Use when responding to a Revise & Resubmit decision from AER, AER:Insights, or an AEJ, and a point-by-point response letter plus aligned manuscript revisions are needed. Handles triage, the concede / clarify / push-back decision, and the response-letter format that editors actually read.
SkillScore86Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/8/2026
What it changes
Passed 19 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 14 of 22 without it.
Without skill64%
With skill86%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
State the concrete manuscript correction made and its exact page location.
Prioritize the position of the supportive referee over the dissenting referee.
Include a closing summary section detailing comment counts and manuscript updates.
and 6 more in the full report
6 fixed13 passed either way2 still failing1 broke
Pass-rate lift
+23 pp
Tokens
+87%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-32%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/8/2026v119 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 6 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 6
Prompt
Draft a response to a referee comment that pointed out a typo in Equation 4. I want to emphasize how profoundly grateful and indebted we are for the reviewer's deep insight.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
Omit flattering adjectives and emotional expressions of gratitude from the response text.
Missed
Passed
State the concrete manuscript correction made and its exact page location.
Missed
Passed
case-14 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/8/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md284 lines2 files
AER Rebuttal
Overview
A Revise & Resubmit at AER is precious. The rebuttal goal is not to "defend the paper"; it is to give the editor a credible package they can send back to referees with confidence.
Rule: revise the manuscript first; write the response letter against the revised manuscript, never the old draft.
When to Use
An R&R decision has arrived
A "reject and resubmit" requires a structured response
A conditional acceptance comes with minor revisions
The user needs to decide which reviewer comments to concede, clarify, or push back on
Writing referee reports as a reviewer (different conventions)
Response Principle
Every reviewer comment ends in exactly one of:
Clarified in response only — no manuscript change; the answer was already there but hard to find
Revised in manuscript only — change made, briefly noted in response
Revised in both manuscript and response — change made, response explains the substance
Respectfully declined with justification — change not made, explicit rationale given
No comment ends in the vague middle ground.
Triage Workflow
Step 1 — Parse
Convert the editor letter and each referee report into an atomized list of comments. Number them: E1, E2, ... for editor; R1.1, R1.2, ... for Referee 1; R2.1, ... for Referee 2.
Use when writing the response to an American Educational Research Journal (AERJ) revise-and-resubmit. AERJ R&Rs come back through the handling editor and multiple masked reviewers, so the response must convert each reviewer while keeping the editor confident the revision is convergent. Structures the response letter; it does not fabricate new results.