skills/citation-management/SKILL.md
Manage citations systematically throughout the research and writing process.
npx skillsauth add Regtransfers/agency-agents-mcp citation-managementInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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@ Citation Management
@ Overview
Manage citations systematically throughout the research and writing process. This skill provides tools and strategies for searching academic databases (Google Scholar, PubMed), extracting accurate metadata from multiple sources (CrossRef, PubMed, arXiv), validating citation information, and generating properly formatted BibTeX entries.
Critical for maintaining citation accuracy, avoiding reference errors, and ensuring reproducible research. Integrates seamlessly with the literature-review skill for comprehensive research workflows.
@ When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
@ Visual Enhancement with Scientific Schematics
When creating documents with this skill, always consider adding scientific diagrams and schematics to enhance visual communication.
If your document does not already contain schematics or diagrams:
For new documents: Scientific schematics should be generated by default to visually represent key concepts, workflows, architectures, or relationships described in the text.
How to generate schematics:
python scripts/generate_schematic.py "your diagram description" -o figures/output.png
The AI will automatically:
When to add schematics:
For detailed guidance on creating schematics, refer to the scientific-schematics skill documentation.
@ Core Workflow
Citation management follows a systematic process:
@ Phase 1: Paper Discovery and Search
Goal: Find relevant papers using academic search engines.
@ Google Scholar Search
Google Scholar provides the most comprehensive coverage across disciplines.
Basic Search:
# Search for papers on a topic
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "CRISPR gene editing" \
--limit 50 \
--output results.json
# Search with year filter
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "machine learning protein folding" \
--year-start 2020 \
--year-end 2024 \
--limit 100 \
--output ml_proteins.json
Advanced Search Strategies (see references/googlescholarsearch.md):
Best Practices:
@ PubMed Search
PubMed specializes in biomedical and life sciences literature (35+ million citations).
Basic Search:
# Search PubMed
python scripts/search_pubmed.py "Alzheimer's disease treatment" \
--limit 100 \
--output alzheimers.json
# Search with MeSH terms and filters
python scripts/search_pubmed.py \
--query '"Alzheimer Disease"[MeSH] AND "Drug Therapy"[MeSH]' \
--date-start 2020 \
--date-end 2024 \
--publication-types "Clinical Trial,Review" \
--output alzheimers_trials.json
Advanced PubMed Queries (see references/pubmed_search.md):
Best Practices:
@ Phase 2: Metadata Extraction
Goal: Convert paper identifiers (DOI, PMID, arXiv ID) to complete, accurate metadata.
@ Quick DOI to BibTeX Conversion
For single DOIs, use the quick conversion tool:
# Convert single DOI
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2
# Convert multiple DOIs from a file
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py --input dois.txt --output references.bib
# Different output formats
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1038/nature12345 --format json
@ Comprehensive Metadata Extraction
For DOIs, PMIDs, arXiv IDs, or URLs:
# Extract from DOI
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --doi 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2
# Extract from PMID
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --pmid 34265844
# Extract from arXiv ID
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --arxiv 2103.14030
# Extract from URL
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --url "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2"
# Batch extraction from file (mixed identifiers)
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --input identifiers.txt --output citations.bib
Metadata Sources (see references/metadata_extraction.md):
What Gets Extracted:
@ Phase 3: BibTeX Formatting
Goal: Generate clean, properly formatted BibTeX entries.
@ Understanding BibTeX Entry Types
See references/bibtex_formatting.md for complete guide.
Common Entry Types:
Required Fields by Type:
@article{citationkey,
author = {Last1, First1 and Last2, First2},
title = {Article Title},
journal = {Journal Name},
year = {2024},
volume = {10},
number = {3},
pages = {123--145},
doi = {10.1234/example}
}
@inproceedings{citationkey,
author = {Last, First},
title = {Paper Title},
booktitle = {Conference Name},
year = {2024},
pages = {1--10}
}
@book{citationkey,
author = {Last, First},
title = {Book Title},
publisher = {Publisher Name},
year = {2024}
}
@ Formatting and Cleaning
Use the formatter to standardize BibTeX files:
# Format and clean BibTeX file
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--output formatted_references.bib
# Sort entries by citation key
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--sort key \
--output sorted_references.bib
# Sort by year (newest first)
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--sort year \
--descending \
--output sorted_references.bib
# Remove duplicates
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--deduplicate \
--output clean_references.bib
# Validate and report issues
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--validate \
--report validation_report.txt
Formatting Operations:
@ Phase 4: Citation Validation
Goal: Verify all citations are accurate and complete.
@ Comprehensive Validation
# Validate BibTeX file
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib
# Validate and fix common issues
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib \
--auto-fix \
--output validated_references.bib
# Generate detailed validation report
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib \
--report validation_report.json \
--verbose
Validation Checks (see references/citation_validation.md):
Validation Output:
{
"total_entries": 150,
"valid_entries": 145,
"errors": [
{
"citation_key": "Smith2023",
"error_type": "missing_field",
"field": "journal",
"severity": "high"
},
{
"citation_key": "Jones2022",
"error_type": "invalid_doi",
"doi": "10.1234/broken",
"severity": "high"
}
],
"warnings": [
{
"citation_key": "Brown2021",
"warning_type": "possible_duplicate",
"duplicate_of": "Brown2021a",
"severity": "medium"
}
]
}
@ Phase 5: Integration with Writing Workflow
@ Building References for Manuscripts
Complete workflow for creating a bibliography:
# 1. Search for papers on your topic
python scripts/search_pubmed.py \
'"CRISPR-Cas Systems"[MeSH] AND "Gene Editing"[MeSH]' \
--date-start 2020 \
--limit 200 \
--output crispr_papers.json
# 2. Extract DOIs from search results and convert to BibTeX
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--input crispr_papers.json \
--output crispr_refs.bib
# 3. Add specific papers by DOI
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1038/nature12345 >> crispr_refs.bib
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1126/science.abcd1234 >> crispr_refs.bib
# 4. Format and clean the BibTeX file
python scripts/format_bibtex.py crispr_refs.bib \
--deduplicate \
--sort year \
--descending \
--output references.bib
# 5. Validate all citations
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib \
--auto-fix \
--report validation.json \
--output final_references.bib
# 6. Review validation report and fix any remaining issues
cat validation.json
# 7. Use in your LaTeX document
# \bibliography{final_references}
@ Integration with Literature Review Skill
This skill complements the literature-review skill:
Literature Review Skill → Systematic search and synthesis Citation Management Skill → Technical citation handling
Combined Workflow:
# After completing literature review
# Verify all citations in the review document
python scripts/validate_citations.py my_review_references.bib --report review_validation.json
# Format for specific citation style if needed
python scripts/format_bibtex.py my_review_references.bib \
--style nature \
--output formatted_refs.bib
@ Search Strategies
@ Google Scholar Best Practices
Finding Seminal and High-Impact Papers (CRITICAL):
Always prioritize papers based on citation count, venue quality, and author reputation:
Citation Count Thresholds: Paper Age; Citations; Classification
0-3 years; 20+; Noteworthy 0-3 years; 100+; Highly Influential 3-7 years; 100+; Significant 3-7 years; 500+; Landmark Paper 7+ years; 500+; Seminal Work 7+ years; 1000+; Foundational
Venue Quality Tiers:
Author Reputation Indicators:
Search Strategies for High-Impact Papers:
Advanced Operators (full list in references/googlescholarsearch.md):
"exact phrase" # Exact phrase matching
author:lastname # Search by author
intitle:keyword # Search in title only
source:journal # Search specific journal
-exclude # Exclude terms
OR # Alternative terms
2020..2024 # Year range
Example Searches:
# Find recent reviews on a topic
"CRISPR" intitle:review 2023..2024
# Find papers by specific author on topic
author:Church "synthetic biology"
# Find highly cited foundational work
"deep learning" 2012..2015 sort:citations
# Exclude surveys and focus on methods
"protein folding" -survey -review intitle:method
@ PubMed Best Practices
Using MeSH Terms: MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) provides controlled vocabulary for precise searching.
Field Tags:
[Title] # Search in title only
[Title/Abstract] # Search in title or abstract
[Author] # Search by author name
[Journal] # Search specific journal
[Publication Date] # Date range
[Publication Type] # Article type
[MeSH] # MeSH term
Building Complex Queries:
# Clinical trials on diabetes treatment published recently
"Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2"[MeSH] AND "Drug Therapy"[MeSH]
AND "Clinical Trial"[Publication Type] AND 2020:2024[Publication Date]
# Reviews on CRISPR in specific journal
"CRISPR-Cas Systems"[MeSH] AND "Nature"[Journal] AND "Review"[Publication Type]
# Specific author's recent work
"Smith AB"[Author] AND cancer[Title/Abstract] AND 2022:2024[Publication Date]
E-utilities for Automation: The scripts use NCBI E-utilities API for programmatic access:
See references/pubmed_search.md for complete API documentation.
@ Tools and Scripts
@ searchgooglescholar.py
Search Google Scholar and export results.
Features:
Usage:
# Basic search
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "quantum computing"
# Advanced search with filters
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "quantum computing" \
--year-start 2020 \
--year-end 2024 \
--limit 100 \
--sort-by citations \
--output quantum_papers.json
# Export directly to BibTeX
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "machine learning" \
--limit 50 \
--format bibtex \
--output ml_papers.bib
@ search_pubmed.py
Search PubMed using E-utilities API.
Features:
Usage:
# Simple keyword search
python scripts/search_pubmed.py "CRISPR gene editing"
# Complex query with filters
python scripts/search_pubmed.py \
--query '"CRISPR-Cas Systems"[MeSH] AND "therapeutic"[Title/Abstract]' \
--date-start 2020-01-01 \
--date-end 2024-12-31 \
--publication-types "Clinical Trial,Review" \
--limit 200 \
--output crispr_therapeutic.json
# Export to BibTeX
python scripts/search_pubmed.py "Alzheimer's disease" \
--limit 100 \
--format bibtex \
--output alzheimers.bib
@ extract_metadata.py
Extract complete metadata from paper identifiers.
Features:
Usage:
# Single DOI
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --doi 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2
# Single PMID
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --pmid 34265844
# Single arXiv ID
python scripts/extract_metadata.py --arxiv 2103.14030
# From URL
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--url "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2"
# Batch processing (file with one identifier per line)
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--input paper_ids.txt \
--output references.bib
# Different output formats
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--doi 10.1038/nature12345 \
--format json # or bibtex, yaml
@ validate_citations.py
Validate BibTeX entries for accuracy and completeness.
Features:
Usage:
# Basic validation
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib
# With auto-fix
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib \
--auto-fix \
--output fixed_references.bib
# Detailed validation report
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib \
--report validation_report.json \
--verbose
# Only check DOIs
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib \
--check-dois-only
@ format_bibtex.py
Format and clean BibTeX files.
Features:
Usage:
# Basic formatting
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib
# Sort by year (newest first)
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--sort year \
--descending \
--output sorted_refs.bib
# Remove duplicates
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--deduplicate \
--output clean_refs.bib
# Complete cleanup
python scripts/format_bibtex.py references.bib \
--deduplicate \
--sort year \
--validate \
--auto-fix \
--output final_refs.bib
@ doitobibtex.py
Quick DOI to BibTeX conversion.
Features:
Usage:
# Single DOI
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2
# Multiple DOIs
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py \
10.1038/nature12345 \
10.1126/science.abc1234 \
10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.001
# From file (one DOI per line)
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py --input dois.txt --output references.bib
# Copy to clipboard
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1038/nature12345 --clipboard
@ Best Practices
@ Search Strategy
@ Metadata Extraction
@ BibTeX Quality
@ Validation
@ Common Pitfalls to Avoid
@ Example Workflows
@ Example 1: Building a Bibliography for a Paper
# Step 1: Find key papers on your topic
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "transformer neural networks" \
--year-start 2017 \
--limit 50 \
--output transformers_gs.json
python scripts/search_pubmed.py "deep learning medical imaging" \
--date-start 2020 \
--limit 50 \
--output medical_dl_pm.json
# Step 2: Extract metadata from search results
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--input transformers_gs.json \
--output transformers.bib
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--input medical_dl_pm.json \
--output medical.bib
# Step 3: Add specific papers you already know
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2 >> specific.bib
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py 10.1126/science.aam9317 >> specific.bib
# Step 4: Combine all BibTeX files
cat transformers.bib medical.bib specific.bib > combined.bib
# Step 5: Format and deduplicate
python scripts/format_bibtex.py combined.bib \
--deduplicate \
--sort year \
--descending \
--output formatted.bib
# Step 6: Validate
python scripts/validate_citations.py formatted.bib \
--auto-fix \
--report validation.json \
--output final_references.bib
# Step 7: Review any issues
cat validation.json | grep -A 3 '"errors"'
# Step 8: Use in LaTeX
# \bibliography{final_references}
@ Example 2: Converting a List of DOIs
# You have a text file with DOIs (one per line)
# dois.txt contains:
# 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2
# 10.1126/science.aam9317
# 10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.001
# Convert all to BibTeX
python scripts/doi_to_bibtex.py --input dois.txt --output references.bib
# Validate the result
python scripts/validate_citations.py references.bib --verbose
@ Example 3: Cleaning an Existing BibTeX File
# You have a messy BibTeX file from various sources
# Clean it up systematically
# Step 1: Format and standardize
python scripts/format_bibtex.py messy_references.bib \
--output step1_formatted.bib
# Step 2: Remove duplicates
python scripts/format_bibtex.py step1_formatted.bib \
--deduplicate \
--output step2_deduplicated.bib
# Step 3: Validate and auto-fix
python scripts/validate_citations.py step2_deduplicated.bib \
--auto-fix \
--output step3_validated.bib
# Step 4: Sort by year
python scripts/format_bibtex.py step3_validated.bib \
--sort year \
--descending \
--output clean_references.bib
# Step 5: Final validation report
python scripts/validate_citations.py clean_references.bib \
--report final_validation.json \
--verbose
# Review report
cat final_validation.json
@ Example 4: Finding and Citing Seminal Papers
# Find highly cited papers on a topic
python scripts/search_google_scholar.py "AlphaFold protein structure" \
--year-start 2020 \
--year-end 2024 \
--sort-by citations \
--limit 20 \
--output alphafold_seminal.json
# Extract the top 10 by citation count
# (script will have included citation counts in JSON)
# Convert to BibTeX
python scripts/extract_metadata.py \
--input alphafold_seminal.json \
--output alphafold_refs.bib
# The BibTeX file now contains the most influential papers
@ Integration with Other Skills
@ Literature Review Skill
Citation Management provides the technical infrastructure for Literature Review:
Combined workflow:
@ Scientific Writing Skill
Citation Management ensures accurate references for Scientific Writing:
@ Venue Templates Skill
Citation Management works with Venue Templates for submission-ready manuscripts:
@ Resources
@ Bundled Resources
References (in references/):
Scripts (in scripts/):
Assets (in assets/):
@ External Resources
Search Engines:
Metadata APIs:
Tools and Validators:
Citation Styles:
@ Dependencies
@ Required Python Packages
# Core dependencies
pip install requests # HTTP requests for APIs
pip install bibtexparser # BibTeX parsing and formatting
pip install biopython # PubMed E-utilities access
# Optional (for Google Scholar)
pip install scholarly # Google Scholar API wrapper
# or
pip install selenium # For more robust Scholar scraping
@ Optional Tools
# For advanced validation
pip install crossref-commons # Enhanced CrossRef API access
pip install pylatexenc # LaTeX special character handling
@ Summary
The citation-management skill provides:
Use this skill to maintain accurate, complete citations throughout your research and ensure publication-ready bibliographies.
@ Limitations
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tools
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