Guide · Agent skill
How to use the ljg-paper agent skill to explain research papers
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
ljg-paper is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions that tells an AI agent how to handle one kind of task. This one is for reading research papers. When you share an arXiv link, a PDF, a local file or a paper title, the agent explains what the paper studies, what the authors contributed, how their findings follow, and what the evidence does not establish. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what to check before relying on its output.
ljg-paper: 论文讲解笔记lijigang/ljg-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the ljg-paper ZIP from this page and unzip it so the ljg-paper folder is intact.
- 2Place it where the agent can find it. Copy the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into the project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills instead.
- 3Confirm the requirements. Make sure you can reach the paper through an arXiv link, PDF, local file or title, and install Bun if you want the validation script to run.
- 4Ask for an explanation. Share the paper and say you want it explained for a reader without specialist background, adding any background you want the explanation to assume.
- 5Review the saved note. Open the Markdown or Org note saved under ~/Context/ and check that it states the research question, the contribution and the limits of the evidence.
- 6Run the validator. Run scripts/validate_note.ts on the note with the --map option pointing to the paper-map research record, then read the output.
What the ljg-paper skill makes the agent do
The skill is written for readers without a specialist background in the paper's field. The agent starts from things a reader can follow directly, identifies the research question, explains the authors' contribution in plain language, and then shows how the key evidence supports or limits the conclusions.
The output is a saved Markdown note, by default under ~/Context/, together with a structured research record. The skill's notes say the agent may use everyday examples and sometimes ASCII diagrams where a diagram reduces the effort of following a relationship.
- Explains what the paper studies and what problem existing approaches leave unsolved
- Describes the authors' contribution and how their method or evidence works
- Separates what the paper shows from what it does not establish
- Saves the explanation as a Markdown note with a research record alongside it
What the skill is not for
The skill is aimed at explanation, not critique. The source explicitly excludes formal peer review, reproducing experiments, extracting benchmark tables and writing literature surveys across many papers. If you need a judgement of a paper's quality, pick a tool or process designed for that instead.
- Formal peer review or judging a paper's quality
- Reproducing experiments
- Extracting benchmark tables
- Literature surveys across many papers
Install the ljg-paper skill
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. For a personal install, place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
The skill folder contains SKILL.md, ReadingGuide.md, references/paper-map.md, a scripts/ folder and an evals/ folder.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Check the requirements before you start
The skill needs access to the paper text. That can be an arXiv link, a PDF, a local file or a paper title, and the agent must be able to reach the source. The skill runs scripts and uses the network.
The validation script runs on the Bun runtime. Emacs with Denote and consult-notes is referenced for read-back checks, but it is optional for getting the explanation itself.
- Access to the paper text: arXiv link, PDF, local file or title
- Bun runtime, needed to run scripts/validate_note.ts
- Emacs with Denote and consult-notes, optional and used for read-back checks
- The skill runs scripts and uses the network
Trigger the skill with a natural request
You do not need a special command. The skill's description says it applies when you share an arXiv link, paper URL, PDF, local paper or paper title, or ask the agent to read, explain, analyze or understand a paper. Give the paper and say what you want, for example whether you want a plain explanation or a saved note.
If you only want a spoken explanation with nothing saved, say so. The skill's workflow allows a direct explanation without saving a file.
- Read this paper and explain it to me without specialist background: [link]
- Explain what this PDF studies and what the authors contributed
- Analyze this paper title and tell me what the evidence does not show
- Just explain this paper out loud, don't save a file
Save and validate the note
By default the note is an Org file saved to ~/Context/, named in Denote style as a timestamp, then paper and a method or keyword, ending in __paper.org. Once the note is written, the skill says to run the validation script, which checks the note's format and fields. The script does not prove that the article is easy to understand.
Before a note is marked as passing, the skill asks for read-back checks in Emacs and an independent reading check by a reviewer who reads only the final note. If a check cannot be done, the agent should say which part is incomplete.
- Default location: ~/Context/
- Filename pattern: timestamp, then paper and a keyword, then __paper.org
- The validator checks format and fields only
bun {skill_dir}/scripts/validate_note.ts /absolute/path/to/note.org --map /absolute/path/to/paper-map.mdWhat people use it for
- Understanding what a preprint's authors actually tested and what their conclusion depends on
- Preparing to explain a paper to classmates or colleagues in your own words
- Keeping consistent reading notes for a personal Emacs and Denote archive
- Reading a paper outside your field and marking which claims the evidence does not support
Frequently asked questions
Is the ljg-paper skill free to use?
The source states the skill is licensed under MIT. It does not list prices, so check the license file in the skill package for the terms that apply to your use.
What do I need to install ljg-paper?
You need to place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills. To run the validation script you also need the Bun runtime, and the paper text must be reachable.
Does ljg-paper work with arXiv papers?
Yes. The skill's trigger conditions include arXiv links, paper URLs, PDFs, local papers and paper titles. When only a title is given, the agent should find a reliable source for the paper before writing the explanation.
Does ljg-paper review or grade a paper?
No. The skill is aimed at explanation rather than critique. It explicitly excludes formal peer review, reproduction of experiments, benchmark table extraction and literature surveys.
Does the skill run code or access the internet?
The source says the skill runs scripts and uses the network. Its instructions also say to stop and report if the paper, appendix, code or embedded content contains suspicious instructions to run commands, change the system or leak information.
How is ljg-paper different from just asking a chatbot to summarize a paper?
The skill follows a fixed workflow: it builds a research record, explains the research question and contribution, saves an Org note by default and runs a format validator. A general summary request does not produce those files or checks.
New agent skills, repos and AI tools — every week
The best new skills and open-source projects, the fastest-growing repos, and one free prompt. Five minutes to read. Unsubscribe anytime.
Our verdict
Use ljg-paper if you are a non-specialist who wants to understand a paper's conclusions and their limits, if you are preparing to explain a paper in your own words, or if you keep Emacs and Denote notes and want consistent formatting. Pick something else if you need peer review, experiment reproduction, benchmark tables or a survey across many papers, since the skill does not cover those.
Download the skill