ieee-paper-doctor

name

ieee-paper-doctor

description

Convert, audit, and verify single-file or multi-file IEEEtran LaTeX projects for safe two-column journal submission. Use for IEEE single-column to double-column conversion, 单栏转双栏, IEEE 双栏排版, multi-file papers using input/include/subfile, draftclsnofoot cleanup, figure or table overflow, figure*/table* placement, journal author blocks, bibliography float problems, camera-ready formatting, CI annotations, audit reports, and final PDF layout checks. Do not use for Word, ACM, Springer, or non-IEEEtran templates.

IEEE Paper Doctor

Convert an IEEEtran project without rewriting scientific content. Produce a reviewable source diff, compile evidence, and a concise list of remaining risks.

Workflow

1. Establish the target before editing.

   • Identify the target journal and whether this is an initial, revision, or final submission.
   • Read journal-specific instructions when provided. Do not assume every IEEE journal wants the same author, biography, anonymity, or float treatment.

2. Inspect the project.

   • Pass a project directory when possible; the CLI locates the unique IEEEtran main file and follows \input, \include, and \subfile recursively.
   • If multiple main files exist, identify the intended one explicitly instead of guessing.
   • Find bibliography mode, figures, tables, algorithms, wide equations, author metadata, and biography blocks across included files.
   • Preserve user changes. Never rewrite claims, equations, captions, citations, or results unless requested.

3. Run the bundled checker from the directory containing this SKILL.md:

   python scripts/ieee_paper_doctor.py check path/to/project --format json
   

   Use --strict when warnings must fail CI. Read the JSON diagnostics before editing. Use --format github in GitHub Actions and --report audit.md when the author needs a shareable review artifact.

4. Generate conservative fixes as a diff:

   python scripts/ieee_paper_doctor.py fix path/to/main.tex
   

   With no output flag, fix prints a unified diff and changes nothing. Use --output converted.tex for a new file or --write only after reviewing the diff. The deterministic fixer only normalizes safe class options and obvious single-column width expressions. After the transformation preview, read the full project diagnostics; a clean main-file diff does not clear unresolved findings in included sources.

5. Apply judgment-based fixes manually.

   • Choose figure versus figure* and table versus table* from content readability, not width alone.
   • Convert conference-style author blocks only after mapping every author to the correct affiliation and corresponding-author note.
   • Remove biographies only when the target submission stage or journal instructions require it.
   • Add stfloats, placeins, \FloatBarrier, float-fraction tuning, or \IEEEtriggeratref only when compilation or the rendered PDF demonstrates that need.
   • Read references/ieee-conversion-patterns.md for detailed patterns.

6. Verify:

   python scripts/ieee_paper_doctor.py verify path/to/project --compile --strict --report ieee-audit.md
   

   Inspect the rendered PDF when a renderer is available. Check the title block, float readability, column overflow, equations, bibliography start, and final page. When standards or rationale are requested, read references/official-sources.md.

Safety Rules

• Default to a diff or a new output file; do not overwrite the only manuscript copy.
• Preserve journal-specific class options unless they conflict with the requested conversion.
• Treat [H], wide floats, author blocks, and biographies as review items rather than blind replacements.
• Treat missing or dynamic include targets as unresolved project risks; do not silently skip them.
• Do not add packages speculatively. Compile after each structural group of edits.
• Stop and report when the source is not IEEEtran or when the target format is ambiguous.

Completion Report

Return:

• files changed;
• deterministic fixes applied;
• judgment-based fixes applied;
• compile command and result;
• number of TeX files scanned and the audit report path, when generated;
• unresolved warnings and any journal-specific decision still required.