writing-qec-papers

name	writing-qec-papers
description	Provides guidance for structuring, evidence-checking, and drafting QEC manuscripts so that benchmark, formalization, and systems claims stay aligned with explicit artifacts and reproducible workflows.
version	0.1.0
author	QEC Research Skills
license	MIT
tags	["QEC","Writing","Papers","Reproducibility"]
dependencies	["qec-research"]

Writing QEC Papers

What This Skill Is For

Use this skill when a task is about turning QEC work into a manuscript:

• frame the contribution,
• map claims to evidence,
• build a paper outline,
• keep methods, artifacts, and limitations explicit.

When To Use It Versus Alternatives

Use this skill for general manuscript planning and drafting across QEC topics such as:

• decoder benchmarks,
• threshold or memory experiments,
• formalization results,
• software and tooling papers,
• architecture or workflow papers.

Use tailoring-qec-papers-for-physical-review-and-quantum when the task is specifically about venue fit, positioning, and adapting the narrative for Physical Review journals or Quantum.

Do not use this skill as a substitute for checking current journal author instructions. Treat it as a workflow guide, not a frozen policy manual.

Required Artifacts And Assumptions

Expected inputs:

• a candidate contribution statement,
• the main artifacts or results that support it,
• the intended audience or venue family if known.

Expected outputs:

• a manuscript plan,
• a manuscript outline,
• a claim-to-evidence matrix,
• a citation bundle,
• a list of missing figures, tables, experiments, or proof details.

Assumptions to make explicit:

• which code family, noise model, and decoder assumptions define the story,
• whether the paper is theory-heavy, benchmark-heavy, software-heavy, or mixed,
• whether reproducibility depends on registry artifacts, local scripts, or external toolchains.

Standard Workflow Checklist

1. Read research-state.yaml and confirm the current project scope and backend assumptions.
2. Classify the paper's main contribution type before drafting prose.
3. Write one sentence for the main claim and one sentence for the strongest supporting evidence.
4. Fill the claim-evidence matrix in templates/claim-evidence-matrix.template.md before expanding the abstract or introduction.
5. Fill the manuscript plan in templates/manuscript-plan.template.yaml so title, claims, venues, reproducibility anchors, and blockers are recorded in one place.
6. Start a source inventory with templates/citation-bundle.template.yaml before the related-work section turns into a memory exercise.
7. Build the outline around evidence-bearing sections instead of generic paper headings alone.
8. Keep figures, tables, proofs, and artifact references tied to named results, not aspirational future work.
9. If a target venue is known, run the venue-positioning skill before finalizing the abstract and introduction.

Validation Loop

Before closing work:

1. confirm every headline claim has an explicit supporting artifact, theorem, or experiment,
2. confirm QEC-specific assumptions are stated in the methods or setup plan,
3. confirm the draft distinguishes results, limitations, and open problems,
4. confirm any missing benchmark or proof work is surfaced as a blocker, not hidden in prose.

Common Issues And Fixes

Contribution inflation

Problem: the draft sounds broader than the evidence actually supports.

Fix: rewrite the title, abstract, and contribution bullets to match the strongest validated result only.

Benchmark without research question

Problem: a paper becomes a pile of plots without a clean scientific or systems question.

Fix: state what decision the benchmark resolves and why existing baselines were insufficient.

Hidden setup assumptions

Problem: the paper omits the code family, schedule, decoder compatibility assumptions, or confidence methodology.

Fix: move those assumptions into a visible setup section and tie figures back to them explicitly.

References

• references/qec-paper-structure.md
• references/citation-workflow.md
• templates/qec-paper-outline.template.md
• templates/claim-evidence-matrix.template.md
• templates/manuscript-plan.template.yaml
• templates/citation-bundle.template.yaml
• ../tailoring-qec-papers-for-physical-review-and-quantum/SKILL.md
• ../../docs/ARTIFACT_MODEL.md
• ../../docs/MANUSCRIPT_ARTIFACTS.md