/note — Reading Notes Skill

Parallel Routing

This skill is triggered by: take notes, record this, /note.

This skill does not handle page reading -- that is /read. If the user says "read next page and take notes", the /read skill handles the reading, and /note handles the recording as a second step.

Workflow

1. Identify the current literature from conversation context -- author, title, year, and the page(s) just discussed.
2. Locate or create the notes file at literature/reading_notes/{Author}_{ShortTitle}_NOTES.md. Use Glob to check if the file already exists. The {Author} is the last name of the first author. {ShortTitle} uses underscores, title case, and omits articles (e.g., Smith_Methods_NOTES.md).
3. Append content to the correct section of the notes file. Never overwrite existing content.
4. Update the Last updated timestamp at the bottom of the file to today's date.
5. Confirm with a one-line summary: Recorded: {brief description} -> {filename}

Default Behavior

If the user says "take notes" without specifying what to record, default to recording the core analysis from the last assistant message -- summary, key terms, and thesis connections.

Notes File Template

This is the data contract shared across all skills (/read, /note, /integrate, /map). When creating a new notes file, use this exact structure:

# Reading Notes: {Author} -- {Title} ({Year})

**Source**: {single-line citation in the project's declared style — see `literature/reading_notes/_template_NOTES.md` for per-style examples; the active style is `Citation style:` in `CLAUDE.md`}
**Date read**: {YYYY-MM-DD}
**Status**: reading
**Evidence status**: {full_text | abstract_only | metadata_only}
**Relevance**: {which chapter/section this maps to}

---

## Key Arguments

- {bullet points summarising the main arguments}

## Detailed Notes

### p.{N}--{M}: {Section Title}

> "{direct quote}" (p.{N})

{analysis and commentary}

## Key Terms

| Term | Translation | Definition in context |
|------|-------------|----------------------|

## Thesis Connections

| Note Point | Chapter | Section | Connection Type |
|------------|---------|---------|-----------------|

## Questions & Follow-ups

- {open questions for future reading}

---
*Last updated: {YYYY-MM-DD}*

Appending Rules

When appending to an existing file:

• New page notes go under ## Detailed Notes, as a new subsection ### p.{N}--{M}: {Title}.
• New key terms are appended to the ## Key Terms table.
• New thesis connections are appended to the ## Thesis Connections table.
• New key arguments are appended to ## Key Arguments as bullet points.
• New questions are appended to ## Questions & Follow-ups.

If the section does not exist in the file (e.g., an older file missing ## Thesis Connections), create it.

Evidence Status Field

The firewall against citing sources known only from titles or abstracts:

• full_text — the source was actually read (via /read or equivalent).
• abstract_only — only the abstract was read. Its claims may motivate, not prove.
• metadata_only — known from title/metadata only. Never cite as support.

Set abstract_only/metadata_only honestly; upgrade only after real reading.

Verified Annotations

When a fact in the notes is later checked (dates, names, quoted figures), annotate inline — {claim} (verified {YYYY-MM-DD}) or (corrected: {new value}, {YYYY-MM-DD}) — only after the user confirms the correction. Do not silently rewrite the original note text.

Status Field

• Starts as reading when the file is first created.
• Changes to completed when the user explicitly says they are done with this text (e.g., "done reading", "mark as complete").
• Changes to integrated after /integrate has processed the notes into thesis chapters.

Constraints

1. Append only. Never overwrite or delete existing content in a notes file.
2. No emoji in any output or file content.
3. Always update the Last updated timestamp when modifying a file.
4. Status transitions are explicit: only change status when the user requests it or after /integrate completes.
5. No hardcoded paths. Use the project's literature/reading_notes/ directory relative to the project root.
6. One file per text. Each book, article, or paper gets exactly one notes file.
7. Lint conformance. The deterministic contract check is npm --prefix guards run lint:notes -- {file} (when guards/ is present). A file that fails the lint is invisible to /integrate and /map — fix it rather than working around it.