Use when drafting or rewriting the introduction of an economics manuscript targeted at AER, AER:Insights, or an AEJ, or when compressing an abstract to the mandatory 100-word limit. Implements the Keith Head / Bellemare five-paragraph formula and AER-specific formatting conventions. Apply after the body sections exist.
SkillScore82Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/9/2026
What it changes
Passed 18 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 11 of 22 without it.
Without skill50%
With skill82%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
The abstract is kept to 100 words or fewer.
The abstract word count does not exceed 100 words.
The response limits the abstract structure to four or five sentences.
and 9 more in the full report
7 fixed11 passed either way4 still failing0 broke
Pass-rate lift
+32 pp
Tokens
+85%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-20%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/9/2026v118 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 7 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 7
Prompt
I am preparing a submission for the American Economic Review based on my manuscript about state-level minimum wage increases and low-wage employment. Below are my notes on the policy background, difference-in-differences strategy, main elasticity findings, and literature positioning. Please write a submission-ready abstract and introductory section following standard AER journal conventions, and include the final handoff summary block detailing section structure and abstract metrics.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
The abstract word count does not exceed 100 words.
Missed
Passed
The introductory section starts immediately without an 'Introduction' section heading.
Missed
Passed
The output includes a handoff block reporting abstract word count and paragraph layout.
Missed
Passed
case-01 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/9/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md163 lines2 files
AER Introduction
Overview
The introduction is the only part of the paper most editors read in full. Top-5 desk rejection decisions are typically made on pages 1-3. This skill produces an introduction that survives that filter and an abstract that fits AER's 100-word constraint.
Two non-negotiable AER formatting facts:
No "Introduction" heading. The introductory section is unlabeled and begins immediately after the title and abstract.
Abstract ≤ 100 words. Roughly 4-5 sentences. The AER Style Guide states the abstract "must not exceed 100 words"; an over-length abstract is flagged in editorial screening and returned for correction.
When to Use
Drafting an introduction from scratch
Rewriting an introduction that drew a desk rejection
Compressing a 250-word working-paper abstract to AER's 100-word limit
The introduction is over 3 typeset pages and needs surgery
The user has results but cannot explain why they matter in one paragraph
The Five-Paragraph Formula (Keith Head)
Every AER-style introduction has exactly five components, in this order:
Paragraph 1 — The Hook
Open with one of:
Y matters. Welfare consequences, magnitudes, policy stakes.
Y is puzzling. A stylized fact existing theory cannot explain.
Y is controversial. Two camps disagree; new evidence resolves the question.
Y is big. A first-order phenomenon (the service sector, urban inequality, the trade balance).
Two to three sentences. Cite one number that anchors the magnitude. Do not yet name the paper's contribution.
Paragraph 2 — The Question
State exactly what this paper does:
This paper [estimates / documents / characterizes] [the causal effect of X on Y /