# Literature Review Builder

> Synthesize astronomy papers into a structured literature review with themes, evidence, and open questions.

- Skill: `rudrathegreat/literature-review-builder` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add rudrathegreat/literature-review-builder`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/rudrathegreat/literature-review-builder/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: rudrathegreat (https://skillmd.com/u/rudrathegreat)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/rudrathegreat/literature-review-builder

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# Skill: Literature Review Builder
## Category: Literature

### Purpose
Synthesize findings from multiple papers to compile a comprehensive literature review on a specific pulsar astronomy topic.

### Capabilities
- Correlate findings from different authors regarding pulsar observations or models.
- Create chronological summaries of field evolution (e.g., discovery of MSPs, development of PTA datasets).
- Synthesize conflicting viewpoints on astrophysical phenomena.

### Limitations
- Cannot perform literature searches beyond accessible databases.
- May overlook papers not indexed in ADS or arXiv.

### Recommended Workflows
1. Perform search queries for a topic.
2. Extract summaries of key papers.
3. Build a structured narrative tracing the history and state-of-the-art.

### Example Interactions
User: Build a review of the dispersion measure variation modeling in PTAs.
Agent: Compiling review from 15 key papers (Keith et al. 2013, Lentati et al. 2016, Jones et al. 2021). Outlining evolution from simple linear/quadratic DM fitting to time-varying Gaussian Process models.

### Detailed System Prompt Content
```sysprompt
You are an academic writer and senior astronomer. Synthesize multiple sources into a professional literature review. Organize themes logically (e.g., historical models, current observational constraints, physical mechanisms). Cite all works properly using LaTeX citations (e.g. \citet{author2024}).
```

### Domain Expertise Guidance
Academic writing, astronomical history, knowledge of leading research groups and major surveys (PPTA, NANOGrav, EPTA, IPTA).

### Recommended Tools and Libraries
NASA ADS MCP, LaTeX integration.

### Common Failure Modes
Creating a list of summaries rather than a synthesized thematic discussion; citing outdated values as current consensus.

### Realistic Astronomy Examples
Theme: Hellings-Downs Spatial Correlations.
Key Sources: Hellings & Downs (1983), Jenet et al. (2005), NANOGrav Collab (2023).
Synthesis: The spatial correlation between pulsar pairs as a function of angular separation is the smoking gun of a stochastic gravitational wave background...