Write Section Skill

When this skill is invoked, follow this structured workflow to write a new section or subsection of a paper.

Examples

• /write-section introduction -- write the introduction
• /write-section "robustness checks" -- write a specific subsection
• /write-section conclusion -- write the conclusion

Input

The user specifies which section to write (by name or description) and any additional instructions.

Workflow

Step 1: Load Context

1. Read the project's CLAUDE.md for paper structure, key claims, terminology, and domain concepts
2. Read .claude/rules/academic-writing.md for style rules and banned words
3. Read .claude/rules/latex-conventions.md for LaTeX formatting, section markers, and figure/table conventions
4. Read the current .tex file(s) to identify what already exists vs. what needs to be written

Step 2: Load Exemplar

Read .claude/exemplars/cochrane_writing_tips.md for foundational writing principles. If the project has its own exemplars (in literature/ or referenced in the project's CLAUDE.md), read those too.

Extract the structural pattern appropriate for the section type:

• Introduction: Punchline first, enumerate contributions, literature after your contribution
• Data / Methods: State approach upfront, define variables precisely, explain identifying assumptions
• Results: Lead with main result, give economic magnitudes, address surprises immediately
• Conclusion: 2 paragraphs maximum, enumerate contributions, no speculation
• Abstract: One sentence per key finding, specific numbers

Step 3: Load Technical References (if needed)

If writing about methodology or formal results:

• Read existing methodology/model sections for notation and definitions
• Use notation consistently with what's already in the paper

Step 4: Draft

Write the section following these rules:

1. First sentence: Concrete finding or claim, no throat-clearing
2. Structure: Follow the appropriate paragraph flow for the section type
3. Voice: Active, present tense for results ("Table 3 shows...")
4. Quantitative claims: Use specific numbers from the project's results
5. Terminology: Follow the project's CLAUDE.md for paper-specific terms
6. LaTeX: Follow .claude/rules/latex-conventions.md conventions
7. Length: Every sentence earns its place
8. Citations: Check all \cite{} keys exist in the .bib file. For any NEW citation, follow the verification protocol in .claude/rules/latex-citations.md. Never cite from memory.

Step 5: Self-Validate

Before presenting the draft, check:

• No banned words (see academic-writing.md Section 1 for full list)
• No throat-clearing opening
• Active voice throughout
• No stacked superlatives
• Specific numbers for quantitative claims
• Project-specific terminology consistent
• No self-praise ("striking", "important contribution", "comprehensive")
• No em-dashes (---) in prose (use commas, semicolons, colons, or parentheses)
• No structural AI tells (see academic-writing.md)
• No hedge words: somewhat, quite, very (intensifier), rather, arguably, perhaps
• No previewing: "as we show below", "we will show", "Recall from"
• Soft-ban words within per-paper limits
• Prefer verbs over nominalizations
• No editorial artifacts: TODO, FIXME, [TBD], [PLACEHOLDER], [??]
• Flag uncertain claims with [HUMAN EDIT REQUIRED: ...]

Step 6: Compile Check (optional)

If requested, verify LaTeX compiles using the paths from canonical local state reported by tools/bootstrap.py audit (or a repo-root compatibility shim if present):

cd {latex_dir} && pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode {file} && bibtex {stem} && pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode {file} && pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode {file}

Output

Present the LaTeX text ready to insert. Include:

1. The section content
2. A brief note on any [HUMAN EDIT REQUIRED] flags
3. Any structural decisions made (and why)