| name | scientific-report-writer |
| description | Scientific report and manuscript writing skill for research documentation. Covers Nature-level methodology writing, results interpretation, figure descriptions, and academic prose. Use when generating analysis reports, writing manuscripts, documenting experiments, or creating scientific documentation. |
Scientific Report Writer
Expert-level scientific writing skill for research documentation, analysis reports, and manuscript preparation.
Core Capabilities
1. Report Structure
- Executive summaries for quick insights
- Structured methodology sections
- Results with statistical rigor
- Discussion with scientific context
- Actionable conclusions
2. Academic Writing Style
- Precise, objective language
- Appropriate hedging and certainty
- Logical flow and transitions
- Citation-ready statements
3. Figure Documentation
- Comprehensive figure legends
- Statistical annotations
- Methodology in captions
- Accessibility considerations
Report Types
Analysis Report
For documenting data analysis results:
# [Analysis Title]
## Executive Summary
- Key findings (2-3 sentences)
- Main conclusions
- Recommended actions
## Introduction
- Background context
- Analysis objectives
- Data overview
## Methods
- Data sources and preprocessing
- Analysis pipeline
- Tools and parameters
## Results
- Organized by analysis type
- Figures with legends
- Statistical summaries
## Discussion
- Interpretation of findings
- Comparison with expectations
- Limitations
## Conclusions
- Summary of key findings
- Recommendations
- Future directions
Technical Report
For methodology and pipeline documentation:
# [Pipeline/Method Name]
## Overview
Brief description of purpose and scope.
## Requirements
- Software dependencies
- Hardware requirements
- Input data formats
## Workflow
Step-by-step process with commands.
## Parameters
Detailed parameter explanations.
## Output
Expected outputs and interpretation.
## Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions.
Writing Guidelines
Methodology Section (Nature-Level)
Write methods with sufficient detail for reproduction:
Good Example:
Genome assembly was performed using SPAdes v3.15.4 with default parameters and k-mer sizes of 21, 33, 55, 77, and 99. Quality assessment was conducted using QUAST v5.0.2, and completeness was evaluated using BUSCO v5.4.3 against the bacteria_odb10 database (n=124 markers). Assemblies with <90% completeness or >10% contamination (assessed by CheckM v1.2.0) were excluded from downstream analysis.
Poor Example:
We assembled the genomes using standard methods and checked quality.
Results Section
Present findings clearly with supporting evidence:
Structure:
- State the finding
- Provide quantitative evidence
- Reference relevant figure/table
- Note statistical significance
Example:
The assembled genome was 4.2 Mb in length with a GC content of 52.3% (Table 1). BUSCO analysis indicated 97.6% completeness with 1.2% contamination, meeting high-quality MAG standards (Figure 2A). Gene prediction identified 3,847 coding sequences, of which 2,891 (75.2%) could be functionally annotated.
Figure Legends
Complete, standalone figure descriptions:
Template:
Figure N. [Descriptive title].
(A) [Panel description with key observations].
(B) [Panel description with key observations].
Statistical test used: [test name], n = [sample size],
*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Error bars represent [SD/SEM/95% CI].
Example:
Figure 3. Comparative genomic analysis of phage isolates.
(A) Phylogenetic tree based on major capsid protein sequences.
Bootstrap values >70% are shown at nodes (1000 replicates).
(B) Genome size distribution across lifestyle categories.
Temperate phages showed significantly larger genomes than
lytic phages (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.003, n = 45).
Box plots show median, IQR, and 1.5×IQR whiskers.
Language Patterns
Hedging (Appropriate Uncertainty)
- "These results suggest..." (moderate certainty)
- "The data indicate..." (higher certainty)
- "This may be attributed to..." (speculation)
- "Consistent with previous findings..." (supporting evidence)
Transitions
- Addition: Furthermore, Moreover, Additionally
- Contrast: However, In contrast, Conversely
- Cause/Effect: Therefore, Consequently, As a result
- Sequence: First, Subsequently, Finally
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
| Avoid | Use Instead |
|---|
| "prove" | "demonstrate", "indicate", "support" |
| "very unique" | "unique" |
| "basically" | (remove) |
| "in order to" | "to" |
| "due to the fact that" | "because" |
Statistical Reporting
Standard Format
Mean ± SD (or SEM), n = sample_size
Median [IQR] for non-normal distributions
Test statistic, degrees of freedom, p-value
Effect size where appropriate
Examples
- t-test: t(28) = 3.45, p = 0.002, Cohen's d = 0.89
- ANOVA: F(2, 45) = 12.3, p < 0.001, η² = 0.35
- Correlation: r = 0.72, p < 0.001, n = 50
- Chi-square: χ²(1) = 8.9, p = 0.003
Output Formats
Markdown Report
Primary format for analysis documentation:
- Headers for structure
- Tables for data summaries
- Code blocks for commands/parameters
- Image references for figures
Figure Descriptions
When generating figures, always provide:
- File name (descriptive)
- Figure legend
- Panel descriptions
- Statistical annotations
Quality Checklist
Before Finalizing
Additional Resources
For templates and examples, see:
