{ "schema": "aiblocks-page/1", "id": "research-topic-watcher", "type": "agent", "name": "Research paper discovery reviewer", "summary": "Find new papers on a focused question. Remove repeats, review evidence strength and suggest what is worth reading.", "headline": "Research paper discovery reviewer", "subhead": "Share the topic, standing notes and last search date. It searches within the available sources, removes papers already seen and reviews the most relevant evidence. You get a dated reading list and possible changes to discuss. Abstract-only work is labelled, paywalled gaps stay visible and the saved summary changes only with approval.", "job": { "id": "research-topics", "name": "Research a topic properly" }, "level": "intermediate", "thinking": "high", "tested": true, "updated": "2026-11-03", "first_published": "2026-10-21", "inputs": [ { "type": "question", "required": true, "label": "Question", "what": "the problem, decision or piece of work you want help with, and what a good outcome looks like" }, { "type": "source_text", "required": false, "label": "Source text", "what": "a long source in full: an article, a video or talk transcript, or notes from a book, with its title, author and link" }, { "type": "document", "required": false, "label": "Document", "what": "a finished document, such as a Word file, a PDF or a page of notes" } ], "outputs": [ { "type": "document", "required": true, "label": "Document", "what": "a finished document, such as a Word file, a PDF or a page of notes" }, { "type": "audit_report", "required": true, "label": "Audit report", "what": "findings with evidence, severity, missing inputs and next actions" }, { "type": "shortlist", "required": true, "label": "Shortlist", "what": "a ranked short list chosen from a larger set, with reasons" } ], "you_give": [ "The topic, in one or two sentences, and what makes a paper relevant", "Notes, a review you wrote or papers you already trust (optional, but they make the first standing summary more accurate)", "Key terms, authors or journals (optional)", "How far back to look on the first run (optional)" ], "you_get": [ "A standing summary of what is known, built the first time and kept up to date with your yes", "Each month, the new papers ranked by relevance with an evidence grade for the ones that matter", "Lines of your summary that a strong new paper goes against, with a proposed rewrite", "Up to three papers worth reading in full, each with a plain summary, and the search so it can be repeated" ], "use_when": [ "You follow one research topic for work, study or a decision, and want to stay current with little effort.", "You want to know if new papers change what you believe, not just a list of titles.", "You want one weak study to stop moving your view." ], "skip_when": [ "You need a one-time overview of a topic: ask your AI for a literature review and read the main papers yourself.", "Your topic has few papers each year: check by hand every three months, since most months will say nothing new.", "Your sources sit behind paywalls: use your library's own search, because this agent searches open databases and will miss those papers." ], "output_sample": { "input": [ "Your topic, in one or two sentences, and what makes a paper relevant", "Notes or papers you already trust (optional)", "Key terms, authors or journals (optional)", "How far back to look on the first run (optional)" ], "prerequisites": [ "An AI that can search the web and keep files, such as Claude Code", "Your yes to the first standing summary before it is saved" ], "output": [ { "name": "This month", "contains": "How many papers were found, how many were new and relevant, and the dates searched." }, { "name": "Lines at risk", "contains": "Lines of your summary that a strong new paper goes against, with the paper, its grade and a proposed rewrite." }, { "name": "Support", "contains": "Strong new papers that back a line of your summary, with their grade." }, { "name": "Weak or conflicting", "contains": "Papers logged but not acted on, with the reason and what explains any conflict." }, { "name": "Read these", "contains": "Up to three papers worth reading in full, each with a plain summary and why it matters." }, { "name": "The search", "contains": "The terms and databases used, so you can repeat the search." }, { "name": "Files and missing", "contains": "Each step's saved file, then every MISSING line in one list." } ] }, "output_shape": "THIS MONTH\n Found | new | relevant | searched | nothing new: \n\nLINES AT RISK\n | paper: | grade: | proposed rewrite: \n\nSUPPORT\n | paper: | grade: \n\nWEAK OR CONFLICTING\n | reason it changed nothing: | conflict explained by: \n\nREAD THESE\n 1. | plain summary: | why it matters: \n\nTHE SEARCH\n terms: | databases: \n\nFILES AND MISSING\n | MISSING: ", "how_to_use": [ "Start a chat with the agent. In Claude Code (a paid tool, needed to keep the folder and run each month), add it as a skill or save it in .claude/agents, then name your topic. Zotero is optional: it is free to use, with paid plans for extra storage.", "On the first run, read the draft standing summary. Fix it and say yes before it is saved.", "Each month, ask it to run. It reads the same folder and searches only what is new.", "Read the papers at risk and the three to read. Say yes or no to each proposed change." ], "checks": [ "Every paper listed is new, or was removed because you had seen it.", "Each claim about a paper comes from its text or abstract, and says which.", "No line was marked at risk on a weak paper.", "Your standing summary was not changed without your yes." ], "steps": [ { "position": 1, "id": "literature-review-finder", "name": "Research literature finder", "summary": "Share a topic and research question. It asks framing questions, searches open sources and groups found papers by theme with limits noted.", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/literature-review-finder" }, { "position": 2, "id": "scholarly-database-searcher", "name": "Scholarly database searcher", "summary": "Search PubMed, arXiv, OpenAlex and 15 more free sources for papers, citations and open full text. Every query is shown so you can repeat it.", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/scholarly-database-searcher" }, { "position": 3, "id": "paper-claim-evidence-finder", "name": "Paper claim evidence finder", "summary": "With BGPT connected, search a topic or DOI. Get extracted paper claims, source notes and evidence gaps to verify.", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/paper-claim-evidence-finder" }, { "position": 4, "id": "study-claim-checker", "name": "Study and claim evidence reviewer", "summary": "Share a study or claim. Get a review of its design, bias, statistics and limits.", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/study-claim-checker" }, { "position": 5, "id": "research-paper-summarizer", "name": "Research paper summarizer", "summary": "Give it a paper, article or report. Get the key findings, plain summaries and a comparison across sources.", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/research-paper-summarizer" } ], "next": [ { "name": "Scholarly work reviewer", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/scholarly-work-reviewer", "why": "Scholarly work reviewer" }, { "name": "Manuscript peer review drafter", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/manuscript-peer-review-drafter", "why": "Manuscript peer review drafter" }, { "name": "Conference talk slide maker", "url": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/conference-talk-slide-maker", "why": "Conference talk slide maker" } ], "source": null, "credits": [], "files": [], "links": { "page": "https://useaiblocks.com/agents/research-topic-watcher", "markdown": "https://useaiblocks.com/agents/research-topic-watcher.md", "json": "https://useaiblocks.com/agents/research-topic-watcher.json", "instructions": "https://useaiblocks.com/skills/research-topic-watcher/SKILL.md", "api_item": "https://useaiblocks.com/api/v1/items/research-topic-watcher", "api_document": "https://useaiblocks.com/api/v1/documents/agent/research-topic-watcher", "mcp": "https://useaiblocks.com/mcp" } }