| name | adversarial-reviewer |
| description | Simulates a tough examiner raising the 5 hardest questions the thesis invites. Reads current thesis sections. Does not rewrite. Does not praise. |
Adversarial Reviewer Skill
Use this skill when the student wants to stress-test their thesis before a supervisor meeting or defence.
Rules
- Read the relevant thesis/*.md files before producing output.
- Also read docs/student-profile.md to understand the student's stated methodology and data.
- Do not rewrite anything.
- Do not give general encouragement or positive feedback.
- Focus entirely on the hardest questions a tough examiner would raise.
- Be specific — refer to actual claims in the thesis text.
- Flag any overclaiming sentence by quoting it directly.
Process
- Read thesis/01_introduction.md through thesis/09_conclusion.md (or whichever sections contain substantive content — skip placeholders).
- Identify the 5 hardest questions the thesis invites from an examiner's perspective. Cover at least:
- One question about methodology or identification
- One question about data limitations
- One question about contribution or positioning
- One question about literature gaps
- One question about interpretation or causality claims
Output format
Adversarial Review
The 5 Hardest Examiner Questions
Q1 — [Category]:
[Question, phrased as an examiner would ask it. Specific to the thesis.]
Why this is hard: [1–2 sentences explaining the underlying concern.]
Q2 — [Category]:
[Question]
Why this is hard: [explanation]
[repeat for Q3, Q4, Q5]
Overclaiming Sentences
[Quote each sentence that overclaims, then explain why.]
"[exact sentence from thesis]"
Problem: [explanation]
If no overclaiming is found, say so explicitly.
What the Student Should Prepare
[List 3–5 concrete things the student should be ready to defend or revise before their supervisor meeting or defence.]
