trace-origin

Trace cited concepts in research papers to foundational knowledge trunks.

2|Updated May 31, 2026

Search Tags:#research #academic #analysis #innovation #literature #intellectual-history

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/kangning-huang/knhuang-research-skills --skill trace-origin

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: trace-origin
Source: https://github.com/kangning-huang/knhuang-research-skills/tree/main/skills/trace-origin
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/kangning-huang/knhuang-research-skills --skill trace-origin

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This skill solves the problem of superficial reading by uncovering the deep intellectual ancestry of a research paper, allowing you to identify the fundamental knowledge trunks that a paper recombines.

Core Features & Use Cases

Ancestry Tracing: Automatically identifies the seminal works and intellectual traditions that underpin a paper's contribution.
Innovation Depth Analysis: Classifies the paper's innovation level based on the recombination depth of its core ideas, from leaf-level incrementalism to trunk-level paradigm shifts.
Use Case: Use this when you need to understand why a specific paper is truly groundbreaking or to determine if a new research direction is a genuine innovation or just a minor extension of existing work.

Quick Start

Run the trace-origin skill by providing the path to your research paper PDF to generate a full intellectual ancestry report.

Frequently Asked Questions about trace-origin

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

FAQPage Schema

How do I trace the intellectual lineage of a research paper?▼

To trace the intellectual lineage of a research paper, you analyze its cited concepts to map them back to foundational knowledge trunks. This process uncovers the seminal works and traditions underpinning the paper's core contribution.

What is intellectual ancestry analysis in academic research?▼

Intellectual ancestry analysis is the process of mapping the divergence of ideas across disciplinary threads. It identifies the fundamental knowledge trunks a paper recombines to determine if it represents a paradigm shift or incremental extension.

How do I analyze a research paper's innovation depth?▼

You analyze a research paper's innovation depth by classifying the recombination depth of its core ideas. This classification ranges from leaf-level incrementalism to trunk-level paradigm shifts to evaluate true originality.

Can I use text extraction tools to map the intellectual roots of a literature review?▼

Yes, mapping the intellectual roots of a literature review requires web search capabilities and text extraction tools. These tools process the source PDF to generate a full intellectual ancestry report for academic critique workflows.

What's the best way to identify foundational works in a research paper?▼

The best way to identify foundational works in a research paper is to automatically trace its cited concepts back to their source. This avoids superficial reading by revealing the deep intellectual ancestry and traditions recombined in the text.