Reference Generator

Reference Generator

Overview

Generate high-quality, curated reference lists for educational textbooks. Each chapter receives exactly 10 references, prioritizing Wikipedia articles first for reliability, followed by authoritative online resources. References are stored in separate references.md files for token-efficient maintenance by AI agents.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Creating a new intelligent textbook that needs chapter references
• Adding references to an existing textbook
• Updating or expanding references for educational content
• A user explicitly requests reference generation

Key Principles

10 References Per Chapter

Every chapter receives exactly 10 high-quality references:

• References 1-3: Wikipedia articles (most reliable, always accessible)
• References 4-5: Authoritative textbooks (title, author, publisher - no URLs that break)
• References 6-10: Online resources (tutorials, courses, verified working links)

Wikipedia First

Wikipedia links are placed first because they:

• Have stable, reliable URLs that rarely break
• Provide comprehensive, well-sourced overviews
• Are freely accessible to all students
• Cover most technical topics thoroughly
• Are maintained and updated by the community

Separate Reference Files

References are stored in separate references.md files (not inline in chapters) for:

• Token efficiency: ~150 tokens vs ~6,000 tokens to read/update
• Batch processing: Agents can glob **/references.md for bulk updates
• Separation of concerns: Chapter edits don't risk breaking references

Reference Generation Workflow

Step 1: Analyze the Course Description

Read the /docs/course-description.md file to determine:

• Subject matter - determines reference topics
• Target audience - guides complexity of descriptions
• Learning objectives - ensures references support goals

Step 2: Identify Chapter Structure

Locate all chapter directories:

# Find chapter folders
ls docs/chapters/

For each chapter, read the chapter index.md to understand:

• Chapter title and topic
• Key concepts covered
• Learning objectives

Step 3: Generate 10 References Per Chapter

For each chapter, create exactly 10 references following this priority:

Positions 1-3: Wikipedia Articles

Find the most relevant Wikipedia articles for the chapter's main concepts:

1. [Concept Name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_Name) - Wikipedia - Description of article content and relevance to chapter.

Positions 4-5: Textbooks (No URL)

Reference authoritative textbooks without URLs (which often break):

4. Textbook Title (Edition) - Author Name - Publisher - Description of relevant chapters and why this textbook is valuable.

Positions 6-10: Online Resources

Verified online tutorials, courses, and educational sites:

6. [Resource Title](https://verified-url.com/path) - Source Name - Description of content and specific relevance to chapter topics.

Step 4: Verify Online URLs

For references 6-10, verify each URL:

WebFetch(url=reference_url, prompt="Is this page accessible? What is the main topic?")

Preferred sources (stable, educational):

• All About Circuits (allaboutcircuits.com)
• Electronics Tutorials (electronics-tutorials.ws)
• ChipVerify (chipverify.com)
• HDLBits (hdlbits.01xz.net)
• Nandland (nandland.com)
• MIT OpenCourseWare (ocw.mit.edu)
• GeeksforGeeks (geeksforgeeks.org)
• Digilent Reference (digilent.com/reference)

Step 5: Write Reference Files

Create a references.md file in each chapter directory:

File location: docs/chapters/XX-chapter-name/references.md

File format:

# References: [Chapter Title]

1. [Wikipedia Article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topic) - Wikipedia - Comprehensive overview of [topic] including [specific aspects relevant to chapter].

2. [Wikipedia Article 2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topic2) - Wikipedia - Detailed explanation of [concept] with [relevant details].

3. [Wikipedia Article 3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topic3) - Wikipedia - Coverage of [related topic] including [applications/examples].

4. Textbook Title (Edition) - Author Name - Publisher - Chapter X covers [specific topics] with [teaching approach/examples].

5. Textbook Title 2 - Author Name - Publisher - Provides [specific value] for understanding [chapter concepts].

6. [Online Resource](https://verified-url.com) - Source - Tutorial on [topic] with [specific features like examples, exercises, visualizations].

7. [Online Resource 2](https://verified-url.com) - Source - [Description of content and relevance].

8. [Online Resource 3](https://verified-url.com) - Source - [Description of content and relevance].

9. [Online Resource 4](https://verified-url.com) - Source - [Description of content and relevance].

10. [Online Resource 5](https://verified-url.com) - Source - [Description of content and relevance].

Step 6: Update Chapter Files

Add a link at the end of each chapter's index.md:

[See Annotated References](./references.md)

Important: Replace any existing ## References section with this single link.

Step 7: Update mkdocs.yml Navigation

Add references to the navigation for each chapter:

- Chapters:
  - 1. Chapter Name:
    - Content: chapters/01-chapter-folder/index.md
    - Quiz: chapters/01-chapter-folder/quiz.md
    - Annotated References: chapters/01-chapter-folder/references.md

Reference Quality Guidelines

Description Requirements

Each reference description should:

• Explain what the resource covers (1 sentence)
• Explain why it's relevant to this chapter (1 sentence)
• Mention specific features (examples, exercises, visualizations)
• Be 20-40 words total

Good example:

1. [Karnaugh map](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnaugh_map) - Wikipedia - Detailed explanation of K-map theory, grouping rules, and don't-care conditions. Essential foundation for the simplification techniques covered in this chapter.

Bad example:

1. [Karnaugh map](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnaugh_map) - Wikipedia - About K-maps.

Wikipedia Article Selection

Choose Wikipedia articles that:

• Cover the chapter's primary concepts
• Have substantial content (not stubs)
• Include diagrams, examples, or formulas
• Link to related topics students might explore

Textbook Selection

Reference textbooks that:

• Are widely used in the field
• Have strong reputations
• Cover the chapter's topics in depth
• Are reasonably accessible to students

Online Resource Selection

Choose online resources that:

• Have verified, working URLs
• Come from educational or reputable technical sources
• Provide practical examples or exercises
• Complement (not duplicate) Wikipedia content

Reference Quality Checklist

Before finalizing references, ensure:

• Exactly 10 references per chapter
• References 1-3 are Wikipedia articles
• References 4-5 are textbooks (no URLs)
• References 6-10 have verified working URLs
• All descriptions are 20-40 words
• Descriptions explain relevance to chapter
• No duplicate sources across references
• Proper formatting throughout

File Structure After Generation

docs/chapters/
├── 01-chapter-name/
│   ├── index.md          # Ends with: [See Annotated References](./references.md)
│   ├── quiz.md
│   └── references.md     # 10 curated references
├── 02-chapter-name/
│   ├── index.md
│   ├── quiz.md
│   └── references.md
...

Token Efficiency Benefits

Finish

After generating references:

1. Report the number of chapters processed
2. List any URLs that failed verification
3. Confirm mkdocs.yml was updated
4. Remind user to verify the site builds: mkdocs serve

Resources

This skill uses web-based verification tools built into Claude Code:

• WebSearch: Find authoritative sources on topics
• WebFetch: Verify URLs are accessible and extract metadata
• Glob: Find all chapter directories and reference files
• Write: Create reference files
• Edit: Update chapter files and mkdocs.yml

No additional scripts or assets are required for this skill.