From crim-skills
Builds the theoretical argument of a Criminology manuscript by specifying mechanisms, scope conditions, and observable implications.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/crim-skills:crim-theory-buildingThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
At *Criminology* a result is not a contribution until it is attached to a **mechanism the field can use
At Criminology a result is not a contribution until it is attached to a mechanism the field can use elsewhere. This skill turns crime findings into theory: explicit causal stories, scope conditions, and observable implications drawn from (or pushing against) the field's theoretical traditions.
crim-research-design (e.g., a within-individual change in offending
following a turning point; displacement vs. diffusion around a hot spot).crim-research-design can separate them.Ask: Could a criminologist working on a different offense, age group, or setting import this
mechanism? If yes, you have a field-level contribution. If it only works for your exact sample,
tighten it into a general logic or reframe (back to crim-topic-selection).
Criminology, the flagship of the American Society of Criminology, sits in a theory-testing tradition: a result earns the venue only when it does work on a theory. Reviewers grade engagement on a ladder. Aim for the top two rungs; the bottom two draw the "atheoretical / theory invoked, not tested" critique.
| Engagement level | What the manuscript does | Reviewer verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative | names a theory in the intro, never returns | "theory invoked, not tested" |
| Illustrative | findings "consistent with" a theory, no rival | weak — correlation dressed as theory |
| Test | one prediction the theory makes that a named rival does not | a contribution |
| Adjudicate / revise | data separate two theories, or amend scope conditions | flagship-level |
A study finds youth in high-collective-efficacy neighborhoods self-report about 25% less violence (illustrative). Decorative use stops there. The Criminology move: name the mechanism (informal social control — adults intervening on behavior), derive an observable a social-disorganization rival denies (the gap shrinks once residential stability is held within-neighborhood over time), and bound the scope (collective efficacy bites on expressive, not instrumental, crime). That converts a 25% correlation into a portable, testable claim.
【Core claim】one sentence
【Tradition】theory engaged / extended / adjudicated
【Mechanism】the causal/behavioral story
【Observable implications】testable consequences (incl. within-person) → research-design
【Scope conditions】where it holds / fails (age, offense, place, context)
【Portability】who else in criminology can use this argument
【Next】crim-research-design
../../resources/external_tools.md — life-course and longitudinal data for testing mechanisms../../resources/official-source-map.md — Criminology scope and theory-forward expectationsnpx claudepluginhub brycewang-stanford/awesome-journal-skills --plugin crim-skillsPositions a criminology manuscript against the literature to show contribution to live debates. Use when drafting introductions or responding to reviewer feedback about missing theory.
Builds portable theoretical arguments for ASR manuscripts. Defines mechanisms, scope conditions, and concepts across quantitative, ethnographic, comparative-historical, and computational methods.
Structures theoretical arguments for American Journal of Sociology manuscripts into portable, discipline-level contributions with explicit concepts, mechanisms, and scope conditions.