research-lit

Research Literature Review

Research topic: $ARGUMENTS

Step 0: Argument Resolution

Before starting the workflow, determine whether $ARGUMENTS is a file path or a plain text topic.

1. Detect file path: Check if $ARGUMENTS (after trimming quotes/whitespace) looks like a file path — i.e., ends with .md, .txt, .pdf, or contains / or \.
2. If it's a file path:
   • Read the file using the Read tool.
   • Extract the research topic, context, constraints, and any scope guidance from the file content.
   • Use the file content as the RESOLVED_TOPIC for all subsequent steps.
   • Preserve any inline overrides appended after the path (e.g., spec.md — sources: local): split on — and pass overrides through.
3. If it's plain text: Use $ARGUMENTS directly as the RESOLVED_TOPIC.

From this point forward, all references to $ARGUMENTS in the workflow mean RESOLVED_TOPIC (the file content or the original text).

Constants

• PAPER_LIBRARY — Local directory containing user's paper collection (PDFs). Check these paths in order:
  1. papers/ in the current project directory
  2. literature/ in the current project directory
  3. Custom path specified by user in CLAUDE.md under ## Paper Library
• MAX_LOCAL_PAPERS = 20 — Maximum number of local PDFs to scan (read first 3 pages each). If more are found, prioritize by filename relevance to the topic.

💡 Overrides:

• /research-lit "topic" — paper library: ~/my_papers/ — custom local PDF path
• /research-lit "topic" — sources: local — only search local PDFs
• /research-lit "topic" — sources: web — only search the web (skip all local)
• /research-lit "topic" — sources: local, web — local PDFs + web search

Data Sources

This skill checks multiple sources in priority order. All are optional — if a source is not configured or not requested, skip it silently.

Source Selection

Parse $ARGUMENTS for a — sources: directive:

• If — sources: is specified: Only search the listed sources (comma-separated). Valid values: local, web, all.
• If not specified: Default to all — search every available source in priority order.

Examples:

/research-lit "diffusion models"                        → all (default)
/research-lit "diffusion models" — sources: all         → all
/research-lit "diffusion models" — sources: local       → local PDFs only
/research-lit "diffusion models" — sources: web         → web search only
/research-lit "diffusion models" — sources: local, web  → local + web

Source Table

Priority	Source	ID	How to detect	What it provides
1	Local PDFs	local	Glob: papers/**/*.pdf, literature/**/*.pdf	Raw PDF content (first 3 pages)
2	arXiv TeX source	arxiv	Fetch from https://arxiv.org/src/{id}	Full paper text from TeX source — higher quality, lower token count than PDF
3	Web search	web	Always available (WebSearch)	arXiv, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar

Graceful degradation: If arXiv TeX source is unavailable for a paper, fall back to PDF. All sources are optional — skip silently if not available.

Workflow

Step 0a: arXiv TeX Source Reading

When a paper is identified as an arXiv preprint (by URL or ID), prefer fetching its TeX source instead of the PDF:

1. Extract arXiv ID from the URL or reference (e.g., 2301.12345)
2. Fetch TeX source: WebFetch https://arxiv.org/src/{id} — this returns the raw TeX/LaTeX source
3. Parse content: Extract title, abstract, sections, equations, and references from the .tex file(s)
4. Cache locally: Save the fetched TeX source to ~/.cache/aris/arxiv/{id}/ for reuse across sessions
5. Benefits: TeX source provides higher-quality text extraction (no OCR artifacts), lower token count (no PDF overhead), and access to exact equations and BibTeX references

If TeX source is unavailable (e.g., author opted out, non-arXiv paper), fall back to PDF reading. Always check the cache before fetching.

Step 0b: Scan Local Paper Library

Before searching online, check if the user already has relevant papers locally:

1. Locate library: Check PAPER_LIBRARY paths for PDF files

   Glob: papers/**/*.pdf, literature/**/*.pdf
   

2. Filter by relevance: Match filenames and first-page content against the research topic. Skip clearly unrelated papers.

3. Summarize relevant papers: For each relevant local PDF (up to MAX_LOCAL_PAPERS):

   • Read first 3 pages (title, abstract, intro)
   • Extract: title, authors, year, core contribution, relevance to topic
   • Flag papers that are directly related vs tangentially related

4. Build local knowledge base: Compile summaries into a "papers you already have" section. This becomes the starting point — external search fills the gaps.

📚 If no local papers are found, skip to Step 1. If the user has a comprehensive local collection, the external search can be more targeted (focus on what's missing).

Step 1: Search (external)

• Use WebSearch to find recent papers on the topic
• Check arXiv, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar
• Focus on papers from last 2 years unless studying foundational work
• De-duplicate: Skip papers already found in the local library or arXiv TeX cache

Step 2: Analyze Each Paper

For each relevant paper (from all sources), extract:

• Problem: What gap does it address?
• Method: Core technical contribution (1-2 sentences)
• Results: Key numbers/claims
• Relevance: How does it relate to our work?
• Source: Where we found it (local/arxiv-tex/web) — helps user know what they already have vs what's new

Step 3: Synthesize

• Group papers by approach/theme
• Identify consensus vs disagreements in the field
• Find gaps that our work could fill
• Incorporate insights from arXiv TeX sources (exact equations, theorem statements) when available

Step 4: Output

Present as a structured literature table:

| Paper | Venue | Method | Key Result | Relevance to Us | Source |
|-------|-------|--------|------------|-----------------|--------|

Plus a narrative summary of the landscape (3-5 paragraphs).

If BibTeX entries were extracted from arXiv TeX sources, include a references.bib snippet for direct use in paper writing.

Step 5: Save

When invoked from a workflow command (e.g., /autor.idea-discovery), save the literature summary to OUTPUT_DIR/LITERATURE_SURVEY.md. When invoked standalone, present results inline.

Additionally:

• Save paper PDFs to literature/ or papers/ (if requested)
• Cache arXiv TeX sources to ~/.cache/aris/arxiv/ for future reuse
• Update related work notes in project memory

Key Rules

• Always include paper citations (authors, year, venue)
• Distinguish between peer-reviewed and preprints
• Be honest about limitations of each paper
• Note if a paper directly competes with or supports our approach
• Graceful degradation — if arXiv TeX source is unavailable, fall back to PDF; if no local papers exist, proceed to web search