# Related Work writing guide

Use Related Work to position the paper's decisions, not to inventory papers.

## Build a citation-role matrix first

| Cluster | Representative sources | Shared assumption | Strength | Limitation relevant here | Role in our argument |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Verify metadata and claim support before drafting. Do not cluster papers solely by chronology.

## Paragraph pattern

1. Define the technical axis that unites the cluster.
2. Synthesize the shared approach across sources.
3. State what the approach enables.
4. Identify the relevant boundary using evidence.
5. Explain how the present work differs in objective, assumption, mechanism, or evaluation.

Use individual paper-by-paper descriptions only when a specific design lineage matters.

## Contrast dimensions

Prefer exact contrasts:

- supervision or data requirement;
- representation or model assumption;
- optimization objective;
- operating environment;
- evaluation protocol;
- computational or hardware constraint;
- scope of the scientific claim.

Avoid “better,” “more advanced,” and “more robust” without a named dimension and evidence.

## Coverage audit

- Are foundational, closest, and recent works all represented?
- Is every claimed limitation supported by the cited source or a direct comparison?
- Are review articles used for orientation rather than as substitutes for primary evidence?
- Does the section distinguish parallel work from direct predecessors?
- Does each cluster explain why it matters to the proposed method?

Use [workflows/literature-review.md](../../workflows/literature-review.md) for search and gap mapping before drafting.

