nature-polishing

SKILL.md

Nature-Style Academic Polishing

Use this skill to improve scientific writing at two levels:

main strategy: paper architecture, published-article patterns, 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 and
the curated article-pattern reference. The 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.

Avoid em dashes in polished output by default. Prefer commas, parentheses, or full stops. Use colons sparingly unless the user explicitly asks to preserve dash-based punctuation or wants a colon-led style.

When to open extra files

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

File
Open when

references/published-article-patterns.md
You need Nature/Nature Communications article-level writing patterns for abstracts, introductions, Results, Discussion, conclusions, or titles

references/writing-strategy.md
You need paragraph- or section-level argument repair before sentence polishing

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.

For article-level rewrites, especially abstracts, introductions, Results openings,
Discussion paragraphs, conclusions, and titles, also apply the writing patterns in
references/published-article-patterns.md.

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

In polished prose, aim for sentences in the 10-30 word range.

Keep every sentence at <= 30 words.

Do not produce full sentences under 10 words unless the user explicitly asks for terse style or the item is a heading, label, or fixed technical expression.

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.

Do not use em dashes as prose punctuation in the polished version unless the user explicitly requests them. Rewrite with commas, parentheses, or shorter sentences instead. Use colons only when they add clear structural value.

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