apa-rewriter - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: apa-rewriter description: Rewrite text to APA 7th edition style. Use when user asks to "rewrite to APA", "make APA compliant", "check APA style", or needs help with psychology/social science academic writing.

APA 7 Rewriter Skill

Rewrite user-provided text to conform to APA 7th Edition style guidelines.

This skill is self-contained with all reference files included in this folder.

Trigger Conditions

Use this skill when user:

Asks to "rewrite to APA style" or "make this APA compliant"
Wants to check if text follows APA 7 guidelines
Needs help with academic writing in psychology/social sciences
Mentions "APA format" or "academic writing"

Reference Files (In This Folder)

Required - Read these files for complete rules:

File	Content	Priority
`forbidden_patterns.yaml`	Words to delete/replace (46 patterns)	1st
`transformation_rules.yaml`	Explicit X→Y rules (46 transformations)	2nd
`writing_guidelines.yaml`	Tense, voice, formatting rules	3rd
`writing_style.yaml`	Core axioms (clarity, precision, etc.)	Reference

Processing Pipeline

Step 1: Delete Emphasis Words (Immediately)

Read forbidden_patterns.yaml → emphasis_words section.

Quick reference - delete these words without replacement:

importantly, notably, interestingly
obviously, clearly, indeed
actually, really, basically, critically
significantly (unless reporting statistics like p < .05)

Step 2: Apply Transformations

Read transformation_rules.yaml for complete list.

Quick reference - common transformations:

Pattern	Replacement	Category
`The study found`	`We found`	anthropomorphism
`The research showed`	`We found`	anthropomorphism
`The data suggest`	`These data indicate`	anthropomorphism
`due to the fact that`	`because`	redundancy
`in order to`	`to`	redundancy
`a lot of`	`many` / `much`	informal
`It is important to note that`	(delete)	empty_phrase
`mankind`	`humankind`	gender_inclusive

Step 3: Check Psychology-Specific Terms

Read forbidden_patterns.yaml → psychology_specific section.

In correlational studies (no experimental manipulation):

influence → was associated with
impact → was related to
causes → was associated with
proves → suggests / indicates

Step 4: Verify Section-Specific Tense

Read writing_guidelines.yaml for complete rules.

Section	Tense	Example
Method	Past	"We recruited 100 participants"
Results	Past	"We found a significant effect"
Discussion	Present	"These findings suggest..."

Step 5: Final Checks

□ No emphasis words remain
□ No anthropomorphism (studies don't "find")
□ No redundant phrases
□ Correct tense for section type
□ Active voice where appropriate
□ Numbers: words for 0-9, numerals for 10+
□ Gender-inclusive language

Output Format

Provide:

Rewritten text
List of changes made (what → what, reason)

Example

Input:

The study importantly found that stress significantly influences academic performance. This is due to the fact that a lot of students experience anxiety.

Output:

We found that stress was associated with academic performance. Many students experience anxiety.

Changes:

importantly → deleted (emphasis word)
The study found → We found (anthropomorphism)
significantly → deleted (not statistical context)
influences → was associated with (correlational study)
due to the fact that → deleted, sentences merged (redundancy)
a lot of → many (informal)

For Complete Rules

All reference files are included in this skill folder:

forbidden_patterns.yaml - 46 patterns across 4 categories
transformation_rules.yaml - 46 explicit transformations
writing_style.yaml - 9 core axioms with examples
writing_guidelines.yaml - 14 practical writing rules