dmccreary/claude-skills/prompts

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 - 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 - 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 templa