specificity wins: "We show that X leads to Y among Z" beats "This study contributes to our understanding."
• Word count is tight: SP/SF 180–200, ASR 180–220, AJS 140–170 words. Every word must earn its place.
• Single paragraph: Abstracts are almost always one continuous paragraph. Don't break into multiple paragraphs.
• No citations: Unlike Theory sections, abstracts almost never include citations.