# litreview

litreview turns a research question into a search plan and a DOCX orientation guide. Use it to get your bearings in an unfamiliar academic field.

- plugin · `type=plugin` · Claude Code · ★ 28733
- Author: Alireza Rezvani
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/research/litreview
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/plugins/litreview

## What it does

The workflow starts by asking about the research question, a possible framework, and the desired depth. After an initial search, the plugin suggests PICO, SPIDER, decomposition, or a hybrid, then pauses for confirmation of the framework, sub-areas, and depth. Search runs sequentially, with a budget of 5, 10, or 20 queries.

PubMed E-utilities and OpenAlex provide the default search lane; neither requires an API key or account. A connected Consensus MCP can add another source. The resulting DOCX has eight sections, including a topic overview, sub-area guides, bibliography, open questions, and an audit log. Treat it as a starting guide, not a finished systematic review.

The required Node.js library `docx` is installed with `npm install docx`. The plugin also includes scripts for searching, framework suggestions, citation tracking, and aggregating cross-search results. Without `docx`, it cannot generate the DOCX file.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Plugin marketplace**
In the agent chat (not a shell):
```text
/plugin marketplace add alirezarezvani/claude-skills
```
In the agent chat (not a shell):
```text
/plugin install litreview@claude-code-skills
```

## When to use it
- turn a research question into a search plan
- choose between PICO, SPIDER, and decomposition
- map sub-areas before reading deeper
- compile references and open questions into a DOCX guide

## Example prompts
- Create a literature orientation guide for my question about how large language models handle clinical reasoning. Run `/cs-litreview <research-question>`.
- Suggest a framework and sub-areas for my research question, then wait for my confirmation before targeted searches with `/cs-litreview <research-question>`.
- Prepare a literature guide using a depth of 10 queries for my research question with `/cs-litreview <research-question>`.

## Source text · litreview · MIT

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BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 787f741a77f1a783
````text
# litreview

Academic literature orientation skill. Turns a research question into a strategically planned mini literature review, delivered as a researcher-friendly Word document (`.docx`).

The output is a **launching pad** — not a finished review, but the orientation document that lets a researcher entering an unfamiliar field start reading and searching with confidence. Think: what a generous colleague who knows the field would tell you over coffee.

## What this skill does

1. **Phase 0 — Grill-me intake** (3 forcing questions): research question specificity + framework hint + tentative depth
2. **Phase 1 — Initial reconnaissance** (one broad search via the free lane — PubMed E-utilities + OpenAlex, keyless — to map themes, terminology, methodological distinctions; if the Consensus MCP is connected, additionally search there)
3. **Phase 2 — Framework + sub-areas** (PICO default; SPIDER / Decomposition / hybrid fallbacks)
4. **Interactive checkpoint** — show framework breakdown table + sub-areas + depth-selector; wait for user confirmation before consuming search budget
5. **Phase 3 — Targeted searches** (sequential, 1 q/sec, budget-allocated by depth tier)
6. **Phase 4 — DOCX research guide** (8 sections: Topic Overview, Start Here, How the Field Got Here, Sub-area Guides, Key Research Groups, Open Questions, Bibliography, Audit Log)

## Sibling skill relationship

`litreview` is part of the **research pack** (sibling of `pulse`, future siblings: `grants`, `patent`, `dossier`, `syllabus`). All share:

- The Agent Integrity Rules block (1 q/sec rate limit, source discipline, three-count tracking, retry-once-after-3s, stop-after-3-consecutive-failures)
- The grill-me intake discipline
- The hard rule: cite only what the search tool returned this session

Different from `pulse`:
- Source: PubMed + OpenAlex, optionally Consensus (academic) vs Reddit/HN/Web (recency)
- Output: 8-section DOCX vs multi-platform briefing
- Discipline: sequential within single source vs parallel across sources

## Source spec

`megaprompts/09-litreview-megaprompt.md` (maintainer-local draft spec — gitignored, not in the public repo) (PR #657). Canonical. Drift = bug.

## Plugin layout

```
research/litreview/
├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json
├── README.md
├── agents/cs-litreview.md             ← academic-research persona, checkpoint enforcer
├── commands/cs-litreview.md           ← /cs-litreview <research-question>
└── skills/litreview/
    ├── SKILL.md                        ← Path-B converted from megaprompt 09
    ├── references/
    │   ├── framework_selection.md      ← PICO / SPIDER / Decomposition canon (7+ sources)
    │   ├── search_budget_allocation.md ← 5/10/20 depth tiers + cross-search intelligence (7+ sources)
    │   └── docx_8_sections.md          ← Research guide DOCX spec + technical requirements (7+ sources)
    └── scripts/
        ├── free_search.py              ← stdlib: free keyless search lane (PubMed E-utilities + OpenAlex via urllib)
        ├── citation_tracker.py         ← stdlib: JSON-backed three-count audit (sent/received/cited)
        ├── framework_recommender.py    ← stdlib: heuristic PICO/SPIDER/Decomp suggestion from Q1
        └── cross_search_aggregator.py  ← stdlib: repeat-hits + recurring-authors + citation-per-year
```

## Dependencies

- **Free keyless APIs** (default search lane, no key/account) — PubMed E-utilities (`eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov`, ≤3 req/s keyless) + OpenAlex (`api.openalex.org`, polite pool via `mailto`)
- **Consensus MCP** (optional enhancement) — used only when connected in the session; one runtime check, no plan-tier detection
- **`docx` Node.js library** (required) — `npm install docx`
- **DOCX skill** (reference) — hyperlink / table / list / validation patterns
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 787f741a77f1a783

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First 3913 of 4768 bytes. © Alireza Rezvani · MIT · https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills/tree/HEAD/research/litreview

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