closing-writer

name

closing-writer

description

Academic closing section writer for research papers and term papers. Use this skill whenever the user needs to write, improve, or analyze the closing section of a research paper. Triggers include: writing a Discussion, Conclusion, or Recommendations section; asking how to wrap up a paper; requesting help with limitations, implications, or future research suggestions; saying "help me write my conclusion" or "how do I end my paper". Also trigger when the user asks to evaluate or restructure an existing closing section.

Closing Writer Skill

Writes and refines the closing section of academic research papers using Move-Step analysis. The closing section may appear under various headings: Discussion, Conclusion, Conclusions and Recommendations, or combined forms. Default output language is English unless the user specifies otherwise.

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Step 1: Read the Input

What the user provides

The user may provide:

• The full paper → extract key information from each section (see Step 3)
• Results section only → write closing based on those results
• A rough draft of the closing → revise and restructure
• A description of their findings → generate the closing from that

File input

Use the first applicable method:

1. Content already in context — process directly. 2. File reading tool available — use it. 3. Code execution available — use appropriate library:

• .docx → python-docx
• .pdf → pdfplumber or pymupdf
• .txt / .md → open(path).read()

4. Nothing available — ask the user to paste the relevant content.

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Step 2: Clarify Requirements

Establish the following before writing. Apply defaults silently if not specified.

Parameter	Default
Output language	English
Section heading	Infer from discipline (see Step 3)
Moves to include	All 5 (see Step 4)
Word count	400–700 words
Discipline / field	Infer from content
Output mode	Inline text

If the user mentions a target journal or venue, ask if there are specific structural requirements before proceeding.

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Step 3: Identify Section Type and Heading

The closing section appears under different headings depending on discipline and emphasis. Infer from context or ask:

Heading	Typical use	What it emphasizes
Discussion	Sciences, social sciences	Interpretation, comparison with literature, limitations
Conclusion / Conclusions	Most disciplines	Summary of findings, implications, future work
Discussion and Conclusion	Combined sections	All moves in one section
Conclusions and Recommendations	Applied fields, policy, engineering	Strong future-directions emphasis
Summary	Some engineering / technical papers	Compact restatement of findings

Note: The heading does not change which Moves are needed — it only signals which Moves to emphasize. A "Discussion" section still draws conclusions; a "Conclusion" section still evaluates the study.

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Step 4: Extract Key Information from the Paper

Before writing, identify the following from the paper or user input:

What to find	Where to look
Research purpose / hypothesis	Introduction
Main findings / results	Results section
Whether hypothesis was supported	Results / Discussion
How results compare to prior literature	Background / related work
Limitations of the study	Methods (sample size, design constraints)
Strengths of the study	Methods / Results
Practical implications	Infer from findings
Gaps that remain / future research directions	Infer from limitations

Use these lexical markers to locate key content quickly:

• Purpose: aim, objective, purpose, goal, hypothesis, seek to, investigate
• Results: found, showed, revealed, demonstrated, observed, indicate
• Comparison: consistent with, contrary to, in line with, unlike, differ from
• Limitation: limited by, unable to, did not account for, sample size, generalizability
• Future: future studies should, further research, recommend, suggest

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Step 5: Write the Closing Section Using Move-Step Structure

The closing section is organized around 5 Moves, each with specific Steps (sub-purposes). Moves do not always occur in strict linear order — Moves 3, 4, and 5 often recur and interleave as the author cycles through different findings.

Consult references/moves.md for detailed rules, lexical signals, and tense/voice by Move.

Move Overview

Move 1: Preparatory Information

• Step 1a — Restate the purpose of the study (1–2 sentences)
• Step 1b — Review the hypothesis or research question (1 sentence, if applicable)

Move 2: Reporting Results

• Summarize the main findings briefly (1–3 sentences)
• Do not repeat the full Results section — synthesize, don't list

Move 3: Commenting on Results

• Step 3a — Interpret results: what do they mean?
• Step 3b — Compare with prior literature: consistent or contradictory? Why?
• Step 3c — Account for unexpected results: explain discrepancies
• Step 3d — Evaluate overall: what is the significance of this pattern?

Move 4: Evaluating the Study

• Step 4a — Indicate limitations (sample size, design, scope, methodology)
• Step 4b — Indicate strengths or significance of the contribution
• Step 4c — Evaluate methodology (if relevant)

Move 5: Deductions from the Research

• Step 5a — Make practical suggestions or recommendations
• Step 5b — Recommend directions for future research
• Step 5c — Draw broader implications for the field

Structural flexibility

• Moves 3, 4, and 5 may recur — the author may comment on one finding, evaluate it, suggest future work, then move to the next finding and repeat
• Move 1 is always first; Move 2 comes early; Moves 3–5 can interleave
• Short papers or term papers may compress Moves 1–2 into 1–2 sentences
• Applied / policy papers may expand Move 5 significantly

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Step 6: Apply Language Features

Consult references/language.md for the full tense, voice, modal verb, and hedging rules.

Tense and voice by Move (summary)

Move / Step	Tense	Voice
Move 1 — Restate purpose	Past simple	Active preferred
Move 2 — Report results	Past simple	Active preferred
Move 3 — Comment / interpret	Present simple	Active preferred
Move 3 — Compare with literature	Past simple (their findings) / Present (the comparison)	Mixed
Move 4 — Limitations	Past simple or past perfect	Passive preferred
Move 4 — Strengths	Present simple or present perfect	Active
Move 5 — Suggestions / future work	Modal verbs (should, could, may)	Active
Move 5 — Implications	Present simple	Active

Modal verbs

Modal verbs are heavily used in Moves 4 and 5 to express appropriate epistemic caution:

• should — recommendations and obligations (Future studies should…)
• could — possibilities (This approach could be applied to…)
• may / might — uncertainty (These results may reflect…)
• would — hypothetical or conditional (A larger sample would improve…)

Hedging

The closing section requires "confidently uncertain" language — asserting findings while acknowledging uncertainty. Use hedges in:

• Interpreting results: suggest, indicate, appear to, seem to, tend to
• Comparing with literature: may be due to, could be explained by
• Limitations: it is possible that, may have affected, cannot be ruled out
• Implications: could have implications for, may be applicable to

Do NOT hedge the restatement of results — report what was found directly. Reserve hedges for interpretation and implication.

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Step 7: Self-Check Before Output

• Are all 5 Moves present (or is omission intentional and justified)?
• Is Move 1 concise — not a long summary of the introduction?
• Does Move 3 go beyond restating results to actually interpret them?
• Are limitations specific (not just "further research is needed")?
• Are strengths mentioned, not just limitations?
• Is Move 5 actionable — specific suggestions, not vague calls for "more research"?
• Are tenses consistent within each Move?
• Are hedges used appropriately — present in interpretation, absent in factual reporting?

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Step 8: Output

Default — inline

Present the closing section as running prose with appropriate paragraph breaks. Include the section heading.

File output

• .txt / .docx — write to output location if tools available; otherwise inline
• Insert into uploaded document — locate and replace existing closing section if tools allow

After output, always note:

• Which Moves are present and any that were omitted (with reason)
• Word count
• Any assumptions made about the paper's findings or discipline
• Offer: "I can expand the limitations / strengthen the implications / adjust the heading or length if needed."

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Quick Reference — Closing Section at a Glance

Move 1  →  Restate purpose + review hypothesis
Move 2  →  Summarize main findings (briefly)
Move 3  →  Interpret + compare with literature + explain discrepancies
Move 4  →  Limitations + strengths + methodology evaluation
Move 5  →  Suggestions + future research + broader implications

[Moves 3–5 may recur and interleave across findings]