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+name: scientific-writing
+description: "Write scientific manuscripts. IMRAD structure, citations (APA/AMA/Vancouver), figures/tables, reporting guidelines (CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA), abstracts, for research papers and journal submissions."
+---
+
+# Scientific Writing
+
+## Overview
+
+Scientific writing is a process for communicating research with precision and clarity. Write manuscripts using IMRAD structure, citations (APA/AMA/Vancouver), figures/tables, and reporting guidelines (CONSORT/STROBE/PRISMA). Apply this skill for research papers and journal submissions.
+
+## When to Use This Skill
+
+This skill should be used when:
+- Writing or revising any section of a scientific manuscript (abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion)
+- Structuring a research paper using IMRAD or other standard formats
+- Formatting citations and references in specific styles (APA, AMA, Vancouver, Chicago, IEEE)
+- Creating, formatting, or improving figures, tables, and data visualizations
+- Applying study-specific reporting guidelines (CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies, PRISMA for reviews)
+- Drafting abstracts that meet journal requirements (structured or unstructured)
+- Preparing manuscripts for submission to specific journals
+- Improving writing clarity, conciseness, and precision
+- Ensuring proper use of field-specific terminology and nomenclature
+- Addressing reviewer comments and revising manuscripts
+
+## Core Capabilities
+
+### 1. Manuscript Structure and Organization
+
+**IMRAD Format**: Guide papers through the standard Introduction, Methods, Results, And Discussion structure used across most scientific disciplines. This includes:
+- **Introduction**: Establish research context, identify gaps, state objectives
+- **Methods**: Detail study design, populations, procedures, and analysis approaches
+- **Results**: Present findings objectively without interpretation
+- **Discussion**: Interpret results, acknowledge limitations, propose future directions
+
+For detailed guidance on IMRAD structure, refer to `references/imrad_structure.md`.
+
+**Alternative Structures**: Support discipline-specific formats including:
+- Review articles (narrative, systematic, scoping)
+- Case reports and case series
+- Meta-analyses and pooled analyses
+- Theoretical/modeling papers
+- Methods papers and protocols
+
+### 2. Section-Specific Writing Guidance
+
+**Abstract Composition**: Craft concise, standalone summaries (100-250 words) that capture the paper's purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. Support both structured abstracts (with labeled sections) and unstructured single-paragraph formats.
+
+**Introduction Development**: Build compelling introductions that:
+- Establish the research problem's importance
+- Review relevant literature systematically
+- Identify knowledge gaps or controversies
+- State clear research questions or hypotheses
+- Explain the study's novelty and significance
+
+**Methods Documentation**: Ensure reproducibility through:
+- Detailed participant/sample descriptions
+- Clear procedural documentation
+- Statistical methods with justification
+- Equipment and materials specifications
+- Ethical approval and consent statements
+
+**Results Presentation**: Present findings with:
+- Logical flow from primary to secondary outcomes
+- Integration with figures and tables
+- Statistical significance with effect sizes
+- Objective reporting without interpretation
+
+**Discussion Construction**: Synthesize findings by:
+- Relating results to research questions
+- Comparing with existing literature
+- Acknowledging limitations honestly
+- Proposing mechanistic explanations
+- Suggesting practical implications and future research
+
+### 3. Citation and Reference Management
+
+Apply citation styles correctly across disciplines. For comprehensive style guides, refer to `references/citation_styles.md`.
+
+**Major Citation Styles:**
+- **AMA (American Medical Association)**: Numbered superscript citations, common in medicine
+- **Vancouver**: Numbered citations in square brackets, biomedical standard
+- **APA (American Psychological Association)**: Author-date in-text citations, common in social sciences
+- **Chicago**: Notes-bibliography or author-date, humanities and sciences
+- **IEEE**: Numbered square brackets, engineering and computer science
+
+**Best Practices:**
+- Cite primary sources when possible
+- Include recent literature (last 5-10 years for active fields)
+- Balance citation distribution across introduction and discussion
+- Verify all citations against original sources
+- Use reference management software (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote)
+
+### 4. Figures and Tables
+
+Create effective data visualizations that enhance comprehension. For detailed best practices, refer to `references/figures_tables.md`.
+
+**When to Use Tables vs. Figures:**
+- **Tables**: Precise numerical data, complex datasets, multiple variables requiring exact values
+- **Figures**: Trends, patterns, relationships, comparisons best understood visually
+
+**Design Principles:**
+- Make each table/figure self-explanatory with complete captions
+- Use consistent formatting and terminology across all display items
+- Label all axes, columns, and rows with units
+- Include sample sizes (n) and statistical annotations
+- Follow the "one table/figure per 1000 words" guideline
+- Avoid duplicating information between text, tables, and figures
+
+**Common Figure Types:**
+- Bar graphs: Comparing discrete categories
+- Line graphs: Showing trends over time
+- Scatterplots: Displaying correlations
+- Box plots: Showing distributions and outliers
+- Heatmaps: Visualizing matrices and patterns
+
+### 5. Reporting Guidelines by Study Type
+
+Ensure completeness and transparency by following established reporting standards. For comprehensive guideline details, refer to `references/reporting_guidelines.md`.
+
+**Key Guidelines:**
+- **CONSORT**: Randomized controlled trials
+- **STROBE**: Observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional)
+- **PRISMA**: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
+- **STARD**: Diagnostic accuracy studies
+- **TRIPOD**: Prediction model studies
+- **ARRIVE**: Animal research
+- **CARE**: Case reports
+- **SQUIRE**: Quality improvement studies
+- **SPIRIT**: Study protocols for clinical trials
+- **CHEERS**: Economic evaluations
+
+Each guideline provides checklists ensuring all critical methodological elements are reported.
+
+### 6. Writing Principles and Style
+
+Apply fundamental scientific writing principles. For detailed guidance, refer to `references/writing_principles.md`.
+
+**Clarity**:
+- Use precise, unambiguous language
+- Define technical terms and abbreviations at first use
+- Maintain logical flow within and between paragraphs
+- Use active voice when appropriate for clarity
+
+**Conciseness**:
+- Eliminate redundant words and phrases
+- Favor shorter sentences (15-20 words average)
+- Remove unnecessary qualifiers
+- Respect word limits strictly
+
+**Accuracy**:
+- Report exact values with appropriate precision
+- Use consistent terminology throughout
+- Distinguish between observations and interpretations
+- Acknowledge uncertainty appropriately
+
+**Objectivity**:
+- Present results without bias
+- Avoid overstating findings or implications
+- Acknowledge conflicting evidence
+- Maintain professional, neutral tone
+
+### 7. Journal-Specific Formatting
+
+Adapt manuscripts to journal requirements:
+- Follow author guidelines for structure, length, and format
+- Apply journal-specific citation styles
+- Meet figure/table specifications (resolution, file formats, dimensions)
+- Include required statements (funding, conflicts of interest, data availability, ethical approval)
+- Adhere to word limits for each section
+- Format according to template requirements when provided
+
+### 8. Field-Specific Language and Terminology
+
+Adapt language, terminology, and conventions to match the specific scientific discipline. Each field has established vocabulary, preferred phrasings, and domain-specific conventions that signal expertise and ensure clarity for the target audience.
+
+**Identify Field-Specific Linguistic Conventions:**
+- Review terminology used in recent high-impact papers in the target journal
+- Note field-specific abbreviations, units, and notation systems
+- Identify preferred terms (e.g., "participants" vs. "subjects," "compound" vs. "drug," "specimens" vs. "samples")
+- Observe how methods, organisms, or techniques are typically described
+
+**Biomedical and Clinical Sciences:**
+- Use precise anatomical and clinical terminology (e.g., "myocardial infarction" not "heart attack" in formal writing)
+- Follow standardized disease nomenclature (ICD, DSM, SNOMED-CT)
+- Specify drug names using generic names first, brand names in parentheses if needed
+- Use "patients" for clinical studies, "participants" for community-based research
+- Follow Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS) nomenclature for genetic variants
+- Report lab values with standard units (SI units in most international journals)
+
+**Molecular Biology and Genetics:**
+- Use italics for gene symbols (e.g., *TP53*), regular font for proteins (e.g., p53)
+- Follow species-specific gene nomenclature (uppercase for human: *BRCA1*; sentence case for mouse: *Brca1*)
+- Specify organism names in full at first mention, then use accepted abbreviations (e.g., *Escherichia coli*, then *E. coli*)
+- Use standard genetic notation (e.g., +/+, +/-, -/- for genotypes)
+- Employ established terminology for molecular techniques (e.g., "quantitative PCR" or "qPCR," not "real-time PCR")
+
+**Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences:**
+- Follow IUPAC nomenclature for chemical compounds
+- Use systematic names for novel compounds, common names for well-known substances
+- Specify chemical structures using standard notation (e.g., SMILES, InChI for databases)
+- Report concentrations with appropriate units (mM, μM, nM, or % w/v, v/v)
+- Describe synthesis routes using accepted reaction nomenclature
+- Use terms like "bioavailability," "pharmacokinetics," "IC50" consistently with field definitions
+
+**Ecology and Environmental Sciences:**
+- Use binomial nomenclature for species (italicized: *Homo sapiens*)
+- Specify taxonomic authorities at first species mention when relevant
+- Employ standardized habitat and ecosystem classifications
+- Use consistent terminology for ecological metrics (e.g., "species richness," "Shannon diversity index")
+- Describe sampling methods with field-standard terms (e.g., "transect," "quadrat," "mark-recapture")
+
+**Physics and Engineering:**
+- Follow SI units consistently unless field conventions dictate otherwise
+- Use standard notation for physical quantities (scalars vs. vectors, tensors)
+- Employ established terminology for phenomena (e.g., "quantum entanglement," "laminar flow")
+- Specify equipment with model numbers and manufacturers when relevant
+- Use mathematical notation consistent with field standards (e.g., ℏ for reduced Planck constant)
+
+**Neuroscience:**
+- Use standardized brain region nomenclature (e.g., refer to atlases like Allen Brain Atlas)
+- Specify coordinates for brain regions using established stereotaxic systems
+- Follow conventions for neural terminology (e.g., "action potential" not "spike" in formal writing)
+- Use "neural activity," "neuronal firing," "brain activation" appropriately based on measurement method
+- Describe recording techniques with proper specificity (e.g., "whole-cell patch clamp," "extracellular recording")
+
+**Social and Behavioral Sciences:**
+- Use person-first language when appropriate (e.g., "people with schizophrenia" not "schizophrenics")
+- Employ standardized psychological constructs and validated assessment names
+- Follow APA guidelines for reducing bias in language
+- Specify theoretical frameworks using established terminology
+- Use "participants" rather than "subjects" for human research
+
+**General Principles:**
+
+**Match Audience Expertise:**
+- For specialized journals: Use field-specific terminology freely, define only highly specialized or novel terms
+- For broad-impact journals (e.g., *Nature*, *Science*): Define more technical terms, provide context for specialized concepts
+- For interdisciplinary audiences: Balance precision with accessibility, define terms at first use
+
+**Define Technical Terms Strategically:**
+- Define abbreviations at first use: "messenger RNA (mRNA)"
+- Provide brief explanations for specialized techniques when writing for broader audiences
+- Avoid over-defining terms well-known to the target audience (signals unfamiliarity with field)
+- Create a glossary if numerous specialized terms are unavoidable
+
+**Maintain Consistency:**
+- Use the same term for the same concept throughout (don't alternate between "medication," "drug," and "pharmaceutical")
+- Follow a consistent system for abbreviations (decide on "PCR" or "polymerase chain reaction" after first definition)
+- Apply the same nomenclature system throughout (especially for genes, species, chemicals)
+
+**Avoid Field Mixing Errors:**
+- Don't use clinical terminology for basic science (e.g., don't call mice "patients")
+- Avoid colloquialisms or overly general terms in place of precise field terminology
+- Don't import terminology from adjacent fields without ensuring proper usage
+
+**Verify Terminology Usage:**
+- Consult field-specific style guides and nomenclature resources
+- Check how terms are used in recent papers from the target journal
+- Use domain-specific databases and ontologies (e.g., Gene Ontology, MeSH terms)
+- When uncertain, cite a key reference that establishes terminology
+
+### 9. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
+
+**Top Rejection Reasons:**
+1. Inappropriate, incomplete, or insufficiently described statistics
+2. Over-interpretation of results or unsupported conclusions
+3. Poorly described methods affecting reproducibility
+4. Small, biased, or inappropriate samples
+5. Poor writing quality or difficult-to-follow text
+6. Inadequate literature review or context
+7. Figures and tables that are unclear or poorly designed
+8. Failure to follow reporting guidelines
+
+**Writing Quality Issues:**
+- Mixing tenses inappropriately (use past tense for methods/results, present for established facts)
+- Excessive jargon or undefined acronyms
+- Paragraph breaks that disrupt logical flow
+- Missing transitions between sections
+- Inconsistent notation or terminology
+
+## Workflow for Manuscript Development
+
+**Stage 1: Planning**
+1. Identify target journal and review author guidelines
+2. Determine applicable reporting guideline (CONSORT, STROBE, etc.)
+3. Outline manuscript structure (usually IMRAD)
+4. Plan figures and tables as the backbone of the paper
+
+**Stage 2: Drafting**
+1. Start with figures and tables (the core data story)
+2. Write Methods (often easiest to draft first)
+3. Draft Results (describing figures/tables objectively)
+4. Compose Discussion (interpreting findings)
+5. Write Introduction (setting up the research question)
+6. Craft Abstract (synthesizing the complete story)
+7. Create Title (concise and descriptive)
+
+**Stage 3: Revision**
+1. Check logical flow and "red thread" throughout
+2. Verify consistency in terminology and notation
+3. Ensure figures/tables are self-explanatory
+4. Confirm adherence to reporting guidelines
+5. Verify all citations are accurate and properly formatted
+6. Check word counts for each section
+7. Proofread for grammar, spelling, and clarity
+
+**Stage 4: Final Preparation**
+1. Format according to journal requirements
+2. Prepare supplementary materials
+3. Write cover letter highlighting significance
+4. Complete submission checklists
+5. Gather all required statements and forms
+
+## Integration with Other Scientific Skills
+
+This skill works effectively with:
+- **Data analysis skills**: For generating results to report
+- **Statistical analysis**: For determining appropriate statistical presentations
+- **Literature review skills**: For contextualizing research
+- **Figure creation tools**: For developing publication-quality visualizations
+
+## References
+
+This skill includes comprehensive reference files covering specific aspects of scientific writing:
+
+- `references/imrad_structure.md`: Detailed guide to IMRAD format and section-specific content
+- `references/citation_styles.md`: Complete citation style guides (APA, AMA, Vancouver, Chicago, IEEE)
+- `references/figures_tables.md`: Best practices for creating effective data visualizations
+- `references/reporting_guidelines.md`: Study-specific reporting standards and checklists
+- `references/writing_principles.md`: Core principles of effective scientific communication
+
+Load these references as needed when working on specific aspects of scientific writing.