Read Paper

Reading Paper Folders

Paper folders are exported by ZoFiles from Zotero. Each folder is named {arxivId} - {title} and contains structured files about one academic paper.

Paper Library Location

The paper library is at:

<FILL_IN: ask the user for their ZoFiles export root path, then update this file>

First-use setup: If the path above says <FILL_IN...> or doesn't exist, ask the user: "What's the path to your ZoFiles paper library?" Then:

1. Update the path above
2. Run scan-library.sh to populate the directory snapshot (see Updating the Directory Snapshot)

Directory Structure

The library mirrors Zotero's collection hierarchy. Collections become directories, sub-collections become subdirectories, and paper folders sit at the leaves.

Key patterns:

• Allin/ directories appear when a collection has subcollections — contains all papers from that collection and every descendant (flat view of the entire subtree).
• Paper folders are named {arxivId} - {title} (e.g. 2512.18832 - From Word to World...).
• Find by arXiv ID: glob **/2512.18832* from the library root.
• Browse a topic: list the corresponding collection directory.
• See all papers: glob **/paper.md or **/arxiv.id recursively.

Current Library Snapshot

<FILL_IN: run the scan script below to populate this snapshot>

Use this snapshot to quickly orient yourself when the user asks about topics, collections, or paper counts — no need to scan the filesystem each time.

Updating the Directory Snapshot

When the user asks to update the directory structure (e.g. "更新目录", "update directory", "refresh library"):

bash .claude/skills/read-paper/scripts/scan-library.sh "<library_root>"

Then replace the content between <!-- AUTO-GENERATED --> and <!-- END AUTO-GENERATED --> markers in this file with the new output (wrapped in a ```code block), and update the<!-- Last updated: ... --> date.

Files in a Paper Folder

Not all files may be present. If a file is missing (e.g. no kimi.md or paper.md), skip it gracefully and work with what's available. Never tell the user a file "should" exist — just use alternative sources. For example, if paper.md is missing, fall back to paper.pdf; if kimi.md is missing, just read paper.md directly.

How to Read paper.md

paper.md starts with YAML frontmatter, then a table of contents, then the full text:

---
title: "Paper Title"
authors: ["Author 1", "Author 2"]
url: "https://arxiv.org/abs/XXXX.XXXXX"
sections: 27
estimated_tokens: "12.9k"
---
## Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Related Works
  - 2.1 ...
...

Reading strategy:

1. Always start with frontmatter + ToC — gives you structure, size, and lets you plan what to read
2. Read selectively — use the ToC to jump to relevant sections; don't read the whole paper unless asked
3. Quick overview → Introduction + Conclusion
4. Methodology → Methods/Approach section
5. Results → Experiments/Results/Evaluation sections

For large papers (>15k tokens), use offset/limit on the Read tool. Ask yourself which sections actually answer the user's question.

Citations

Always read paper.bib and copy the BibTeX entry exactly as-is. Never modify, reformat, or regenerate BibTeX — hand-generated citations often contain errors. The exported BibTeX is sourced from arXiv and is authoritative.

Common Tasks