literature-survey

Identify what the literature has NOT addressed — missing methods, untested combinations, unexplored applications, contradictions without resolution. Used by all strategies.

Identify recurring themes across papers using qualitative coding methodology. Produces a codebook with theme definitions, supporting evidence, and frequency counts. Used by narrative-review.

Generate PRISMA-compliant flow data documenting the screening funnel — counts at each stage (identification, screening, eligibility, inclusion) with exclusion reasons. Used by systematic-survey via prisma-screening tactic.

Construct a hierarchical field map from paper collection — multi-level taxonomy with parent/child relationships, paper counts per node, and maturity indicators. Used by scoping-survey.

Determine when additional searching yields diminishing returns. Analyzes the latest expansion batch against existing corpus to judge continue/near-saturation/saturated. Used by snowball and systematic-survey.

Validate and prioritize starting papers for snowball surveys. Evaluates which seeds will yield the richest citation traces based on citation count, recency, and network position.

Structured data extraction from deep-read papers — produces comparison tables (method, dataset, metrics, results, limitations). Used by systematic-survey and deep-survey.

Methodological rigor scoring for papers — evaluates bias risk, reproducibility, sample adequacy using established frameworks. Used by systematic-survey.

Cluster papers by theme, method, or timeline. Produces natural groupings from a paper collection. Used by scoping-survey and narrative-review.

Formalize search queries and inclusion/exclusion criteria for systematic surveys. Produces a reproducible search protocol document. Used by systematic-survey.

Final synthesis step — weave all gathered evidence (reading notes, extracted data, categorizations) into a coherent structured output appropriate to the strategy type. Used by all 5 strategies as the final step.

Lightweight intent clarification dialogue — only invoked when the entry point cannot determine the correct strategy from context alone. Maximum 3 questions. Pure routing, not profiling.

Forward and backward citation tracing tactic — expand paper coverage by tracing citation networks in both directions from seed/key papers. Alternates forward (who cited this) and backward (what this cited) passes until saturation.

Theory-driven reading tactic — define a theoretical framework first, then guide reading to fill it with evidence. Five stages (theme identification, argument construction, evidence collection, counter-evidence, synthesis). The most intellectually demanding tactic.

Multi-stage PRISMA screening tactic — progressively filter papers from a large candidate pool to a focused set for deep reading. Four stages (identification, title/abstract screening, full-text screening, inclusion) with documented counts at each stage.

Precise, targeted investigation of a specific sub-problem — few papers, all read in full depth. High paper-research ratio (50% deep-read rate). Use when the user knows exactly what they need to understand and requires detailed technical analysis with equations, hyperparameters, and specific claims extracted.

Autonomous Literature Survey Engine with 5 research paradigms (scoping, systematic, deep, narrative, snowball). Use this skill whenever a user needs to survey academic literature, conduct a literature review, map a research field, trace citation lineages, or build evidence-based arguments from papers — regardless of how specific or vague their request is. Also use when the user mentions systematic review, PRISMA, snowball sampling, scoping review, or narrative review.

Theory-driven literature review for building arguments and frameworks. Flexible, subjective, and narrative-focused — selects evidence strategically to support a thesis. High web-research budget for blogs, opinion pieces, and industry perspectives. Use when the user is writing a position paper, survey introduction, or constructing a coherent narrative around a research theme.

Broad landscape mapping strategy — quickly understand what exists in a field. Prioritizes breadth over depth with high paper-overview volume and minimal deep reading. Use when entering a new field or needing orientation before committing to deeper investigation.

Citation-chain-driven literature survey starting from seed papers. Traces research lineage in both forward (who cited this) and backward (what this cited) directions until saturation. High deep-read ratio (67%). Use when the user already has key papers and wants to find everything connected to them — ancestors, descendants, and branch points.

Exhaustive PRISMA-style literature survey — comprehensive coverage of all related work on a specific question. Multi-stage screening, citation chaining, quality assessment, and structured data extraction. Use when the user needs to demonstrate complete literature coverage or conduct rigorous gap analysis.