Litreview — Academic Literature Orientation
Litreview is an academic literature orientation skill that searches papers via free keyless APIs (PubMed E-utilities and OpenAlex) by default, with an optional Consensus MCP enhancement when available. It builds a strategic search plan using frameworks like PICO, SPIDER, or Decomposition, and synthesizes findings into a formatted Word (.docx) research guide that serves as a launching pad for deeper research.
✨ What it does
- Conducts a grill-me intake with three forcing questions to refine the research question, choose a framework (PICO, SPIDE
- Performs a reconnaissance search to map themes, terminology, and methodological distinctions.
- Generates 4-5 sub-area questions mapped to framework components and presents a checkpoint for user confirmation.
- Executes targeted searches with configurable depth (quick scan, standard review, deep dive) respecting rate limits and u
- Applies cross-search intelligence to identify repeat-hit papers, recurring authors, and citation-per-year heuristics.
- Produces a Word (.docx) research guide with eight sections including topic overview, priority reading order, and bibliog
🎯 When to use it
- When a user starts a literature-oriented research project, such as 'litreview on [topic]' or 'literature review on [topic]'.
- When a user is beginning a paper or research and needs an orientation to an unfamiliar field.
- When a user needs a structured approach to searching academic literature, including framework selection and sub-area generation.
- When a user wants a comprehensive orientation guide (not a quick list of papers) to dive into a topic confidently.
🚀 How to use
Trigger the skill by starting a literature-oriented research request, such as 'litreview on [topic]' or 'I'm starting a literature review on X'. The skill will ask three intake questions (research question, framework hint, tentative depth) one at a time. After a reconnaissance search, it presents a framework breakdown and asks for confirmation before running targeted searches. Finally, it generates a DOCX research guide. Example prompts:
litreview on the effectiveness of AI in clinical diagnosis
I'm writing a paper on climate change adaptation strategies; help me research it.
📄 Output: A formatted Word (.docx) research guide with eight sections, including topic overview, priority reading order, key research groups, and bibliography.
📦 Add this skill to Claude Code
# 1. Get the skills repo
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills /tmp/claude-skills
# 2. Copy this skill into your project (or ~/.claude/skills for all projects)
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/claude-skills/research/litreview/skills/litreview .claude/skills/litreviewSkill source: research/litreview/skills/litreview/SKILL.md
⚠️ Good to know
Requires outbound HTTPS for the free lane (PubMed/OpenAlex) and Node.js with the 'docx' package for document generation; the Consensus MCP is optional and only used if connected.
❓ FAQ
What search sources does Litreview use by default?
By default, it uses free keyless APIs: PubMed E-utilities and OpenAlex. The Consensus MCP is an optional enhancement lane used only when available in the session.
Can I adjust the depth of the search?
Yes, you can choose between Quick scan (5 searches), Standard review (10 searches), or Deep dive (20 searches) during intake and confirm after the framework breakdown.
What if a search returns zero results?
The skill notes it explicitly as either niche terminology or a genuine gap, and never silently fills the gap.
🤖 Overview, features, install steps and FAQ were generated from the project's SKILL.md on Sep 4, 2026. Always check the original source before running commands.