How do I install the Literature Search skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add enuno/literature-search in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Literature Search safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Literature Search?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Literature Search free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Literature Search?

enuno (@enuno) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Literature Search by enuno — Agent Skill

Name: Literature Search
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: enuno

File contents

Literature Search Best Practice

Search Strategy Design

Define research question using PICO framework (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome)
Identify 2-4 core concepts from the research question
List synonyms, abbreviations, and related terms for each concept
Combine terms with Boolean operators: AND (between concepts), OR (within synonyms)
Select at least 3 complementary databases relevant to the domain:
- Biomedical: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science
- Computer science: arXiv, Semantic Scholar, DBLP, ACL Anthology
- Interdisciplinary: Google Scholar, OpenAlex
Document exact search strings for reproducibility

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Define date range (e.g., last 5-10 years for rapidly evolving fields)
Specify language restrictions (typically English)
Specify publication types (peer-reviewed, preprints, conference papers)
Define study design requirements (RCTs, observational, computational)
Set domain-specific filters (species, methodology, sample size)
Document all criteria BEFORE screening begins

PRISMA Methodology

Record total hits from each database before deduplication
Remove duplicates and record count
Screen titles and abstracts against inclusion criteria (record excluded count)
Full-text review of remaining papers (record excluded with reasons)
Report final included studies with PRISMA flow diagram
For scoping reviews, use PRISMA-ScR extension

Screening and Quality Assessment

Use two-pass screening: title/abstract first, then full text
Apply quality assessment tools appropriate to study type:
- RCTs: Cochrane Risk of Bias tool
- Observational: Newcastle-Ottawa Scale
- ML papers: check reproducibility, dataset validity, statistical rigor
Extract data systematically using a predefined extraction form

Synthesis Approaches

Narrative synthesis: Organize findings thematically, identify patterns and contradictions
Meta-analysis: Pool quantitative results when studies are sufficiently homogeneous
Gap analysis: Explicitly identify what is NOT covered in the literature
Summarize key findings per theme with supporting citation counts
Highlight conflicting results and possible explanations
End with clear statement of research gaps that motivate your study

---name: literature-searchdescription: Systematic literature review methodology including search strategy, screening, and synthesis. Use when conducting literature reviews or writing background sections.--- ## Literature Search Best Practice ### Search Strategy Design 1. Define research question using PICO framework (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) 2. Identify 2-4 core concepts from the research question 3. List synonyms, abbreviations, and related terms for each concept 4. Combine terms with Boolean operators: AND (between concepts), OR (within synonyms) 5. Select at least 3 complementary databases relevant to the domain: - Biomedical: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science - Computer science: arXiv, Semantic Scholar, DBLP, ACL Anthology - Interdisciplinary: Google Scholar, OpenAlex 6. Document exact search strings for reproducibility ### Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria 1. Define date range (e.g., last 5-10 years for rapidly evolving fields) 2. Specify language restrictions (typically English) 3. Specify publication types (peer-reviewed, preprints, conference papers) 4. Define study design requirements (RCTs, observational, computational) 5. Set domain-specific filters (species, methodology, sample size) 6. Document all criteria BEFORE screening begins ### PRISMA Methodology 1. Record total hits from each database before deduplication 2. Remove duplicates and record count 3. Screen titles and abstracts against inclusion criteria (record excluded count) 4. Full-text review of remaining papers (record excluded with reasons) 5. Report final included studies with PRISMA flow diagram 6. For scoping reviews, use PRISMA-ScR extension ### Screening and Quality Assessment 1. Use two-pass screening: title/abstract first, then full text 2. Apply quality assessment tools appropriate to study type: - RCTs: Cochrane Risk of Bias tool - Observational: Newcastle-Ottawa Scale - ML papers: check reproducibility, dataset validity, statistical rigor 3. Extract data systematically using a predefined extraction form ### Synthesis Approaches 1. **Narrative synthesis**: Organize findings thematically, identify patterns and contradictions 2. **Meta-analysis**: Pool quantitative results when studies are sufficiently homogeneous 3. **Gap analysis**: Explicitly identify what is NOT covered in the literature 4. Summarize key findings per theme with supporting citation counts 5. Highlight conflicting results and possible explanations 6. End with clear statement of research gaps that motivate your study

Frequently asked questions

Literature Search