journal-intelligence

# Journal Intelligence Fetches live, current submission requirements for any scientific journal before writing begins. Journal guidelines, word limits, AI authorship policies, and LaTeX templates change without notice — this skill always retrieves the authoritative current version rather than relying on cached or hardcoded information. Run this before every manuscript session. The output (`journal_profile.yaml`) becomes the single source of truth for all formatting decisions in the `scientific-writing` skill and any other writing tools. --- ## When to Use - Before starting any manuscript, letter, review, or methods paper - When you need to know a journal's current word limits, figure limits, or abstract format - To get the exact AI authorship disclosure language a journal requires - To download the current LaTeX template before writing - To check desk-rejection criteria before investing time in a submission **Requirements:** This skill requires **WebSearch** and **WebFetch** to be enabled in the agent's tool set. It cannot fetch live guidelines without these tools. If they are unavailable, see the fallback behavior below. --- ## What It Does ### Step 1 — Locate Author Guidelines Searches and fetches the journal's official submission/author guidelines page. Example URL patterns to try (publisher structures vary — these are starting points, not authoritative): - Nature family: `https://www.nature.com/[journal]/submission-guidelines` - Elsevier: `https://www.elsevier.com/journals/[journal]/[issn]/guide-for-authors` - Cell Press: `https://www.cell.com/[journal]/authors` - PLOS: `https://journals.plos.org/[journal]/s/submission-guidelines` - Wiley, Springer, ACS, RSC, IEEE, ACM — searched via WebSearch If the pattern-based URL fails, fall back to a direct WebSearch for `"[journal name] author guidelines submission"`. ### Step 2 — Extract and Store Requirements Extracts all format requirements into `journal_profile.yaml`: ```yaml journal: "" article_type: "" guidelines_url: "" guidelines_fetched: "" # date fetched # Length limits main_text_limit: "" # words; what is excluded? abstract_limit: "" # words; structured or unstructured? abstract_sections: "" # required section labels if any methods_limit: "" figure_limit: "" figure_legend_limit: "" reference_limit: "" supplementary: "" # Format citation_style: "" # Vancouver numbered / Author-date / etc. reference_format_example: "" section_order: "" methods_placement: "" # inline / online / after references special_elements: "" # Key Resources Table, Significance Statement, eTOC, etc. # AI policy ai_policy_summary: "" ai_disclosure_required: "" ai_tools_declaration_format: "" ai_tools_declaration_location: "" # Template latex_template_url: "" latex_template_notes: "" # Editorial acceptance_rate: "" desk_rejection_criteria: "" editorial_priorities: "" ``` ### Step 3 — Fetch AI Authorship Policy Every major publisher now has an explicit AI tool use policy. Fetched separately and stored in `ai_policy.md` with the exact disclosure language required and its placement in the manuscript. ### Step 4 — Download LaTeX Template Searches Overleaf gallery, journal page, and publisher template hub. Downloads or links to the current versioned template. Notes document class, required packages, and submission file format. ### Step 5 — Editorial Priorities Searches for editor blog posts, "what we publish" guides, and desk-rejection criteria. Records what the journal explicitly says it will not send for review. --- ## Output ``` writing_outputs/[project]/journal/ ├── journal_profile.yaml ← source of truth for all formatting ├── journal_profile_summary.md ← human-readable summary ├── ai_policy.md ← exact disclosure language + placement ├── guidelines_fetched.md ← raw extracted text from guidelines page └── latex_template/ ├── [template files] └── template_notes.md ``` --- ## Usage Examples ``` # Before writing — triggers full journal intelligence pass Fetch the current submission requirements for Nature Biotechnology, Article format. # Before a methods paper What does Genome Biology currently require for a Software article? Get the word limits, AI policy, and LaTeX template. # Quick format check before submission What are the current requirements for Nucleic Acids Research, Database Issue? # Used automatically by scientific-writing Write an Article for Nature Methods on our sequencing pipeline. [journal-intelligence runs first, then scientific-writing uses the profile] ``` --- ## Fallback When Guidelines Cannot Be Fetched If WebSearch and WebFetch are unavailable, or if both fail (network unavailable or journal behind hard paywall): 1. Uses conservative defaults: ≤4,000 words, ≤250-word abstract, Vancouver numbered references 2. Flags every format-dependent decision with `[VERIFY AGAINST AUTHOR GUIDELINES]` 3. Reports explicitly: "Guidelines could not be fetched. Verify at [journal URL] before submission." --- ## Why Hardcoded Requirements Fail | What changed | When | |-------------|------| | Nature Biotechnology article length | 2023 | | AI authorship disclosure requirements (all major publishers) | 2023–2025 (ongoing) | | LaTeX template versions | Continuously | | PLOS data availability mandate | 2024 | | Cell Press STAR Methods format | 2022 | A requirement accurate six months ago may now cause desk rejection. Always fetch live. --- ## Recommended workflow with scientific-writing Run `journal-intelligence` first, then pass the output to `scientific-writing`: ``` Step 1: "Fetch the current submission requirements for [journal], [article type]." → produces journal_profile.yaml and journal_profile_summary.md Step 2: "Write the paper using the requirements in journal_profile.yaml." → scientific-writing reads the profile and applies word limits, citation format, required sections, and template class from it ``` The two skills are independent — `scientific-writing` does not automatically invoke `journal-intelligence`. Run them sequentially and reference the profile file explicitly in Step 2.