Use when handling primary sources and archives for an American Historical Review (AHR) manuscript — distinguishing primary from secondary, criticizing sources, citing manuscripts and collections in Chicago notes, and clearing image permissions. The AHR judges history on the quality and criticism of its evidence. Strengthens source work; it does not invent archival material.
SkillScore88Maintained
Automatic
◆Research pack
Last verified 8/15/2026
What it changes
Passed 21 of 24 test cases with the skill, and 19 of 24 without it.
Without skill79%
With skill88%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
The response mandates providing alt-text directly under the figure legend for every image.
The response mandates providing full source citations and credit lines directly with each figure.
The response states that citations must include specific collection, series, box, and folder identifiers.
3 fixed18 passed either way2 still failing1 broke
Pass-rate lift
+8 pp
Tokens
+49%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-20%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/15/2026v121 of 24 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 3 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 3
Prompt
I have prepared high-resolution TIFF images and full credit lines for my article's figures. Since alt-text for accessibility is typically generated by web production teams after publication, can I omit alt-text descriptions from my initial manuscript submission?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
The response mandates providing alt-text directly under the figure legend for every image.
Missed
Passed
case-11 · 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.md102 linessingle file
Sources & Archives (ahr-sources-and-archives)
History at the AHR stands or falls on its primary sources and on how critically you read them. This
skill is about marshaling evidence, source criticism, citing archival material correctly, and the
author's responsibilities for images and permissions. It does not, ever, license inventing or
embellishing a source.
When to trigger
Assembling and citing the primary-source base for the argument
Deciding whether a source is primary or secondary for your question
A reader doubted your reading of a document or asked about provenance
Preparing images/figures and clearing reproduction rights
Primary vs. secondary (it depends on your question)
Primary: evidence produced within the period/context you study — manuscripts, correspondence,
records, newspapers, objects, images, oral testimony, material culture.
Secondary: later scholarly interpretation. A historian's monograph is secondary for events but
can be a primary source for the historiography you analyze.
Source criticism (the historian's core discipline)
Provenance & genre. Who made this, when, why, for whom? What kind of document is it, and what
conventions govern it?
Reliability & bias. What interests shape it? What does it have reason to distort or omit?
Silences. Whose voices are absent from the archive, and how does that shape what you can claim?
Read along and against the grain.
Representativeness. Is this typical or exceptional? Do not generalize from one striking document.
Language & translation. Quote load-bearing wording in the original; supply your translation and
note it.
Citing sources (Chicago notes — see ahr-citation-and-style)
Cite unpublished material by archive, collection, series, box/folder, and document/date.
For digitized sources, cite the original plus the database/stable URL and date consulted.
All citation lives in the notes — no bibliography or in-text parenthetical citation.