Reference Generator Skill

Reference Generator Skill

!!! prompt Please use the skill creator for creating a new skill that creates high-quality references for a textbook. The references should all be verified links. Use the format

1. [Link Title](testing URL) - publication_date - publication_name - description of resource and relevancy to the textbook.

When you generate the references, look at the /docs/course-description.md file for the information such as grade-level, target-audience or prerequisites to gage the level of reader for the references. For example a text for junior-high students should have fun and engaging references.

Generate 10 references for junior-high level texts, 20 for senior-high students, 30 for colleges level students and 40 for grad-school level textbooks.

Use more authoritative peer-reviewed papers for college level references. Place the results of the references in the file /docs/references.md.

Note that some users might want to only add reference to the end of a chapter. If you find chapter content, ask them if they want book-level or chapter-level references.

Claude Code Response

I'll use the skill-creator to help you create a new skill for generating high-quality textbook references.

The "skill-creator" skill is running

The "skill-creator" skill is running

⏺ I'll help you create a high-quality reference generator skill for textbooks. Let me start by understanding the requirements and then create the skill.

⏺ Now let me initialize the skill:

⏺ Bash(python3 $HOME/.claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/init_skill.py reference-generator --path $HOME/.claude/skills/) ⎿  🚀 Initializing skill: reference-generator Location: $HOME/.claude/skills/ … +12 lines (ctrl+o to expand)

⏺ Now let me read the generated SKILL.md and update it:

⏺ Read(~/.claude/skills/reference-generator/SKILL.md) ⎿  Read 86 lines

⏺ Now let me create the comprehensive SKILL.md file:

⏺ Write(~/.claude/skills/reference-generator/SKILL.md) ⎿  Updated ../../../.claude/skills/reference-generator/SKILL.md with 173 additions and 52 removals
1 --- 2 name: reference-generator 3 - description: [TODO: Complete and informative explanation of what the skill does and when to use it. Include WHEN to use this - skill - specific scenarios, file types, or tasks that trigger it.] 3 + description: This skill generates curated, verified reference lists for textbooks with level-appropriate resources (10 for + junior-high, 20 for senior-high, 30 for college, 40 for graduate). References are formatted with links, publication details, and + relevance descriptions. Use this skill when working with intelligent textbooks that need academic references, either book-level + or chapter-level. 4 --- 5
6 # Reference Generator 7
8 ## Overview 9
10 - [TODO: 1-2 sentences explaining what this skill enables] 10 + Generate high-quality, verified reference lists for educational textbooks with level-appropriate content and quantity. The skill + analyzes course descriptions to determine the target audience and creates references that match the readers' level, from fun and + engaging resources for junior-high students to authoritative peer-reviewed papers for graduate students. 11
12 - ## Structuring This Skill 12 + ## When to Use This Skill 13
14 - [TODO: Choose the structure that best fits this skill's purpose. Common patterns: 14 + Use this skill when: 15 + - Creating a new intelligent textbook that needs a comprehensive reference list 16 + - Adding references to an existing textbook 17 + - Updating or expanding references for educational content 18 + - A user explicitly requests reference generation 19
20 - 1. Workflow-Based (best for sequential processes) 21 - - Works well when there are clear step-by-step procedures 22 - - Example: DOCX skill with "Workflow Decision Tree" → "Reading" → "Creating" → "Editing" 23 - - Structure: ## Overview → ## Workflow Decision Tree → ## Step 1 → ## Step 2... 20 + ## Reference Generation Workflow 21
22 - 2. Task-Based (best for tool collections) 23 - - Works well when the skill offers different operations/capabilities 24 - - Example: PDF skill with "Quick Start" → "Merge PDFs" → "Split PDFs" → "Extract Text" 25 - - Structure: ## Overview → ## Quick Start → ## Task Category 1 → ## Task Category 2... 22 + ### Step 1: Analyze the Course Description 23
24 - 3. Reference/Guidelines (best for standards or specifications) 25 - - Works well for brand guidelines, coding standards, or requirements 26 - - Example: Brand styling with "Brand Guidelines" → "Colors" → "Typography" → "Features" 27 - - Structure: ## Overview → ## Guidelines → ## Specifications → ## Usage... 24 + Read the /docs/course-description.md file to determine: 25 + - Grade level or target audience (junior-high, senior-high, college, graduate) 26 + - Prerequisites - indicates reader sophistication 27 + - Subject matter - determines reference topics 28 + - Learning objectives - guides reference selection 29
30 - 4. Capabilities-Based (best for integrated systems) 31 - - Works well when the skill provides multiple interrelated features 32 - - Example: Product Management with "Core Capabilities" → numbered capability list 33 - - Structure: ## Overview → ## Core Capabilities → ### 1. Feature → ### 2. Feature... 30 + The grade level determines: 31 + - Junior-high (middle school): 10 references - fun, engaging, visual resources 32 + - Senior-high (high school): 20 references - mix of accessible and academic sources 33 + - College (undergraduate): 30 references - more academic, some peer-reviewed papers 34 + - Graduate (masters/PhD): 40 references - heavily peer-reviewed, authoritative sources 35
36 - Patterns can be mixed and matched as needed. Most skills combine patterns (e.g., start with task-based, add workflow for complex - operations). 36 + ### Step 2: Check for Chapter-Level Content 37
38 - Delete this entire "Structuring This Skill" section when done - it's just guidance.] 38 + Before generating references, search for chapter content in the textbook: 39
40 - ## [TODO: Replace with the first main section based on chosen structure] 40 + bash 41 + # Look for chapter files 42 + find /docs -name "chapter*.md" -o -name "*-chapter-*.md" 43 + 44
45 - [TODO: Add content here. See examples in existing skills: 46 - - Code samples for technical skills 47 - - Decision trees for complex workflows 48 - - Concrete examples with realistic user requests 49 - - References to scripts/templates/references as needed] 45 + If chapter content exists, use the AskUserQuestion tool to ask: 46 + - "Would you like book-level references (in /docs/references.md) or chapter-level references (at the end of each chapter)?" 47
48 - ## Resources 48 + ### Step 3: Generate References with Verification 49
50 - This skill includes example resource directories that demonstrate how to organize different types of bundled resources: 50 + For each reference, perform the following: 51
52 - ### scripts/ 53 - Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.) that can be run directly to perform specific operations. 52 + 1. Search for authoritative sources using WebSearch tool 53 + 2. Verify each URL using WebFetch to ensure the link is valid and accessible 54 + 3. Format according to the standard template (see Format Specification below) 55
56 - Examples from other skills: 57 - - PDF skill: fill_fillable_fields.py, extract_form_field_info.py - utilities for PDF manipulation 58 - - DOCX skill: document.py, utilities.py - Python modules for document processing 56 + Quality Guidelines by Level: 57
58 - Appropriate for: Python scripts, shell scripts, or any executable code that performs automation, data processing, or - specific operations. 58 + Junior-High (10 references): 59 + - Educational websites with interactive content 60 + - Videos from reputable educational channels 61 + - Visual resources, infographics, and animations 62 + - Age-appropriate articles from educational publishers 63 + - Museums, science centers, and educational organizations 64
65 - Note: Scripts may be executed without loading into context, but can still be read by Claude for patching or environment - adjustments. 65 + Senior-High (20 references): 66 + - Mix of educational websites and academic sources 67 + - Reputable news organizations and science journalism 68 + - Educational videos and documentaries 69 + - Introduction to academic journals (more accessible papers) 70 + - Government and NGO educational resources 71
72 - ### references/ 73 - Documentation and reference material intended to be loaded into context to inform Claude's process and thinking. 72 + College (30 references): 73 + - Peer-reviewed journal articles (50%+ of references) 74 + - Academic textbooks and monographs 75 + - University course materials and lectures 76 + - Research institution publications 77 + - Industry white papers and technical reports 78
79 - Examples from other skills: 80 - - Product management: communication.md, context_building.md - detailed workflow guides 81 - - BigQuery: API reference documentation and query examples 82 - - Finance: Schema documentation, company policies 79 + Graduate (40 references): 80 + - Heavily weighted toward peer-reviewed journals (70%+ of references) 81 + - Seminal papers in the field 82 + - Recent research (last 5 years) showing current state of field 83 + - Meta-analyses and systematic reviews 84 + - Academic books from university presses 85
86 - Appropriate for: In-depth documentation, API references, database schemas, comprehensive guides, or any detailed information - that Claude should reference while working. 86 + ### Step 4: Format Each Reference 87
88 - ### assets/ 89 - Files not intended to be loaded into context, but rather used within the output Claude produces. 88 + Use the following format for every reference: 89
90 - Examples from other skills: 91 - - Brand styling: PowerPoint template files (.pptx), logo files 92 - - Frontend builder: HTML/React boilerplate project directories 93 - - Typography: Font files (.ttf, .woff2) 90 + markdown 91 + 1. [Link Title](URL) - YYYY-MM-DD - Publication Name - Brief description of resource and specific relevance to the textbook + topic. 92 + 93
94 - Appropriate for: Templates, boilerplate code, document templates, images, icons, fonts, or any files meant to be copied or - used in the final output. 94 + Format Specifications: 95 + - Link Title: Exact title of the article, paper, video, or resource 96 + - URL: Verified, working link (use WebFetch to confirm) 97 + - Date: Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format (use YYYY-MM or YYYY if day/month unavailable) 98 + - Publication Name: Journal, website, organization, or publisher 99 + - Description: 1-2 sentences explaining what the resource covers and why it's relevant to this specific textbook 100
101 + Example References: 102 +
103 + markdown 104 + 1. [How Neural Networks Really Work](https://distill.pub/2020/circuits/zoom-in/) - 2020-03-10 - Distill - Interactive + visualization explaining the inner workings of neural networks through explorable explanations, perfect for visual learners + beginning their ML journey. 105 + 106 + 2. [Attention Is All You Need](https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762) - 2017-06-12 - arXiv - Seminal paper introducing the + Transformer architecture that revolutionized natural language processing and forms the foundation for modern LLMs like GPT and + BERT. 107 + 108 + 3. [Khan Academy: Introduction to Algorithms](https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/algorithms) - 2024-01-15 - + Khan Academy - Free, interactive course covering fundamental algorithms including sorting and searching, with visualizations and + practice exercises suitable for high school students. 109 + 110 +
111 + ### Step 5: Write References to File 112 +
113 + For book-level references: 114 + Create or overwrite /docs/references.md with: 115 +
116 + markdown 117 + # References 118 + 119 + This textbook draws upon the following high-quality resources: 120 + 121 + [Generated numbered list of references] 122 + 123 --- 124 + *References last updated: [Current Date]* 125 + 126
127 - Any unneeded directories can be deleted. Not every skill requires all three types of resources. 127 + For chapter-level references: 128 + Append to each chapter file (e.g., /docs/chapter-01.md): 129 +
130 + markdown 131 + 132 + ## References 133 + 134 + [Generated numbered list of references for this chapter] 135 + 136 +
137 + ### Step 6: Validation and Reporting 138 +
139 + After generating references: 140 +
141 + 1. Count the references to ensure correct quantity for level 142 + 2. Verify all URLs were checked with WebFetch 143 + 3. Report summary to user: 144 + - Number of references generated 145 + - Target level identified 146 + - File location 147 + - Any URLs that failed verification (if any) 148 +
149 + ## URL Verification Process 150 +
151 + Critical: Every URL must be verified before inclusion. 152 +
153 + python 154 + # Use WebFetch for each URL 155 + WebFetch(url=reference_url, prompt="Is this page accessible? Provide the title and a brief description of the content.") 156 + 157 +
158 + If a URL returns an error or redirect: 159 + - Try to find an updated or archived version 160 + - Use Internet Archive / Wayback Machine if appropriate 161 + - Skip the reference if no valid URL exists 162 + - Note in the report any references that couldn't be verified 163 +
164 + ## Reference Quality Checklist 165 +
166 + Before finalizing references, ensure: 167 + - [ ] Correct quantity for target level (10/20/30/40) 168 + - [ ] All URLs verified and accessible 169 + - [ ] Publication dates included 170 + - [ ] Mix of resource types (articles, videos, papers) 171 + - [ ] Descriptions explain relevance to textbook 172 + - [ ] Academic rigor matches target audience 173 + - [ ] No duplicate sources 174 + - [ ] Proper formatting throughout 175 +
176 + ## Example Usage Scenarios 177 +
178 + Scenario 1: New textbook 179 + 180 + User: "Generate references for my textbook" 181 + → Read /docs/course-description.md 182 + → Identify level (e.g., college) 183 + → Check for chapters (none found) 184 + → Generate 30 verified references 185 + → Write to /docs/references.md 186 + 187 +
188 + Scenario 2: Existing textbook with chapters 189 + 190 + User: "Add references to my course" 191 + → Read /docs/course-description.md 192 + → Find chapter files exist 193 + → Ask: "Book-level or chapter-level references?" 194 + → User selects chapter-level 195 + → Generate references for each chapter 196 + → Append to each chapter file 197 + 198 +
199 + ## Resources 200 +
201 + This skill uses web-based verification tools built into Claude Code: 202 + - WebSearch: Find authoritative sources on topics 203 + - WebFetch: Verify URLs are accessible and extract metadata 204 + - AskUserQuestion: Clarify book-level vs chapter-level preference 205 +
206 + No additional scripts, references, or assets are required for this skill.

⏺ Now let me clean up the example files that aren't needed:

⏺ Bash(rm -rf $HOME/.claude/skills/reference-generator/scripts $HOME/.claude/skills/reference-generator/references $HOME/.claude/skills/reference-genera…) ⎿  (No content)

⏺ Now let me package the skill:

⏺ Bash(python3 $HOME/.claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py $HOME/.claude/skills/reference-generator) ⎿  📦 Packaging skill: $HOME/.claude/skills/reference-generator

 🔍 Validating skill...
 … +5 lines (ctrl+o to expand)

⏺ Perfect! I've successfully created the reference-generator skill for creating high-quality textbook references. Here's what was created:

Skill Overview

The reference-generator skill automatically creates curated, verified reference lists for educational textbooks with the following features:

Key Features

1. Level-Appropriate Quantities - Junior-high: 10 references (fun, engaging, visual) - Senior-high: 20 references (mix of accessible and academic) - College: 30 references (50%+ peer-reviewed) - Graduate: 40 references (70%+ peer-reviewed)
2. Automatic Level Detection - Reads /docs/course-description.md to identify target audience - Analyzes grade level, prerequisites, and learning objectives - Adjusts reference quality and quantity accordingly
3. URL Verification - Every URL is verified using WebFetch before inclusion - Handles redirects and broken links - Suggests archived versions if needed
4. Flexible Output - Book-level references → /docs/references.md - Chapter-level references → appended to each chapter - Automatically detects existing chapters and asks user preference
5. Proper Formatting - Format: Title - YYYY-MM-DD - Publication - Description and relevance - Includes publication dates and source names - Descriptions explain relevance to the specific textbook

Workflow

When invoked, the skill will:

1. Analyze the course description to determine level
2. Check for existing chapter content
3. Ask user preference (book-level or chapter-level) if chapters exist
4. Generate appropriate number of references with verification
5. Format and write to the correct location
6. Report summary with any issues

Package Location

The skill has been packaged and saved to: $HOME/Documents/ws/claude-skills/reference-generator.zip

The skill is also installed in your skills directory at: ~/.claude/skills/reference-generator/

You can now use this skill by invoking it when working on textbook projects that need references!