Use when drafting or polishing an American Sociological Review (ASR) manuscript so it reads for the whole discipline, follows the ASA Style Guide, and fits the limits (Articles <= 15,000 words including text, references, and footnotes; abstract <= 200 words). Tightens prose and format; it does not invent content.
SkillScore95Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 8/15/2026
What it changes
Passed 21 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 17 of 22 without it.
Without skill77%
With skill95%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
Mandates that acronyms be spelled out upon initial appearance.
Confirms that the draft is currently within the length ceiling.
Notes that tables and figures are excluded from the 15,000-word cap.
and 3 more in the full report
4 fixed17 passed either way1 still failing0 broke
Pass-rate lift
+18 pp
Tokens
+47%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-27%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/15/2026v121 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 4 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 4
Prompt
My American Sociological Review submission draft has 14,500 words of text, references, and footnotes, plus 3 large tables and 2 figures. Do the tables and figures push my manuscript over the 15,000-word cap?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
States that tables and figures are excluded from the 15,000-word limit.
Missed
Passed
Confirms that the draft is currently within the length ceiling.
Missed
Passed
case-08 · 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.md108 linessingle file
Writing Style (asr-writing-style)
An ASR paper must be readable by a sociologist outside its subfield, formatted to the ASA Style
Guide, and disciplined to a word cap that includes the reference list. This skill is about
reaching the discipline and respecting the format — not generating claims.
When to trigger
Drafting the introduction, framing the contribution, or final polish
Over the word cap and needing to cut without losing the argument
Writing the <= 200-word abstract (150-200 target range; the binding rule is a 200-word ceiling)
Aligning citations, headings, and format to the ASA Style Guide
Reach the whole discipline
Front-load the contribution. By the end of the introduction the reader knows the question, the
argument, the evidence, and why it matters to sociology broadly.
Minimize subfield jargon or define it on first use; spell out acronyms; an ethnographer should
follow a demographic paper and vice versa.
Argument-first prose. Lead with claims; use evidence to support them. Make the mechanism and
concept (from asr-theory-building) explicit.
Signpost with clear section structure.
Format to the ASA Style Guide
Citations: author-date per the ASA Style Guide (7th ed., 2022); keep one consistent style
(manage with Zotero/BibTeX). References count toward the 15,000-word limit.
Manuscript: double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt, ≥1-inch margins; include a word count.
Masking: no title page in the manuscript; a separate title page carries affiliations,
acknowledgments, and contact. You may cite your own work but must not word it to identify
yourself ("in our prior study" → "in a prior study").
Abstract: <= 200 words (150-200 target), with no identifying information.
Fit the word cap (incl. text + references + footnotes; tables/figures excluded)
Tighten the literature review — engage the debate, not every paper (see asr-literature-positioning).
References count, so prune redundant citations and over-long reference strings.
Tighten footnotes — they count.
Move extended detail to supplementary materials where appropriate; keep the article focused.
Use when running the final pre-submission preflight for the American Sociological Review (ASR) via Sage Track — masked-manuscript preparation, the separate title page, word/abstract caps, ASA Style Guide formatting, the $25 processing fee, and ethics declarations. Final checks; it does not draft content.