trace-citations

Trace citation neighborhoods around a focal paper into interpretable buckets.

Updated May 26, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/XWIlluDelu/agent-share --skill trace-citations
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: trace-citations
Source: https://github.com/XWIlluDelu/agent-share/tree/main/lib/trace-citations
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/XWIlluDelu/agent-share --skill trace-citations

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

You need a structured view of how a specific research paper connects to prior work and later work, including which citations look influential, which are merely contextual, and which edges are weak signals.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Lineage discovery: Pulls strong references (foundations) and strong citing descendants around a focal paper to understand what it builds on and what it enables.
  • Graph bucketing with confidence: Separates outputs into foundations, direct descendants, bridge nodes (mid-confidence connectors), weak edges (low-signal), and an optional second-hop expansion for stronger anchors.
  • Context and intent signals: Uses citation contexts and intent metadata to improve interpretability and explain why edges are categorized.

Quick Start

Run: the AI assistant executes the trace-citations workflow for the paper title you specify and returns a JSON report with the citation buckets.

Frequently Asked Questions about trace-citations

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
What is citation tracing and how does it map a paper's research lineage?

Citation tracing maps a research paper's lineage by fetching first-hop references and citations via Semantic Scholar, then bucketing them into foundations, direct descendants, and bridge nodes to reveal academic influence.

How do I categorize research paper citations into foundations and bridge nodes?

You categorize citations by scoring edges using influence, context, and intent signals, which separates strong foundations and direct descendants from mid-confidence bridge nodes and weak edges.

Can I use Semantic Scholar to discover follow-up literature for a focal paper?

Yes, Semantic Scholar resolves the focal paper query and fetches bounded citations and references, enabling follow-up literature discovery through an optional second-hop expansion for stronger anchors.

Does citation context and intent metadata improve influence analysis?

Citation context and intent metadata improve influence analysis by providing interpretable signals that explain why specific edges are categorized as foundations, bridge nodes, or weak connections.

How many citations are examined during a literature mapping workflow?

The literature mapping workflow fetches first-hop references and citations with bounded maxima, outputting a stable JSON envelope with workflow metadata and specific examined counts for the focal paper.

What is the best way to identify weak citation signals in a research graph?

The best way to identify weak citation signals is to score edges using impact and context signals, grouping low-confidence connections into a distinct weak edges bucket within the output JSON envelope.