$npx -y skills add yha9806/academic-writing-toolkit --skill noteRecord reading notes to a structured notes file. Use when the user says "take notes" or "record this" during reading sessions.
| 1 | # /note — Reading Notes Skill |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ## Parallel Routing |
| 4 | |
| 5 | This skill is triggered by: `take notes`, `record this`, `/note`. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | This skill does **not** handle page reading -- that is `/read`. If the user says "read next page and take notes", the `/read` skill handles the reading, and `/note` handles the recording as a second step. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | ## Workflow |
| 10 | |
| 11 | 1. **Identify the current literature** from conversation context -- author, title, year, and the page(s) just discussed. |
| 12 | 2. **Locate or create the notes file** at `literature/reading_notes/{Author}_{ShortTitle}_NOTES.md`. Use Glob to check if the file already exists. The `{Author}` is the last name of the first author. `{ShortTitle}` uses underscores, title case, and omits articles (e.g., `Smith_Methods_NOTES.md`). |
| 13 | 3. **Append content** to the correct section of the notes file. Never overwrite existing content. |
| 14 | 4. **Update the `Last updated` timestamp** at the bottom of the file to today's date. |
| 15 | 5. **Confirm** with a one-line summary: `Recorded: {brief description} -> {filename}` |
| 16 | |
| 17 | ## Default Behavior |
| 18 | |
| 19 | If the user says "take notes" without specifying what to record, default to recording the core analysis from the **last assistant message** -- summary, key terms, and thesis connections. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | ## Notes File Template |
| 22 | |
| 23 | This is the data contract shared across all skills (`/read`, `/note`, `/integrate`, `/map`, `/progress`). When creating a new notes file, use this exact structure: |
| 24 | |
| 25 | ```markdown |
| 26 | # Reading Notes: {Author} -- {Title} ({Year}) |
| 27 | |
| 28 | **Source**: {single-line citation in the project's declared style — see `literature/reading_notes/_template_NOTES.md` for per-style examples; the active style is `Citation style:` in `CLAUDE.md`} |
| 29 | **Date read**: {YYYY-MM-DD} |
| 30 | **Status**: reading |
| 31 | **Relevance**: {which chapter/section this maps to} |
| 32 | |
| 33 | --- |
| 34 | |
| 35 | ## Key Arguments |
| 36 | |
| 37 | - {bullet points summarising the main arguments} |
| 38 | |
| 39 | ## Detailed Notes |
| 40 | |
| 41 | ### p.{N}--{M}: {Section Title} |
| 42 | |
| 43 | > "{direct quote}" (p.{N}) |
| 44 | |
| 45 | {analysis and commentary} |
| 46 | |
| 47 | ## Key Terms |
| 48 | |
| 49 | | Term | Translation | Definition in context | |
| 50 | |------|-------------|----------------------| |
| 51 | |
| 52 | ## Thesis Connections |
| 53 | |
| 54 | | Note Point | Chapter | Section | Connection Type | |
| 55 | |------------|---------|---------|-----------------| |
| 56 | |
| 57 | ## Questions & Follow-ups |
| 58 | |
| 59 | - {open questions for future reading} |
| 60 | |
| 61 | --- |
| 62 | *Last updated: {YYYY-MM-DD}* |
| 63 | ``` |
| 64 | |
| 65 | ## Appending Rules |
| 66 | |
| 67 | When appending to an existing file: |
| 68 | |
| 69 | - **New page notes** go under `## Detailed Notes`, as a new subsection `### p.{N}--{M}: {Title}`. |
| 70 | - **New key terms** are appended to the `## Key Terms` table. |
| 71 | - **New thesis connections** are appended to the `## Thesis Connections` table. |
| 72 | - **New key arguments** are appended to `## Key Arguments` as bullet points. |
| 73 | - **New questions** are appended to `## Questions & Follow-ups`. |
| 74 | |
| 75 | If the section does not exist in the file (e.g., an older file missing `## Thesis Connections`), create it. |
| 76 | |
| 77 | ## Status Field |
| 78 | |
| 79 | - Starts as `reading` when the file is first created. |
| 80 | - Changes to `completed` when the user explicitly says they are done with this text (e.g., "done reading", "mark as complete"). |
| 81 | - Changes to `integrated` after `/integrate` has processed the notes into thesis chapters. |
| 82 | |
| 83 | ## Constraints |
| 84 | |
| 85 | 1. **Append only.** Never overwrite or delete existing content in a notes file. |
| 86 | 2. **No emoji** in any output or file content. |
| 87 | 3. **Always update** the `Last updated` timestamp when modifying a file. |
| 88 | 4. **Status transitions** are explicit: only change status when the user requests it or after `/integrate` completes. |
| 89 | 5. **No hardcoded paths.** Use the project's `literature/reading_notes/` directory relative to the project root. |
| 90 | 6. **One file per text.** Each book, article, or paper gets exactly one notes file. |