Lay Press Release Writer

Transform academic papers into university press releases for general.

Security Scan

The skill's code and runtime instructions match its stated purpose (converting papers into press releases), request no credentials or installs, and contain only local text-processing logic — no network I/O or unexpected privileges.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (convert academic papers to press releases) aligns with the shipped artifact: scripts/main.py implements text extraction, simplification, headline/lead/body/boilerplate generation. The declared requirements (no env vars, no binaries, Python 3.8+) are proportionate.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md instructs the agent to validate inputs and run the packaged script only. It does not direct reading unrelated system files, scanning environment variables, or contacting external endpoints. The workflow stays within the stated conversion scope.

Install Mechanism

No install spec is provided (instruction-only skill with a packaged script). This minimizes install risk; the script is pure Python using the standard library (requirements.txt indicates no external deps).

Credentials

The skill requests no credentials, no config paths, and the code does not access environment variables or secrets. That is proportionate to a local text-processing tool.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not always-enabled and does not request persistent or system-wide privileges. It does not modify other skills or global agent settings.

Assessment

This package appears internally consistent and low-risk from a security/privilege perspective, but review and testing are still recommended before production use. Specific points to consider: 1) Run the script in a sandboxed environment the first time (it executes locally and writes outputs to workspace). 2) Inspect scripts/main.py yourself — the code uses simple regex- and string-based extraction and may produce awkward or incorrect phrasing (including fabricated-sounding researcher quotes and imperfect emails); always human-review generated press releases before publication. 3) Confirm how/where outputs are stored in your workspace to avoid accidental exposure of unpublished or sensitive manuscript text. 4) If you need stricter guarantees (no filesystem writes, audit trail, or sanitization), adapt the script or wrap it in a vetted runtime that enforces those constraints.

When to Use

• Use this skill when the task needs Transform academic papers into university press releases for general.
• Use this skill for academic writing tasks that require explicit assumptions, bounded scope, and a reproducible output format.
• Use this skill when you need a documented fallback path for missing inputs, execution errors, or partial evidence.

Key Features

• Scope-focused workflow aligned to: Transform academic papers into university press releases for general.
• Packaged executable path(s): scripts/main.py.
• Reference material available in references/ for task-specific guidance.
• Structured execution path designed to keep outputs consistent and reviewable.

Dependencies

• Python 3.8+
• Dependencies see requirements.txt

Example Usage

See ## Usage above for related details.

cd "20260318/scientific-skills/Academic Writing/lay-press-release-writer"
python -m py_compile scripts/main.py
python scripts/main.py --help

Example run plan:

1. Confirm the user input, output path, and any required config values.
2. Edit the in-file CONFIG block or documented parameters if the script uses fixed settings.
3. Run python scripts/main.py with the validated inputs.
4. Review the generated output and return the final artifact with any assumptions called out.

Implementation Details

See ## Workflow above for related details.

• Execution model: validate the request, choose the packaged workflow, and produce a bounded deliverable.
• Input controls: confirm the source files, scope limits, output format, and acceptance criteria before running any script.
• Primary implementation surface: scripts/main.py.
• Reference guidance: references/ contains supporting rules, prompts, or checklists.
• Parameters to clarify first: input path, output path, scope filters, thresholds, and any domain-specific constraints.
• Output discipline: keep results reproducible, identify assumptions explicitly, and avoid undocumented side effects.

Quick Check

Use this command to verify that the packaged script entry point can be parsed before deeper execution.

python -m py_compile scripts/main.py

Audit-Ready Commands

Use these concrete commands for validation. They are intentionally self-contained and avoid placeholder paths.

python -m py_compile scripts/main.py
python scripts/main.py --help

Workflow

1. Confirm the user objective, required inputs, and non-negotiable constraints before doing detailed work.
2. Validate that the request matches the documented scope and stop early if the task would require unsupported assumptions.
3. Use the packaged script path or the documented reasoning path with only the inputs that are actually available.
4. Return a structured result that separates assumptions, deliverables, risks, and unresolved items.
5. If execution fails or inputs are incomplete, switch to the fallback path and state exactly what blocked full completion.

Metadata

• ID: 144
• Name: Lay Press Release Writer
• Description: Transform academic papers into university press center style press releases
• Version: 1.0.0
• Author: OpenClaw
• Entry Point: scripts/main.py

Purpose

Transforms complex academic papers into press releases for general audiences, alumni, and media. Maintains scientific accuracy while conveying research highlights and value in accessible language.

Capabilities

• Extracts core findings and innovation points from papers
• Generates press releases in university press center style
• Adds compelling headlines and leads
• Provides researcher quotes
• Includes relevant background information

Input Parameters

Parameter Name	Type	Required	Description
paper_text	string	Yes	Full paper text or abstract text
paper_title	string	No	Paper title
authors	array	No	Author list
institution	string	No	Institution/University name
publication_venue	string	No	Publication journal/conference name
target_audience	string	No	Target audience (general/alumni/media)
tone	string	No	Tone style (formal/friendly/inspiring)

Output Format

Returns JSON format:

{
  "headline": "Compelling Headline",
  "subheadline": "Subheadline",
  "dateline": "Location, Date",
  "lead": "Lead paragraph",
  "body": "Body content",
  "quotes": ["Researcher quote 1", "Researcher quote 2"],
  "boilerplate": "Institution introduction",
  "media_contact": "Media contact information"
}

Usage

python scripts/main.py --paper-text "Paper content..." --institution "XX University"

Examples

Example 1: Basic Usage

python scripts/main.py \
  --paper-text "..." \
  --paper-title "New Breakthrough in Quantum Computing" \
  --institution "Tsinghua University" \
  --authors "Zhang San,Li Si"

Notes

• Generated content should maintain scientific accuracy
• Avoid oversimplification that leads to misunderstanding
• Highlight practical application value of research
• Comply with standard press release structure (inverted pyramid structure)

Risk Assessment

Risk Indicator	Assessment	Level
Code Execution	Python/R scripts executed locally	Medium
Network Access	No external API calls	Low
File System Access	Read input files, write output files	Medium
Instruction Tampering	Standard prompt guidelines	Low
Data Exposure	Output files saved to workspace	Low

Security Checklist

• No hardcoded credentials or API keys
• No unauthorized file system access (../)
• Output does not expose sensitive information
• Prompt injection protections in place
• Input file paths validated (no ../ traversal)
• Output directory restricted to workspace
• Script execution in sandboxed environment
• Error messages sanitized (no stack traces exposed)
• Dependencies audited

Prerequisites

# Python dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

Evaluation Criteria

Success Metrics

• Successfully executes main functionality
• Output meets quality standards
• Handles edge cases gracefully
• Performance is acceptable

Test Cases

1. Basic Functionality: Standard input → Expected output
2. Edge Case: Invalid input → Graceful error handling
3. Performance: Large dataset → Acceptable processing time

Lifecycle Status

• Current Stage: Draft
• Next Review Date: 2026-03-06
• Known Issues: None
• Planned Improvements:
  • Performance optimization
  • Additional feature support

Output Requirements

Every final response should make these items explicit when they are relevant:

• Objective or requested deliverable
• Inputs used and assumptions introduced
• Workflow or decision path
• Core result, recommendation, or artifact
• Constraints, risks, caveats, or validation needs
• Unresolved items and next-step checks

Error Handling

• If required inputs are missing, state exactly which fields are missing and request only the minimum additional information.
• If the task goes outside the documented scope, stop instead of guessing or silently widening the assignment.
• If scripts/main.py fails, report the failure point, summarize what still can be completed safely, and provide a manual fallback.
• Do not fabricate files, citations, data, search results, or execution outcomes.

Input Validation

This skill accepts requests that match the documented purpose of lay-press-release-writer and include enough context to complete the workflow safely.

Do not continue the workflow when the request is out of scope, missing a critical input, or would require unsupported assumptions. Instead respond:

lay-press-release-writer only handles its documented workflow. Please provide the missing required inputs or switch to a more suitable skill.

References

• references/audit-reference.md - Supported scope, audit commands, and fallback boundaries

Response Template

Use the following fixed structure for non-trivial requests:

1. Objective
2. Inputs Received
3. Assumptions
4. Workflow
5. Deliverable
6. Risks and Limits
7. Next Checks

If the request is simple, you may compress the structure, but still keep assumptions and limits explicit when they affect correctness.