| name | ma-end-to-end |
| description | End-to-end AI-assisted meta-analysis pipeline orchestration from TOPIC.txt to final manuscript and reviewer responses. Use when the user provides a topic and wants the full meta-analysis workflow, tracking, and final paper. |
Ma End To End
Overview
Coordinate the complete meta-analysis workflow, ensure every step is tracked, and produce a final manuscript with reviewer responses.
Inputs
TOPIC.txt
- Optional user constraints such as population, outcomes, time window, study types, or target journal.
Outputs
- Standard project layout and all step artifacts described below.
- Final rendered manuscript in
07_manuscript/.
- Reviewer notes in
08_reviews/.
Project Layout (Numbered)
Create a numbered top-level structure and keep every artifact in its step folder.
01_protocol/
02_search/
03_screening/
04_fulltext/
05_extraction/
06_analysis/
07_manuscript/
08_reviews/
09_qa/
tooling/python/ # uv project
Environment Setup
- Initialize Python tooling with uv inside
tooling/python/ using uv init.
- Use
uv add to manage dependencies for search and automation scripts.
- Run Python scripts via
uv run (do not call python3 directly).
- Use
uv tool for any external CLI helpers that should be isolated.
- Use R with
renv inside 06_analysis/ for reproducible meta-analysis.
Workflow
- Read
TOPIC.txt and produce protocol artifacts in 01_protocol/.
- Read from
projects/<project-name>/TOPIC.txt
- Use
/ma-topic-intake skill
- Write to
01_protocol/pico.yaml, 01_protocol/eligibility.md, 01_protocol/outcomes.md, 01_protocol/search-plan.md, 01_protocol/decision-log.md
1b. Preliminary analysis type: ≥3 treatments → nma_candidate, 2 treatments → pairwise.
- Record in
01_protocol/pico.yaml (L22: analysis_type.preliminary field)
- Record in
01_protocol/analysis-type-decision.md (Stage 1 section)
- Plan and run database searches, then save round-based
.bib files in 02_search/.
- Use
/ma-search-bibliography skill
- Write to
02_search/round-01/queries.txt, 02_search/round-01/results.bib, 02_search/round-01/dedupe.bib, 02_search/round-01/log.md
- Screen titles and abstracts, record decisions, and generate included
.bib in 03_screening/.
- Use
/ma-screening-quality skill
- Write to
03_screening/round-01/decisions.csv, 03_screening/round-01/included.bib, 03_screening/round-01/agreement.md
3b. Analysis Type Confirmation Gate (if nma_candidate):
- Tally study designs, assess network connectivity and transitivity
- If >30% single-arm → strongly consider downgrading to pairwise + pooled proportions
- Confirm in
01_protocol/analysis-type-decision.md (Stage 2 section)
- Update
01_protocol/pico.yaml (L23: analysis_type.confirmed field)
- Do NOT proceed to Stage 06 without confirmed analysis type
- Collect full texts and build a manifest in
04_fulltext/.
- Use
/ma-fulltext-management skill
- Write to
04_fulltext/manifest.csv, 04_fulltext/*.pdf
4b. Full-text eligibility screening (PRISMA 2020 item 16 — mandatory).
- Use
/ma-fulltext-management skill (Stage 04b section)
- Run
uv run tooling/python/ai_screen.py --project <name> --stage fulltext --reviewer 1
- Run
uv run tooling/python/ai_screen.py --project <name> --stage fulltext --reviewer 2
- Audit for quality:
uv run ma-end-to-end/scripts/audit_screening_quality.py --project <name>
- Compute kappa:
uv run ma-screening-quality/scripts/dual_review_agreement.py --file 04_fulltext/fulltext_decisions.csv --col-a FT_Reviewer1_Decision --col-b FT_Reviewer2_Decision --out 04_fulltext/ft_agreement.md
- Resolve conflicts, then only
FT_Final_Decision = include rows proceed to Stage 05
- Write to
04_fulltext/fulltext_decisions.csv, 04_fulltext/ft_agreement.md
- Extract data into a normalized database in
05_extraction/.
- Input: Only studies with
FT_Final_Decision = include from 04_fulltext/fulltext_decisions.csv
- Use
/ma-data-extraction skill
- Write to
05_extraction/extraction.sqlite, 05_extraction/extraction.csv, 05_extraction/data-dictionary.md
- Run meta-analysis in R with
renv, generate figures and tables in 06_analysis/.
- Route by
analysis_type.confirmed: pairwise | nma | pooled_proportion | narrative
- Use
/ma-meta-analysis skill for pairwise
- Use
/ma-network-meta-analysis skill for NMA
- NMA extensions (run after nma_01-10 if applicable):
- If combination treatments exist →
nma_11_cnma.R (Component NMA)
- If study-level covariates available →
nma_12_meta_regression.R
- Always for NMA →
nma_13_transitivity_tests.R (statistical transitivity assessment)
- Write to
06_analysis/*.R, 06_analysis/figures/*.png, 06_analysis/tables/*.csv, 06_analysis/renv.lock
- Draft and render Quarto manuscript in
07_manuscript/.
- Use
/ma-manuscript-quarto skill
- Write to
07_manuscript/*.qmd, 07_manuscript/index.html, 07_manuscript/index.pdf
- Perform Reviewer 1 and Reviewer 2 checks and save notes in
08_reviews/.
- Use
/ma-peer-review skill
- Write to
08_reviews/grade_summary.csv, 08_reviews/rob2_assessment.csv
- Maintain cross-step validation logs in
09_qa/.
- Write to
09_qa/pipeline-checklist.md
- Add robustness checks: GRADE profiles, dual-review agreement stats, and PRISMA flow summary.
- Use
scripts/run_robustness_checks.py
- Optionally run
scripts/run_robustness_checks.py via uv run to generate all robustness artifacts at once.
- Use
scripts/run_robustness_checks.py
- Apply publication-quality checks (PRISMA/MOOSE, HK, influence, SoF, claim audit, crossref).
- Use
/ma-publication-quality skill
- Write to
09_qa/claim_audit.md, 09_qa/crossref_report.md, 09_qa/reporting_checklist_audit.md
- Validate stage transitions with
scripts/validate_stage_transition.py and store reports in 09_qa/.
- Use
scripts/validate_stage_transition.py
- Write to
09_qa/stage_transition_report.md
- Create checkpoints before major steps with
scripts/checkpoint.py.
- Use
scripts/checkpoint.py
- Creates
.checkpoint/ snapshots
Agent Teams (Parallel Mode)
When running with agent teams enabled (CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_AGENT_TEAMS=1), the pipeline can leverage parallel teammates for independent stages.
Parallelism Opportunities
| Phase | Stages | Parallelism | Teammates |
|---|
| Foundation | 00-02 | Sequential (hard dependencies) | protocol-architect → search-specialist |
| Screening | 03 | Parallel (dual independent review) | screener-a + screener-b simultaneously |
| Processing | 04-06 | Sequential (each depends on prior) | fulltext-manager → data-extractor → statistician |
| Synthesis | 07-09 | Parallel (independent outputs) | manuscript-writer + qa-auditor simultaneously |
How to Start
- User says "create a team for [project]" or "start team mode"
- Lead reads
/ma-agent-teams skill for the orchestration playbook
- Lead creates shared task list with 12 tasks and dependencies
- Lead spawns teammates in phased order (see SKILL.md for details)
- Hooks enforce quality gates at stage transitions
Quality Gates (Lead Enforces)
- Stage 03→04: Screening kappa ≥ 0.60 (lead computes after both reviewers finish)
- Stage 04→05: FT screening kappa ≥ 0.60
- Stage 05→06: Extraction completeness (all included studies extracted)
- Stage 06→07: All figures ≥ 300 DPI
- Stage 09: PRISMA 27/27 (or 32/32 for NMA), publication readiness ≥ 95%
Generate Spawn Prompts
uv run tooling/python/team_spawn_helper.py --project <project-name> --role <role-name>
See ma-agent-teams/SKILL.md for complete orchestration details.
Resources
scripts/init_project.py creates the numbered folder tree and a checklist.
scripts/run_robustness_checks.py runs agreement stats, PRISMA flow, and GRADE summaries.
scripts/validate_pipeline.py enforces checklist completion before final render.
scripts/final_qa_report.py generates a final QA report and blocks on failures.
scripts/validate_stage_transition.py validates continuity between stages.
scripts/checkpoint.py creates and restores pipeline checkpoints.
scripts/hash_artifacts.py computes SHA-256 hashes for reproducibility audit.
scripts/validate_module_registry.py checks all scripts are documented across SKILL.md, CLAUDE.md, and GETTING_STARTED.md.
Step References
Open the relevant skill for details at each stage:
ma-topic-intake/SKILL.md
ma-search-bibliography/SKILL.md
ma-screening-quality/SKILL.md
ma-fulltext-management/SKILL.md
ma-data-extraction/SKILL.md
ma-meta-analysis/SKILL.md
ma-manuscript-quarto/SKILL.md
ma-peer-review/SKILL.md
ma-publication-quality/SKILL.md
Validation
- Ensure each step writes its expected artifacts before moving to the next.
- Create and update
09_qa/pipeline-checklist.md after every milestone.