---

name: research-to-blog description: Convert academic research papers into engaging, SEO-optimized blog posts. Use when asked to (1) create a blog post from a research paper/preprint, (2) summarize research for general audiences, (3) promote published papers via blog content, or (4) convert academic writing to accessible MDX. metadata: author: arfan version: "2.1.0" argument-hint:

Research to Blog Post Converter

Convert academic research papers into engaging, SEO-optimized blog posts while preserving technical accuracy.

Site Configuration Reference

IMPORTANT: Always reference /web2.0/config/site.ts for author contact information and social links. Never hardcode contact details.

Copy// Read site config for:
// - siteConfig.name           → Author name
// - siteConfig.socials        → GitHub, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar
// - siteConfig.description    → Site description

Available social links from config:

• GitHub: siteConfig.socials[0].url
• X/Twitter: siteConfig.socials[1].url
• LinkedIn: siteConfig.socials[2].url
• ResearchGate: siteConfig.socials[3].url
• Google Scholar: siteConfig.socials[4].url

Workflow Summary

Copy┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. ANALYZE    →  Read paper, extract key elements              │
│                                                                 │
│  2. REQUEST    →  Prompt user for ALL figures/tables needed     │
│                   ⚠️  STOP HERE - Wait for user to provide      │
│                                                                 │
│  3. WRITE      →  Generate blog post with provided figures      │
│                                                                 │
│  4. FINALIZE   →  Confirm all images are in place               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

CRITICAL: Do NOT proceed to writing (Phase 3) until user provides the requested figures.

Input Handling

This skill accepts two input types:

1. PDF Files

• Local file paths (e.g., ~/Downloads/paper.pdf)

⚠️ LARGE PDF WARNING: Never attempt to read entire academic PDFs directly with the Read tool. Research papers often exceed context limits and will fail or truncate.

Recommended approach for PDFs:

1. Convert PDF to text first (preserves layout):

   Copypdftotext -layout ~/Downloads/paper.pdf ~/Downloads/paper.txt
   

2. Read incrementally:

   • First 200 lines for abstract/intro: Read ~/Downloads/paper.txt with limit: 200
   • Use grep to find specific sections: grep -n "Key Findings\|Results\|Conclusion" ~/Downloads/paper.txt
   • Jump to relevant sections using offset parameter

3. Section extraction strategy:

   Copy# Find section headings
   grep -n "^[0-9]\. \|^Abstract\|^Introduction\|^Method\|^Result\|^Discussion\|^Conclusion" ~/Downloads/paper.txt
   
   # Extract specific page range (if you know page numbers)
   pdftotext -f 1 -l 5 -layout ~/Downloads/paper.pdf ~/Downloads/intro.txt
   

Fallback option: If extraction is difficult (scanned PDFs, complex layouts), ask the user:

CopyThe PDF appears difficult to extract programmatically. Could you provide:
1. The paper title and authors
2. Abstract (copy-paste)
3. 3-5 key findings/contributions
4. Any figures you want included

I'll create the blog post from this information.

2. Preprint/Paper Links

Supported preprint servers:

• arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/XXXX.XXXXX or https://arxiv.org/pdf/XXXX.XXXXX
• SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=XXXXXXX or https://papers.ssrn.com/...
• ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/...
• bioRxiv/medRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/...
• OSF Preprints: https://osf.io/preprints/...
• Direct PDF URLs: Any URL ending in .pdf

For URLs, use WebFetch to retrieve the paper content.

Workflow

Phase 1: Paper Analysis

For large PDFs (recommended workflow):

1. Convert to searchable text:

   Copypdftotext -layout ~/Downloads/paper.pdf ~/Downloads/paper.txt
   

2. Extract abstract and introduction (first 200-300 lines):

   Copy# Read beginning of paper
   Read ~/Downloads/paper.txt with limit: 250
   

3. Locate key sections:

   Copygrep -n "Abstract\|Introduction\|Method\|Result\|Finding\|Conclusion\|Discussion" ~/Downloads/paper.txt
   

4. Jump to specific sections using offset parameter based on grep results

5. For complex tables/figures, ask user to copy-paste or screenshot them

For URLs/small documents:

1. Obtain the paper - Fetch from URL using WebFetch

Extract key elements:

• Title, authors, publication venue
• Abstract and core contributions
• Methodology overview
• Key findings (quantitative results, tables, statistics)
• Figures and their purposes
• Conclusions and implications

Phase 2: Figure & Data Request (REQUIRED)

IMPORTANT: Before writing any content, you MUST analyze the paper and prompt the user for all important visual assets. Do not proceed to Phase 3 until the user provides the requested figures.

After analyzing the paper, present the user with a comprehensive figure request:

Copy## Figures & Data Needed for Your Blog Post

I've analyzed your paper and identified the following visuals that will make your blog post more engaging and informative.

### Required: Paper URL, PDF & OG Image

| Item | Description | Location |
|------|-------------|----------|
| **Paper URL** | DOI or official publisher link | In metadata `paperUrl` field |
| **PDF File** | Copy of the research paper | `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/paper.pdf` |
| **OG Image** | Social sharing preview (1200x630px) | `/web2.0/public/blog/[slug]/og-image.png` |

### Required Figures (for blog content)

| # | Paper Reference | What It Shows | Save As | Location |
|---|-----------------|---------------|---------|----------|
| 1 | [Figure X / Page Y] | [Description] | `[name].png` | `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/` |
| 2 | [Figure X / Page Y] | [Description] | `[name].png` | `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/` |

### Key Results & Benchmarks

| # | Paper Reference | Data/Results | Save As | Blog Section |
|---|-----------------|--------------|---------|--------------|
| 1 | [Table X / Page Y] | [Performance metrics / benchmarks] | `results-[metric].png` | Key Finding #N |
| 2 | [Figure X / Page Y] | [Comparison chart / benchmark] | `benchmark-comparison.png` | Key Finding #N |

### Data Visualizations (if applicable)

| # | Paper Reference | Visualization Type | Save As | Purpose |
|---|-----------------|-------------------|---------|---------|
| 1 | [Figure X] | [Sankey/Heatmap/Distribution] | `[type]-diagram.png` | Shows [relationship/pattern] |

### Tables to Export as Images (if complex)

| # | Paper Reference | Table Content | Save As | Note |
|---|-----------------|---------------|---------|------|
| 1 | [Table X / Page Y] | [Description] | `table-[name].png` | Complex table better as image |

---

**Instructions:**
1. **Provide the paper URL** (DOI preferred, or publisher link)
2. **Copy the PDF** to `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[post-slug]/paper.pdf`
3. **Create OG image** (1200x630px) and save to `/web2.0/public/blog/[post-slug]/og-image.png`
4. Export each figure from your paper (screenshot or PDF export)
5. Save figures with the filenames listed above
6. Place content figures in: `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[post-slug]/`
7. Recommended image size: 1200-2000px wide, PNG format

**File locations summary:**
- OG Image: `/web2.0/public/blog/[slug]/og-image.png` (for social preview)
- PDF: `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/paper.pdf` (for download)
- Figures: `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/` (for blog content)

**Accepted formats**: PNG (preferred), JPG, SVG, PDF (I'll convert PDFs to PNG)

**Please provide these files and the paper URL, then I'll proceed with writing your blog post.**

What to Identify from the Paper

Scan the paper for these visual elements:

Figure Selection Rules

MUST include:

• The single most impactful results figure/table
• Architecture or methodology diagram (if exists)
• Any figure the paper highlights as a main contribution

SHOULD include:

• Benchmark comparison tables (as images if complex)
• Data visualizations that tell a story
• Figures that would be hard to describe in text alone

SKIP:

• Dense mathematical equations
• Raw data plots without clear takeaways
• Figures requiring deep domain expertise
• Low-quality or hard-to-read figures
• Redundant figures showing similar data

See references/figure-guidelines.md for detailed naming conventions and optimization guidelines.

Phase 3: Content Structure

Structure the blog post following references/blog-structure.md. Key sections:

1. Hook - Why this research matters (1-2 paragraphs)
2. Overview - Research scope with key metrics table
3. Key Findings - 3-5 main findings with supporting data
4. Practical Implications - For researchers and/or practitioners
5. Future Directions - What's next
6. Citation - BibTeX block
7. About - Author credentials and contact

Phase 4: Writing Guidelines

Tone transformation:

• Academic -> Accessible (but not dumbed down)
• Passive voice -> Active voice
• Jargon -> Plain language with definitions
• Hedged claims -> Confident statements (where appropriate)

Preserve accuracy:

• Keep exact statistics and percentages
• Maintain nuance in limitations
• Link to original paper and data

SEO optimization:

• Target 5-10 relevant keywords
• Write descriptive alt text for all figures
• Include internal/external links
• Aim for 1,500-3,000 words

Phase 5: Output Generation

Output location: /web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[post-slug]/page.mdx

Images:

• Content figures: Same directory as page.mdx, import as ES6 modules
• OG Image: /web2.0/public/blog/[post-slug]/og-image.png

CRITICAL - Before writing MDX:

1. Verify all image files exist before adding imports. Missing imports will cause build errors.
2. Read site config at /web2.0/config/site.ts for author info and social links.
3. Only import images that the user has confirmed are in place.

Generate MDX file using this exact format (ES6 exports, NOT YAML frontmatter):

Copyimport Image from "next/image";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
import Link from "next/link";
import { JsonLd } from "@/components/json-ld";
// ONLY import images that exist - verify with user first!
// import taxonomyImg from "./taxonomy.png";
// import workflowImg from "./workflow.png";
// Additional image imports - ADD ONLY AFTER USER CONFIRMS FILES EXIST

export const metadata = {
  title: "[Engaging title - not the paper title]",
  description: "[150-160 char meta description with keywords]",
  date: "[YYYY-MM-DD]",
  author: "Arfan Uddin",
  tags: ["keyword-1", "keyword-2", "keyword-3"],
  // Research paper metadata (REQUIRED)
  paperUrl: "[DOI or publisher URL - e.g., https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123]",
  pdfAttachment: "/blog/[slug]/paper.pdf",
  alternates: {
    canonical: "/blog/[slug]",
  },
  // OpenGraph metadata (REQUIRED for social sharing)
  openGraph: {
    type: 'article',
    title: "[Same as title above]",
    description: "[Same as description above]",
    url: 'https://arfanu.com/blog/[slug]',
    siteName: 'Arfan Uddin',
    images: [{
      url: 'https://arfanu.com/blog/[slug]/og-image.png',
      width: 1200,
      height: 630,
      alt: '[Descriptive alt text for OG image]',
    }],
    publishedTime: '[YYYY-MM-DD]',
    authors: ['Arfan Uddin'],
  },
  // Twitter Card metadata (REQUIRED for Twitter preview)
  twitter: {
    card: 'summary_large_image',
    title: "[Same as title above]",
    description: "[Same as description above]",
    images: ['https://arfanu.com/blog/[slug]/og-image.png'],
  },
};

export const StyledLink = ({ href, children }) => {
  const isExternal = href.startsWith('http');
  return (
    <Link
      href={href}
      target={isExternal ? "_blank" : undefined}
      rel={isExternal ? "noopener noreferrer" : undefined}
      className={cn(
        "relative inline-block text-primary",
        "after:absolute after:bottom-0 after:left-0 after:w-full",
        "after:h-[2px] after:bg-primary after:origin-bottom-right",
        "after:scale-x-0 hover:after:scale-x-100 after:transition-transform",
        "after:duration-300 after:ease-out"
      )}
    >
      {children}
    </Link>
  );
};

export const jsonLdData = {
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": metadata.title,
  "description": metadata.description,
  "image": [metadata.openGraph.images[0].url],
  "url": `https://arfanu.com${metadata.alternates.canonical}`,
  "datePublished": metadata.date,
  "dateModified": metadata.date,
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": metadata.author,
    "url": "https://arfanu.com"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Arfan's Blog",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://arfanu.com/assets/arfan.svg"
    }
  },
  "keywords": metadata.tags.join(", "),
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@type": "WebPage",
    "@id": `https://arfanu.com${metadata.alternates.canonical}`
  },
  "isAccessibleForFree": "True",
  "inLanguage": "en-US",
  "articleSection": "Research"
};

<JsonLd data={jsonLdData} />

# [Post Title]

[Opening hook - why this research matters]

📄 **Paper**: <StyledLink href={metadata.paperUrl}>[Journal/Conference Name]</StyledLink>
📥 **PDF**: <StyledLink href={metadata.pdfAttachment} download>Download Paper</StyledLink>
📦 **Code/Data**: <StyledLink href="[URL]">[Link text]</StyledLink> {/* Optional - include if available */}

## Research Overview

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| [Scope metric 1] | [Value] |
| [Scope metric 2] | [Value] |

<Image
  src={workflowImg}
  alt="[Descriptive alt text]"
  width={800}
  height={450}
  className="w-[70%] rounded-lg mx-auto my-6"
/>

## Key Finding #1: [Title]

[Content...]

## Key Finding #2: [Title]

[Content...]

## Practical Implications

### For Researchers
1. **[Action]**: [Explanation]

### For Practitioners
1. **[Action]**: [Explanation]

## Citation

If you find this work useful, please cite:

\`\`\`bibtex
@article{author2024title,
  title={Full Paper Title},
  author={Last, First and Last, First},
  journal={Journal/Conference Name},
  year={2024}
}
\`\`\`

## About

This research was conducted at **[Institution]**, with support from **[Funding source]**.

{/* Use contact link from site config - see /web2.0/config/site.ts */}
Feel free to <StyledLink href="/#contact">reach out</StyledLink>!

Note on contact info: Always use /#contact for the contact link (from site config). Never hardcode email addresses.

File Locations Summary

IMPORTANT: The OG image MUST be in the /public directory for proper social media previews. Next.js serves static files from /public at the root URL.

Pre-Write Verification

CRITICAL: Before writing the MDX file, you MUST:

1. Verify images exist - Use ls to check that all images are in place:

   Copyls -la /Users/rfnmac/projects/arfan/web2.0/app/\(app\)/blog/[slug]/
   ls -la /Users/rfnmac/projects/arfan/web2.0/public/blog/[slug]/
   

2. Only import existing images - Do NOT add import statements for images that don't exist. This causes build errors:

   CopyModule not found: Can't resolve './architecture.png'
   

3. Read site config for author info:

   Copy# Check site config for contact info
   cat /Users/rfnmac/projects/arfan/web2.0/config/site.ts
   

Files Checklist

Before finalizing, confirm with user:

Copy## Files Checklist

Please confirm you have these files ready:

### Required Files
| File | Location | Status |
|------|----------|--------|
| `og-image.png` (1200x630px) | `/web2.0/public/blog/[slug]/` | [ ] |
| `paper.pdf` | `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/` | [ ] |

### Content Figures
| File | Location | Status |
|------|----------|--------|
| `[figure-1].png` | `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/` | [ ] |
| `[figure-2].png` | `/web2.0/app/(app)/blog/[slug]/` | [ ] |

### Required Information
| Item | Value | Status |
|------|-------|--------|
| Paper URL (DOI preferred) | `https://doi.org/...` | [ ] |
| Code/Data repository URL | (if available) | [ ] |

**Image usage in MDX:**

// Content figures (imported from local directory)
import taxonomyImg from "./taxonomy.png";
import workflowImg from "./workflow.png";

<Image
  src={workflowImg}
  alt="Descriptive alt text"
  width={800}
  height={450}
  className="w-[70%] rounded-lg mx-auto my-6"
/>

// OG image is referenced via URL in metadata.openGraph.images

Quick Reference

Common Figure Types

PDF Figure Conversion

If user provides PDF figures, convert to PNG:

Copypdftoppm -png -r 300 input.pdf output-name
mv output-name-1.png output-name.png

OG Image Requirements

CRITICAL: OG image must be placed in /web2.0/public/blog/[slug]/og-image.png

The OG image URL is used in:

• metadata.openGraph.images[0].url
• metadata.twitter.images[0]

Handling Large Documents

Quick Start for Large PDFs

Copy# Step 1: Convert PDF to text
pdftotext -layout ~/Downloads/paper.pdf ~/Downloads/paper.txt

# Step 2: Read abstract/intro (first 200 lines)
# Use Read tool with limit: 200

# Step 3: Find key sections
grep -n "^[0-9]\.\|Abstract\|Introduction\|Method\|Result\|Conclusion" ~/Downloads/paper.txt

Troubleshooting

Alternative: User-Provided Summary

If automated extraction fails, prompt the user:

CopyI'm having difficulty extracting text from this PDF. To create your blog post, please provide:

**Required:**
1. Paper title and authors
2. Abstract (copy-paste from paper)
3. 3-5 key findings with any relevant numbers/statistics

**Optional (will improve the post):**
4. Research methodology summary (1-2 sentences)
5. Main figure descriptions you want included
6. Any specific quotes or claims you want highlighted

I'll create the blog post from this information and you can provide figures separately.

PDF Page Extraction

For very long papers, extract only relevant pages:

Copy# Extract pages 1-5 (intro/abstract)
pdftotext -f 1 -l 5 -layout paper.pdf intro.txt

# Extract pages 10-15 (results)
pdftotext -f 10 -l 15 -layout paper.pdf results.txt

# Extract last 3 pages (conclusion)
pdftotext -l 3 -layout paper.pdf conclusion.txt  # -l alone gets last N pages