Use when drafting or polishing the prose of a Comparative Political Studies (CPS) manuscript so it reaches comparativists, fits the 11,000-word limit, and follows CPS house formatting. Improves writing and formatting; it does not change the analysis.
SkillScore91Maintained
Automatic
◆Writing & Editing pack
Last verified 9/1/2026
What it changes
Passed 20 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 13 of 22 without it.
Without skill59%
With skill91%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
Specifies an unstructured abstract format.
Specifies APA-style author-date references.
Includes the output line starting with 【Travels?】.
and 14 more in the full report
9 fixed11 passed either way0 still failing2 broke
Pass-rate lift
+32 pp
Tokens
+27%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-15%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 9/1/2026v120 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
What is the designated next step module or follow-up skill block referenced in a standard manuscript assessment for Comparative Political Studies after completing the writing style evaluation?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
Identifies cps-transparency-and-data as the next step module.
Missed
Passed
case-17 · gemini-3.6-flash · 9/1/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md81 linessingle file
Writing Style (cps-writing-style)
A CPS paper must read for the comparative-politics community: a comparativist of another region
should follow the argument, see the leverage, and grasp the portable claim. Write argument-first, keep
the prose tight against the word cap, and follow CPS/SAGE house formatting (APA-style author-date
references, unstructured 150-word abstract).
When to trigger
Drafting the introduction, abstract, or conclusion; tightening prose for the word limit
A reviewer found the paper hard to follow, parochial, jargon-heavy, or over the limit
Formatting references, headings, and the abstract to CPS/SAGE house style
Checking that the contribution is stated early and travels
The CPS introduction arc
Lead with the comparative puzzle, then the stake, then why it is hard to identify, then the
setting & design, then the headline finding with mechanism, then the portable contribution,
then a brief roadmap. By the end of the introduction the reader knows the question, the argument, the
evidence, and why it matters to comparative politics — not just to one country's specialists.
Argument-first. State the claim and the contribution on page one; do not bury them behind a
literature tour or lead with the estimator.
Travel up front. Frame the contribution so a comparativist of another region sees what to import.
Define, don't drown. Define region- or method-specific terms; minimize jargon so the paper reads
past your subfield within comparative politics.
House formatting (verify current SAGE guidelines)
Item
CPS norm (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准)
Length
Articles max 11,000 words; references, tables, figures excluded from the count
Abstract
Unstructured, ~150 words, between title and body
References
APA-style author-date (SAGE house) — every in-text cite has a list entry and vice versa
Manuscript
Double-spaced, 1" margins, 12-pt (Times New Roman preferred)
Anonymity
Remove identifying info from the main file; put it on a separate title page
Length and house style change — confirm on the SAGE author-instructions page; treat figures above as
the working norm.
Use when drafting or polishing an American Journal of Political Science (AJPS) manuscript so it fits the word caps (Articles <= 10,000 words; Research Notes and Correspondence <= 4,000; abstract <= 150 words), follows the APSA Style Manual or Chicago 18th edition, and stays fully anonymized for double-blind review. Tightens prose and format; it does not invent content.