| name | convert-paper |
| description | Converts non-Markdown papers (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, HTML, etc.) to Markdown using markitdown. Use when a paper file needs to be converted before the review pipeline can process it. |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
Convert Paper
Convert any non-Markdown paper file into Markdown format so all downstream review steps can read and analyze it.
Prerequisites
markitdown must be installed:
pip install "markitdown[all]"
Conversion Process
Step 1: Check if conversion is needed
If the paper file ends in .md or .markdown, no conversion is needed.
Step 2: Convert the paper
markitdown <input-file> > <output-file>.md
Example:
markitdown papers/my-paper.pdf > papers/my-paper.md
Output filename: same base name as input with extension changed to .md.
Step 3: Verify conversion
Read the beginning of the output file and check:
- File is not empty
- Content looks like valid Markdown (has headings, paragraphs, etc.)
- Key sections (title, abstract, body) are present
Step 4: Report results
- Success: report the path of the Markdown file and proceed
- Failure: report the error and suggest the user provide a Markdown version manually
Quality Notes
- PDF conversion may lose some formatting (figures, complex layouts)
- DOCX conversion generally preserves structure well
- If conversion quality is poor, recommend the user provide a pre-made Markdown version
Output Convention
Converted papers are saved alongside the original in the same papers/ directory.
Example: papers/my-paper.pdf → papers/my-paper.md
