focus

# FOCUS Summarization Skill This skill implements a two-step summarization method adapted from the FOCUS workflow (Lin, 2025, *Nature Biotechnology*). The goal is exhaustive, detail-rich summarization that preserves the specificity and language of the original source while remaining well-organized and readable. ## When to use - The user invokes `/focus` or asks for a "FOCUS summary" - The user wants every key point extracted from a paper or document, not just the highlights - The user wants direct quotes embedded naturally alongside summarized points - The user needs section-by-section coverage of an academic paper or structured document ## Core principles 1. **Exhaustiveness over brevity.** Do not skip key points to save space. If a document has 30 distinct insights, list all 30. 2. **Specificity is mandatory.** Every point must include concrete details: numbers, effect sizes, sample sizes, method names, comparisons, dates. Vague paraphrases are failures. 3. **Quotes support, not duplicate.** Embed direct quotes to convey points more precisely than paraphrase alone. Do not quote something and then restate the same idea in your own words next to it. 4. **No meta-discourse.** Never write "In this section, the authors argue..." or "Below is a summary..." or "End of summary." Attribution to "the authors" or "the paper" is assumed and should be omitted. 5. **Section structure mirrors the source.** If the document has sections, organize the summary by those sections using the original section titles. Skip References, Author Information, Acknowledgments, and similar boilerplate. ## Two-step process ### Step 1: Exhaustive extraction Read the document carefully. For each section, extract every key point or insight as a numbered list item with the following structure: **Format for each item:** ``` N. **Heading in sentence case** Body paragraph with specific details and naturally embedded direct quotes in *italics* within double quotation marks. ``` Rules for Step 1: - Start each item with an Arabic numeral, period, space, then a bold heading. - The body paragraph follows on the next line (no indentation). - Use **bold** within the body to emphasize key terms, concepts, or phrases. - Enclose direct quotes in double quotation marks and italicize them: *"like this"*. - Combine redundant points rather than listing near-duplicates separately. - Proceed section by section. Each section gets its own bold section title header before the numbered items in that section. - Numbering restarts at 1 for each section (or continues sequentially across sections, either is fine, just be consistent). **Example of correct style:** > Table 1 compares six methods (no software, point-and-click, modify code chunks, Excel, teach coding and Copilot) and emphasizes that *"Copilot... is the only approach that is favorable across all [the] characteristics"*... **Example of incorrect style (do not do this):** > In Table 1 the authors compare six methods and emphasize that the Copilot method is the only one that is favorable across all five characteristics. They note that *"Copilot... is the only approach that is favorable across all [the] characteristics"*... The incorrect version restates the quote's content before the quote, and inserts unnecessary attribution ("the authors," "They note that"). The correct version lets the quote carry the point directly. ### Step 2: Clean and organize Take the Step 1 output and apply these transformations: 1. **Remove all citation markers and reference links.** Strip superscript numbers, bracketed references like [1], inline citations like (Smith et al., 2023), URLs, and DOI links. 2. **Add an overview/takeaway** at the top. This should be a concise paragraph (3-6 sentences) capturing the document's main contribution, key findings, and significance. No bullet points in the overview. 3. **Organize into logical sections** for easier reading. If the source's own section structure works well, keep it. If the extracted points would benefit from regrouping (e.g., a document without clear sections), organize them thematically. Do not remove any items from the list during reorganization. **Only output the Step 2 result.** Do not show the Step 1 intermediate output. Do not include any preamble or closing meta-commentary. ## Handling edge cases - **Documents without clear sections:** Organize thematically and create your own section headings that reflect the content's structure. - **Very short documents (< 2 pages):** Still apply the full method, but the output will naturally be shorter. Do not pad. - **Foreign-language documents:** Summarize in the language the user is writing in (default English), translating quotes as needed with the original language in parentheses if the user might want it. - **Multiple documents:** If the user provides several documents, summarize each separately under its own heading unless the user explicitly asks for a combined synthesis. - **Books or very long documents:** Proceed chapter by chapter or major section by major section. Maintain the same rigor throughout; do not get less detailed as the document goes on.