mengzili RGC Proposal Literature Search & Citation Generation
Literature Requirements for RGC Proposals
- References are included within the 15-page limit (GRF) or 20-page limit (CRF) — be selective
- Aim for 30–50 references, prioritizing quality over quantity
- Emphasize recent publications (last 5 years) to show awareness of current state of the field
- Include seminal/foundational works in the area
- Include your own relevant publications to demonstrate track record
- Do NOT omit key works by likely reviewers in the field
- Ensure a balanced mix of international and local (Hong Kong-based) publications where relevant
- Citation format: typically author-date or numbered, following RGC's or your institution's template
Literature Search
OpenAlex API (Free, no API key required)
Script: scripts/search_literature.py
Basic usage:
- Search by keywords, sorted by citation count
- Filter by publication year
- Sort by publication date (to find the latest papers)
- Compact output (one line per paper)
Returns: Title, authors, journal, year, DOI, citation count, abstract
Search strategy:
- Start with broad keywords to survey the landscape
- Narrow with specific terms for your research niche
- Check high-citation papers (foundational works) and recent papers (cutting edge)
- Verify you haven't missed key contributions from prominent researchers in the field
- Search for review articles to ensure comprehensive coverage
Citation Generation
wenxian
wenxian is an academic citation generation tool that produces standard citation formats from DOI, PMID, arXiv ID, and other identifiers.
Script: scripts/generate_references.py
Common Citation Formats for RGC Proposals
RGC does not strictly mandate a citation format, but consistency is essential. Common choices:
Numbered format [1], [2], ...:
[1] Author1, A.B., Author2, C.D., et al. Title of the paper. Journal Name, Volume(Issue): Pages, Year.
Author-date format (APA-style):
Author1, A.B., & Author2, C.D. (Year). Title of the paper. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Pages. https://doi.org/xxx
Choose one format and apply it consistently throughout the proposal.
Complete Workflow
- Define your research area and key search terms
- Use
search_literature.pyto search for relevant literature - Select ~30–50 most relevant references
- Collect all DOIs into a text file (one per line)
- Use
generate_references.pyto generate formatted citations - Verify format consistency
- Cross-check that no critical references are missing
- Ensure your own relevant publications are included