| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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?
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."
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]
