Use when drafting or polishing an American Anthropologist (AA) manuscript so it reads across all four fields, follows AA house style (Chicago author-date; free-format submission accepted), fits the section word caps (Research Articles ≤ 8,000 words; abstract 200 words), and uses inclusive, care-ful language. Tightens prose and format; it does not invent content.
SkillScore86Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/15/2026
What it changes
Passed 19 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 12 of 22 without it.
Without skill55%
With skill86%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
States that the abstract limit is 200 words
Requires including DOIs in reference citations where available
Notes that DOIs should still be included in references where available
and 6 more in the full report
9 fixed10 passed either way1 still failing2 broke
Pass-rate lift
+32 pp
Tokens
+28%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-27%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/15/2026v119 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 am writing a comparative review essay discussing four recent ethnographies on environmental justice. What is the word limit ceiling for a Review Essay submission in American Anthropologist?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
States that the maximum word count for a Review Essay submission is 5,000 words
Missed
Passed
case-10 · 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.md70 linessingle file
Writing Style (amanthro-writing-style)
An AA paper must be readable by an anthropologist outside its subfield, written with the craft AA prizes
(strong ethnographic prose, a clear argument, reflexive voice), formatted to Chicago author-date,
and disciplined to the section's word cap. AA also asks for inclusive language and citational
practices that lift marginalized voices — style here is partly an ethical commitment.
When to trigger
Drafting the introduction, framing the contribution, or final polish
Over the word cap and needing to cut without losing the argument or the ethnography
Writing the 200-word abstract
Aligning citations/format to AA house style before submission
Reach all four fields
Front-load the contribution. By the end of the introduction the reader knows the question, the
argument, the evidence, and why it matters to anthropology broadly — don't make a generalist dig.
Minimize subfield jargon or define it on first use; an archaeologist should follow a linguistic
paper. Spell out acronyms; gloss technical terms.
Argument-first, but keep the craft. AA values vivid ethnographic writing and a reflexive voice;
lead with claims and let well-chosen scenes and evidence carry them. Avoid both dry report prose and
description with no argument.
Write with care. Use inclusive language; represent interlocutors and communities with
dignity (avoid deficit framing); consider citational politics in who you cite and foreground.
Format to AA house style
Citations:Chicago Manual of Style author-date; AA accepts free-format submissions
(you need not perfectly style-conform at first submission), but keep one consistent style and include
DOIs where available. Manage with Zotero/BibTeX.
Abstract:200 words.
Anonymize: AA review is anonymous — no author names/affiliations in the manuscript or file
name; supply a separate title page; neutralize obvious self-references and strip file metadata.
Land acknowledgment / positionality: include where appropriate to the work and community.
Fit the word cap (Research Articles ≤ 8,000 words incl. figures, tables, references, notes; abstract 200)
Tighten throat-clearing and literature dumps; engage the conversation, not every paper
(see amanthro-literature-positioning).
Use when targeting the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine or deciding whether a respiratory, critical-care, or sleep study fits this venue. Encodes the journal's fit across clinical-translational-basic science, the mechanistic and evidence bar, reporting-guideline and registration requirements, ATS house style, official-submission re-check, and desk-reject heuristics. Venue-fit aid only, not clinical advice.