---
id: simple-paper-qa
description: Answer open-ended natural-language questions about the content of one specific paper (what it argues, how it compares to X, what figure 3 means). Not for Zotero operations like editing metadata, tagging, or running scripts.
version: 6
contexts: single-paper
activation: auto
match: /\b(what|who|when|where|which|tell me|explain)\b.*\b(about|paper|article|study|wrote|author|publish|year|journal|abstract|topic|field|contribution|finding|claim|conclusion|argue)\b/i
match: /\bsummar(y|ize|ise)\b/i
match: /\b(what is|what are|what does|what do)\b.*\b(this paper|this article|this study|the paper|the article)\b/i
match: /\b(understand|explain|walk me through|help me understand)\b.*\b(paper|ppaer|article|study)\b/i
match: /\b(main|key|central|primary|core)\b.*\b(finding|result|contribution|argument|claim|conclusion|point|idea|theme|message|takeaway)\b/i
match: /\b(tldr|tl;dr|gist|overview|brief)\b/i
---

<!--
  SKILL: Paper Q&A

  This skill activates for general questions about a paper (e.g., "what is
  this paper about?", "summarize this", "who are the authors?").

  You can customize:
  - Reading strategy: change when `paper_read` overview vs targeted mode is used
  - Escalation rules: adjust when to do deeper retrieval
  - Answer style: modify how responses are structured

  Your changes are preserved across plugin updates.
  To reset to default, delete this file — it will be recreated on next restart.
-->

## Simple Paper Q&A — one read, then answer

Use Zotero paper tools as resources, not a ritual.

- For broad questions like "what is this paper about?", "summarize this", or "main message", call `paper_read({ mode:'overview' })` once, then answer.
- If the user asks for a specific claim, method, result, table, or named section that overview cannot answer, make one focused `paper_read({ mode:'targeted', query:'<specific missing claim>' })` call.
- If overview reports `contentStatus:'no_pdf_attachment'`, answer from Zotero metadata/abstract if sufficient; otherwise one external lookup is allowed and must be labeled as external.
- If overview reports `contentStatus:'no_extractable_pdf_text'`, answer from metadata/abstract and state the limitation.
- When `paper_read` returns exact passages, include 1-3 short blockquotes from those passages when useful for grounding the explanation.
- Use citations and short quotes to make important paper-specific claims checkable, not to decorate every paragraph.
  Cite concrete claims about methods, datasets, results, definitions, equations, limitations, and the authors' own interpretations.
  Use short direct quotes when the exact wording matters or when a key point benefits from visible evidence.
  For background explanation, synthesis, or your own interpretation, write clearly and cite only the specific paper claim it depends on.
  Do not append a standalone source label or citation-only final line after ordinary summary prose; source labels on their own line belong only after direct blockquotes when no quote anchor is available.
  Use quote anchors only for direct article evidence; do not use them for publication metadata, DOI links, journal names, or source labels alone.
  Prefer a readable answer with traceable evidence over repetitive citations or low-information quotes.
- If `paper_read` provides quote anchors like `[[quote:Q_x7a2]]`, use those anchor tokens for direct quotes instead of copying the quote/sourceLabel manually.
- Direct quote text must be copied verbatim in the original source language; never translate quote text to match the user's language. Put any translation outside the blockquote as explanation.
- If no quote anchor is provided for a direct quote, put the provided `sourceLabel` on the next non-empty line after the blockquote, before any commentary.
- Do not write `[[source=...]]`, `section=...`, or `chunk=...` metadata in the final answer.
- Do not call visual/page tools, `file_io`, or `run_command` just to improve citation anchors or page numbers. Use the provided `sourceLabel`; the UI can bind citations after rendering.
