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Structured hypothesis formulation from observations. Use when you have experimental observations or data and need to formulate testable hypotheses with predictions, propose mechanisms, and design experiments to test them. Follows scientific method framework. For open-ended ideation use scientific-brainstorming; for automated LLM-driven hypothesis testing on datasets use hypogenic.
Transforms raw user requests into structured, outcome-focused prompts for Claude Cowork. Use when the user wants to optimize or rewrite a prompt for Cowork, needs help structuring a multi-step task for autonomous execution, or says things like "optimize this Cowork prompt", "rewrite for Cowork", or "make this a Cowork prompt". Outputs a single code block with the rewritten prompt following the GOAL/CONTEXT LOADING/IDENTITY/SUCCESS CRITERIA/INPUTS/CONSTRAINTS/CHECKPOINT RULE structure.
This skill should be used when the user asks to "brainstorm research ideas", "use 5W1H framework", "identify research gaps", "conduct gap analysis", "start research project", "conduct literature review", "define research question", "select research method", "plan research", or mentions research project initiation phase. Provides comprehensive guidance for research startup workflow from idea generation to planning.
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Showing SKILL.md
| name | lit-review-assistant |
| description | Search, summarize, and synthesize economics literature |
| workflow_stage | literature |
| compatibility | ["claude-code","cursor","codex","gemini-cli"] |
| author | Awesome Econ AI Community |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| tags | ["literature-review","papers","citations","synthesis"] |
This skill helps economists conduct literature reviews by structuring searches, summarizing papers, and synthesizing findings. It provides templates for organizing literature and identifying research gaps.
Ask the user:
Help define search terms:
Create a structured summary for each paper:
# Literature Review: [TOPIC]
## Search Strategy
**Databases:** EconLit, NBER, Google Scholar, SSRN
**Date range:** 2010-2024
**Search terms:**
- ("minimum wage" OR "wage floor") AND (employment OR jobs)
- ("minimum wage") AND ("difference-in-differences" OR "DiD")
**Inclusion criteria:**
- Peer-reviewed or NBER working papers
- Focused on [specific outcome]
- Uses causal identification strategy
---
## Seminal Papers
### Card and Krueger (1994)
**Citation:** Card, D., & Krueger, A. B. (1994). Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. *American Economic Review*, 84(4), 772-793.
**Research Question:** What is the effect of minimum wage increases on employment?
**Data & Method:**
- DiD comparing NJ (treatment) to PA (control)
- Survey of fast-food restaurants before/after NJ minimum wage increase
**Key Findings:**
- No negative employment effect found
- Employment slightly increased in NJ relative to PA
**Contribution:** Challenged conventional view; pioneered quasi-experimental methods in labor economics
**Limitations:**
- Single state, short time horizon
- Potential survey response bias
---
### Cengiz et al. (2019)
**Citation:** Cengiz, D., Dube, A., Lindner, A., & Zipperer, B. (2019). The Effect of Minimum Wages on Low-Wage Jobs. *Quarterly Journal of Economics*, 134(3), 1405-1454.
**Research Question:** Do minimum wage increases destroy jobs or compress the wage distribution?
**Data & Method:**
- Bunching estimator using 138 minimum wage events
- Examine employment distribution around minimum wage
Jobs below the new minimum wage disappear
But replaced by jobs just above the minimum
No significant overall employment loss
Novel bunching methodology; large-scale evidence
---
| Finding | Evidence Quality | Consensus Level |
|---------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Small minimum wage increases have minimal employment effects | Strong (multiple RCTs/quasi-experiments) | High |
| Effects may be heterogeneous by region | Medium | Growing |
| Large increases (e.g., $15) less studied | Limited | Low |
How do firms absorb higher labor costs? (Prices, profits, productivity?)
Most studies focus on 1-2 years
Do effects differ in low vs. high cost-of-living areas?
Effects on workers earning above minimum wage
Your study of [SPECIFIC QUESTION] can contribute by:
[How your work fills a gap]
[What new data/method you bring]
## [Author(s)] ([Year])
**Title:** [Full title]
**Published in:** [Journal/Working Paper Series]
**Research Question:** [One sentence]
**Data:**
- Source: [Dataset name]
- Period: [Years]
- Sample: [N observations, unit of analysis]
**Identification Strategy:** [Method in one sentence]
**Main Findings:**
1. [Key result 1 with magnitude]
2. [Key result 2]
3. [Robustness/heterogeneity]
**Limitations:**
- [Main concern 1]
- [Main concern 2]
**Relevance to your project:** [One sentence on how it connects]
**Key quote:** "[Most important direct quote]" (p. XX)
"exact phrase" - Exact matchingauthor:surname - Papers by specific authorsource:journal - Papers in specific journal-exclude - Exclude terms[year]..[year] - Date range