# Ieee Manuscript Review > Review an IEEE Transactions manuscript against the bundled IEEEtran HOWTO references and produce a reader-friendly manuscript review report, preferably as a standalone HTML file with explicit reference support. - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-plusero-agentic-research-skills-ieee-manuscript-review` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [Plusero](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/plusero) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** CC0-1.0 - **Upstream author:** [Plusero](https://github.com/Plusero) - **Source:** https://github.com/Plusero/agentic-research-skills/tree/main/resources/skills/ieee-manuscript-review ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-plusero-agentic-research-skills-ieee-manuscript-review ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # IEEE Transactions Paper Review Skill Use this skill to review a manuscript intended for an IEEE Transactions journal against the requirements stated in `IEEEtran_HOWTO.pdf` and `IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf`. Apply only requirements that are explicitly supported by those two references. If you notice a real issue that is not covered there, report it as a general editorial suggestion instead of an IEEEtran compliance issue. ## When to Use - Use this skill when the user asks for an IEEE Transactions format or style review. - Use it for PDF reviews, LaTeX source reviews, or pre-submission self-checks. ## Instructions ### 1. Scope and Evidence - Separate findings into two groups: - `IEEEtran compliance issues`: supported directly by `IEEEtran_HOWTO.pdf` or `IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf`. - `General editorial issues`: useful comments that are not stated in those references. - Do not present a personal preference, lab convention, or other style guide as an IEEEtran requirement. - If only a PDF is available, restrict comments to what is visible in the rendered manuscript. - If LaTeX source is available, you may also check source-level IEEEtran usage when the HOWTO explicitly discusses it. ### 2. Title, Abstract, and Index Terms - Check that the title follows normal title capitalization and does not use math or other special symbols. - Check that the abstract is placed where IEEEtran expects it for the manuscript mode in use: - standard journal and technote papers place it after `\maketitle` - `compsoc` and `transmag` journal layouts place abstract and index terms in single-column form below the author names - Check that the abstract generally avoids math, special symbols, and citations. - Check that journal and technote papers include index terms / keywords. - Check that keywords do not use math or special symbols. ### 3. Template Mode and Section Structure - Check that the manuscript appears to use the correct IEEEtran mode for the target venue: journal, technote, peer review, `compsoc`, or `transmag`. - For standard IEEE journal layouts, check that the manuscript is in two-column format unless it is clearly a draft or peer-review layout. - For non-`compsoc` IEEEtran layouts, check section numbering against IEEEtran's default structure: - sections: upper-case Roman numerals - subsections: upper-case letters - subsubsections: Arabic numerals - paragraphs: lower-case letters - For `compsoc` mode, check that section numbering is Arabic. - If the manuscript visibly matches a technote or `compsoc` conference layout, note that `\paragraph` headings are not normally allowed there. ### 4. Figures - Check that figure captions appear below the figures. - When LaTeX source is available, check that figure labels are declared after or inside the caption. - In standard IEEE papers, figure references should use `Fig.`; IEEE Computer Society conference papers use `Figure`. - Check rendered figures for obvious quality problems that conflict with IEEEtran's graphics guidance: - vector graphics such as EPS or PDF are preferred for line art - photos may be bitmap graphics - visibly pixelated or degraded line art should be flagged - For subfigures, check that labels are presented as `(a)`, `(b)`, and so on when used. - Note that IEEEtran says many IEEE papers describe subfigures in the main caption instead of relying only on separate subcaptions. ### 5. Tables - Check that table captions appear above the tables. - Check that table captions follow title-style capitalization, as shown in the IEEEtran examples. - In table captions, check that units and letters used as mathematical symbols stay upright rather than small caps. - Check that table numbering follows IEEE style as shown in the IEEEtran examples, such as `TABLE I` and `TABLE II`. - If the rendered table is visibly cramped or hard to read, report that as a formatting issue. ### 6. Equations and Math - Check that equations referenced in the text are numbered. - Do not require numbers for displayed equations that are intentionally unnumbered. - Check that equation references follow IEEE style by using the equation number in parentheses, for example `(1)`. - Flag equations that overrun the column width; IEEEtran makes this the author's responsibility. - If multiline equations are used, check whether they are broken cleanly within the available column width. - Treat double-column equations as exceptional; IEEEtran says they are rare and should be used with care. ### 7. Citations and References - Check that citations use IEEE-style bracketed numbers. - Do not flag sorted or compressed adjacent citations by themselves; IEEEtran explicitly supports IEEE-style sorting and compression through `cite.sty`. - Check that the bibliography is unsorted for normal IEEE submission use, meaning references appear in citation order rather than alphabetical order. - Check that journal names are abbreviated in IEEE style. - For IEEE publication names, treat `IEEEabrv.bib` conventions as the reference point mentioned by `IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf`. - For online references, check that IEEE-style URL formatting is used: - the URL appears with the prefix `[Online]. Available:` - IEEE does not place punctuation at the end of the URL - If consecutive references repeat the same author names, note that IEEEtran normally replaces repeated names with a long dash. - If BibTeX entries are available, note that full author names are preferred in the `.bib` data because `IEEEtran.bst` abbreviates them automatically as needed. - Do not require DOI fields for every reference; that requirement is not stated in `IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf`. ### 8. Floats and Special Structures - IEEE journals strongly favor top-of-page floats. Bottom floats are rare, and in-text `here` placement is usually not used except in IEEE Computer Society conferences. - IEEE journals do not place floats in the first column of the first page and rarely do so in the second column of the first page. - If the manuscript contains a floating `Algorithm` structure or another non-figure, non-table float, flag it: IEEEtran says the only floating structures IEEE uses are figures and tables. - Flag content forced across the middle of the two text columns; IEEEtran explicitly warns against that style. ### 9. Editorial Conventions Check - Always run a separate editorial pass after the IEEEtran compliance pass. - Report editorial convention findings only as `General editorial issues`, not as IEEEtran compliance issues, unless the HOWTO references explicitly support the point. - In the editorial pass, check for: - undefined or inconsistently expanded abbreviations - inconsistent capitalization of technical terms - unclear or overloaded sentences - subject-verb disagreement - inconsistent verb tense - unnecessary contractions in formal academic prose - repeated wording, vague wording, or imprecise claims - awkward figure, table, and equation callouts - missing transitions or unclear logical flow between paragraphs - Prefer comments that are concrete and localizable, not broad taste-based rewrites. ### 10. Output Format By default, create a standalone `.html` report in the workspace and tell the user the file path. Use a descriptive filename such as `ieee-manuscript-review-report.html` unless the user provides a document name. If the user asks for inline output only, use the compact Markdown fallback below. For a concrete example of the expected HTML output, see `examples/ieee-manuscript-review-example-report.html`. Use the same reader-friendly report structure as `grammar-check`: 1. **Summary**: Count IEEEtran compliance issues and general editorial issues, then list the highest-impact patterns. 2. **Before and After**: Show affected original excerpts, rendered observations, or source snippets beside the recommended revision or action. 3. **Highlighted Differences**: Show text changes inline using deletion and insertion styling where a rewrite is appropriate. For layout, source, figure, table, or bibliography issues without a direct prose rewrite, state the recommended action clearly. 4. **Manuscript Review Notes**: Use a table with location, observed issue, recommended revision/action, category, reference support, and plain-language explanation. 5. **Clean Revision Checklist**: Provide the final action list without markup. Use this HTML structure as the report baseline: ```html IEEE Manuscript Review Report body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.55; margin: 2rem; color: #1f2937; } h1, h2 { line-height: 1.2; } .summary { border-left: 4px solid #2563eb; padding-left: 1rem; } .comparison { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr)); gap: 1rem; } .panel { border: 1px solid #d1d5db; border-radius: 6px; padding: 1rem; background: #f9fafb; } .diff del { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; text-decoration: line-through; } .diff ins { background: #dcfce7; color: #166534; text-decoration: none; } table { border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; } th, td { border: 1px solid #d1d5db; padding: 0.5rem; vertical-align: top; } th { background: #f3f4f6; text-align: left; } pre { white-space: pre-wrap; font-family: inherit; } @media (max-width: 800px) { .comparison { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } body { margin: 1rem; } } IEEE Manuscript Review Report Summary IEEEtran compliance issues: [number] General editorial issues: [number] Main patterns: [short pattern summary] Before and After Observed [original excerpt, rendered observation, or source snippet] Recommended [recommended revision or action] Highlighted Differences [diff text with removed text and added text, or clear non-prose action] Manuscript Review Notes Location Observed Recommendation Category Reference Why [section/figure/table/equation/reference/source cue] [short observed issue] [short recommended revision or action] [IEEEtran compliance issue / General editorial issue] [IEEEtran_HOWTO.pdf / IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf / General editorial suggestion] [plain-language explanation] Clean Revision Checklist [action list without markup] ``` For short inline checks or when HTML is not wanted, use this compact Markdown format: ```markdown ## Before and After Observed: > Recommended: > ## Difference -> ## Manuscript Review Notes | Location | Observed | Recommendation | Category | Reference | Why | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | ## Reader-Friendly Summary - - - ``` ## Rules - List IEEEtran compliance issues before general editorial issues in the notes table and checklist. - For each issue, provide a precise location such as the section title, paragraph, figure number, table number, equation number, reference number, or source snippet. - When possible, name which reference supports the comment: `IEEEtran_HOWTO.pdf` or `IEEEtran_bst_HOWTO.pdf`. - Do not present a comment as an IEEEtran compliance issue unless it is supported by the bundled HOWTO references. - In HTML reports, escape user-supplied text before inserting it into HTML; only generated `` and `` tags should be markup. - Use `` for removed original wording and `` for inserted revised wording in the highlighted difference section. - If no issues are found, say so clearly and include a short checklist of items that were verified. ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [Plusero](https://github.com/Plusero) - **Source:** [Plusero/agentic-research-skills](https://github.com/Plusero/agentic-research-skills) - **License:** CC0-1.0 Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-plusero-agentic-research-skills-ieee-manuscript-review - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/plusero - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. 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