Use when revising the prose, abstract, and introduction of an American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (AEJ: Applied) manuscript so the design and headline estimate land in the first paragraph in AEA house style. Polishes exposition; it does not change the result (aeja-identification / aeja-robustness) or the exhibits.
SkillScore77Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/15/2026
What it changes
Passed 17 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 10 of 22 without it.
Without skill45%
With skill77%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
The response marks 【Intro ¶1】 as [N].
The response evaluates 【Intro ¶1】 as [Y].
The response evaluates 【Claim calibrated】 as [Y].
and 16 more in the full report
9 fixed8 passed either way3 still failing2 broke
Pass-rate lift
+32 pp
Tokens
+21%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-36%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/15/2026v117 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 9 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 9
Prompt
I have finished my empirical analysis and need a prose evaluation of my draft abstract and introduction prior to submitting to an applied micro journal. Please review whether my text leads with the causal finding, includes point estimates and standard errors directly in prose, introduces the empirical strategy early, and refrains from overclaiming. Output your evaluation as a structured audit featuring yes/no indicators for each key writing standard across the abstract and intro, concluding with the next workflow step.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
The response includes the exact header tag 【Abstract】.
Missed
Passed
The response includes the exact header tag 【Intro ¶1】.
Missed
Passed
The response includes the exact header tag 【Identification legible by ¶3】.
Missed
Passed
The response includes the exact header tag 【Magnitudes in prose】.
Missed
Passed
The response includes the exact header tag 【Claim calibrated】.
Missed
Passed
The output references aeja-replication-package as the next workflow step.
Missed
Passed
case-01 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/15/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md76 linessingle file
Writing Style (aeja-writing-style)
When to trigger
Identification and robustness are settled and the paper needs its final exposition pass
The introduction buries the question and the estimate under setup or literature
The abstract does not state the headline number with its uncertainty
The prose reads like a field-internal note rather than broad applied micro
The AEJ: Applied introduction arc
AEJ: Applied prose is plain, direct, and design-forward. The introduction should follow the applied-micro arc: question → why credible identification is hard → the design that solves it → headline causal estimate with a standard error → mechanism → policy/economic lesson → brief roadmap. A non-specialist applied economist should grasp the question and the answer in the first paragraph; the design should be legible by the end of the second.
Section
What it must do at AEJ: Applied
Abstract
question + design + headline estimate (with units & SE) + lesson, in ≤ the AEA word norm
Intro ¶1
the economic question and the headline number, with uncertainty, no throat-clearing
Intro ¶2–3
why naive estimates fail + the source of variation that fixes it
Intro mid
the estimate, the mechanism, and the magnitude's economic meaning
Intro end
contribution (honest delta), scope of the claim, brief roadmap
Writing craft
Lead with the answer, not the setup. The first paragraph states what you find and roughly how big; the apparatus comes after.
Numbers with units and SEs in sentences. "We find X raises Y by 6.2% (s.e. 0.7)" — the magnitude lives in the prose, not only the table.
Name the design plainly. "We use a regression discontinuity at the eligibility cutoff" beats euphemism; AEJ: Applied readers want the identification stated.
Calibrate the claim. State what the estimand is (local / ITT) and what it does not establish — over-claiming external validity is a frequent referee complaint.
Plain English over jargon. Short sentences; active voice; define field-specific terms once. Broad applied-micro readership is the audience.
Write the abstract and intro last, after the result is final.
Checklist
Abstract states question + design + headline estimate (units & SE) + lesson, within the AEA word norm
Intro ¶1 gives the economic question and the headline number with uncertainty — no throat-clearing
The naive-estimate problem and the identifying variation appear by ¶2–3
Magnitudes written into sentences with units and standard errors
Estimand and scope stated; external-validity claim calibrated, not inflated
Plain English, active voice, jargon defined once; abstract/intro written last
Use when prose buries the result or the abstract/intro do not land for an American Economic Journal: Microeconomics (AEJ: Micro) manuscript. Applies AEA house style and the theory-paper intro arc; it does not produce the result (see aejmic-theory-model) or build exhibits (see aejmic-tables-figures).