# Contribute Skills Via Pr

> Step-by-step guidance for contributing a new skill to the NeuroAIHub/awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills repository via GitHub Pull Request, including SKILL.md format requirements, quality rules, and PR checklist

- Skill: `neuroaihub/contribute-skills-via-pr` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add neuroaihub/contribute-skills-via-pr`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/neuroaihub/contribute-skills-via-pr/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: neuroaihub (https://skillmd.com/u/neuroaihub)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/neuroaihub/contribute-skills-via-pr

---


# Contribute Skills via PR

## Purpose

This skill encodes the complete workflow for contributing a new skill to the [NeuroAIHub/awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills](https://github.com/NeuroAIHub/awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills) repository via GitHub Pull Request. It covers SKILL.md format requirements, quality rules enforced by maintainers, the PR submission process, and the no-Git alternative.

## When to Use This Skill

Activate when the user:
- Wants to contribute a skill to the NeuroAIHub community repository
- Asks how to submit a PR to `awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills`
- Wants to know the SKILL.md format or quality requirements for this repository
- Asks about the review process or PR checklist for this repo

## Research Planning Protocol

1. **State the contribution goal** — What domain knowledge does the new skill encode? Is it a new skill, an improvement, or a verification?
2. **Check for overlap** — Confirm the skill does not duplicate an existing one (see overlap checklist below).
3. **Declare the skill structure** — Outline the sections and key parameters before writing.
4. **Note quality constraints** — All numerical parameters need citations; no page numbers; under 500 lines.
5. **Present the plan and WAIT for user confirmation** before writing the SKILL.md.

## Verification Notice

> This skill was generated by AI from direct inspection of the NeuroAIHub/awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills repository (April 2026). Repository requirements may change — always check the current CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting. If you find errors, please open an issue.

## Step 1: Check for Overlap

Before writing, verify your skill does not duplicate an existing one. Current skills include (41 total):

`eeg-preprocessing-pipeline-guide`, `erp-analysis`, `mne-python-guide`, `fmri-preprocessing-pipeline-guide`, `fmri-glm-analysis-guide`, `fmri-task-design-guide`, `brain-connectivity-modeler`, `neural-decoding-analysis`, `neural-population-analysis-guide`, `calcium-imaging-analysis-guide`, `lesion-symptom-mapping-guide`, `optogenetics-protocol-designer`, `spiking-network-model-builder`, `drift-diffusion-model`, `bayesian-cognitive-model-builder`, `act-r-model-builder`, `evidence-accumulation-selector`, `parameter-recovery-checker`, `signal-detection-analysis`, `cogsci-statistics`, `cogsci-power-analysis`, `cogsci-visualization`, `neuroimaging-power-guide`, `neuroimaging-sample-size-calculator`, `cognitive-paradigm-design`, `eeg-paradigm-designer`, `divergent-thinking-scoring`, `alternative-uses-task-designer`, `creativity-self-efficacy-mediation`, `reading-time-analysis`, `self-paced-reading-designer`, `sentence-stimulus-norming`, `infant-looking-time-designer`, `tom-task-selector`, `neuropsych-battery-selector`, `visual-search-array-generator`, `research-literacy`, `paper-to-skill`, `contribute-skill`, `verify-skill`, `share-case`

## Step 2: Write the SKILL.md

### Required YAML Frontmatter

Skill name may only contain lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. The name must match the folder name.

```yaml
---
name: "my-skill-name"
description: "One-sentence summary of the domain knowledge encoded"
domain: "your-domain"
version: "1.0.0"
authors:
  - "Your Name"
papers:
  - "Author et al., Year"
dependencies:
  required:
    - research-literacy
review_status: "ai-generated"
---
```

Mandatory fields: `name`, `description`, `review_status`. All others are recommended.

### Required Sections (in this order)

1. **Purpose** — What domain knowledge this skill encodes and why it is useful
2. **When to Use** — Trigger conditions that activate this skill
3. **Research Planning Protocol** — The standard 5-step preamble (copy template below)
4. **Verification Notice** — The standard AI disclaimer (copy template below)
5. **Domain-specific content** — The actual skill logic with cited parameters

### Research Planning Protocol Template

```markdown
## Research Planning Protocol

1. **State the research question** — ...
2. **Justify the method choice** — ...
3. **Declare expected outcomes** — ...
4. **Note assumptions and limitations** — ...
5. **Present the plan to the user and WAIT for confirmation** before proceeding.
```

### Verification Notice Template

```markdown
## Verification Notice

> This skill was generated by AI from academic literature. All parameters,
> thresholds, and citations require independent verification before use in
> research. If you find errors, please open an issue at
> https://github.com/NeuroAIHub/awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills/issues.
```

### Quality Rules

| Rule | Requirement |
|------|-------------|
| Skill name | Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. Must match the folder name. e.g., `my-new-skill` |
| Citations | All numerical parameters must have `(Author, Year)` |
| No page numbers | Use `(Luck, 2014)` NOT `(Luck, 2014, p. 187)` |
| Line limit | SKILL.md must be **under 500 lines** |
| Directory name | kebab-case, must match the `name` field in YAML frontmatter |
| Commit prefix | `feat:`, `fix:`, `docs:`, or `refactor:` |

## Step 3: Submit via Git PR

```bash
# 1. Fork on GitHub, then clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills.git
cd awesome_cognitive_and_neuroscience_skills

# 2. Create a feature branch
git checkout -b feat/<skill-name>

# 3. Create skill directory and add files
mkdir -p skills/<skill-name>
# copy your SKILL.md into skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
# optionally: mkdir skills/<skill-name>/references

# 4. Commit and push
git add skills/<skill-name>/
git commit -m "feat: add <skill-name> skill for <one-line description>"
git push origin feat/<skill-name>

# 5. Open PR on GitHub against the master branch
```

### PR Template Checklist

When opening the PR, all items must be checked:

- [ ] SKILL.md has required YAML frontmatter (`name`, `description`, `review_status`)
- [ ] Includes Research Planning Protocol section
- [ ] Includes Verification Notice section
- [ ] All numerical parameters have `(Author, Year)` citations
- [ ] Citations do not contain specific page numbers
- [ ] SKILL.md is under 500 lines
- [ ] Directory name uses kebab-case
- [ ] Commit messages use conventional prefixes (`feat:`, `fix:`, `docs:`, etc.)

## Alternative: No-Git Contribution

If you prefer not to use Git, use the `contribute-skill` meta-skill inside Claude Code:

1. Say **"contribute a skill"** in Claude Code
2. The meta-skill generates a SKILL.md interactively
3. It submits the skill as a GitHub Issue with the `community-skill` label
4. Maintainers review and merge on your behalf

## After Submission

Maintainers may request changes such as:
- Adding missing `(Author, Year)` citations
- Removing page numbers from citations
- Reducing line count if over 500
- Clarifying the Research Planning Protocol or Verification Notice

Use the `verify-skill` meta-skill to self-review your SKILL.md before submitting to catch common issues early.