literatureimages-interpretation

---

name: literatureimages-interpretation description: Interpret figures in academic papers and their captions when the input is a PDF-to-Markdown document with page markers and image links, producing a structured Markdown report for extracting variables, trends, and conclusions. license: MIT author: AIPOCH

Source: https://github.com/aipoch/medical-research-skills

When to Use

• You have a paper converted from PDF to Markdown (including ## Page XX markers and image links) and need a figure-by-figure interpretation report.
• You need to extract key variables, trends, comparisons, and conclusions primarily from charts/plots rather than from the main text.
• You want to align images in a *-images/ folder with figure numbers (e.g., Figure 1A, Figure 2) using captions and in-text citations.
• You need a standardized, UTF-8 Markdown output suitable for downstream summarization, data extraction, or knowledge base ingestion.
• You must filter out non-figure images (e.g., scanned body text blocks) and interpret only chart-like content.

Key Features

• Parses Markdown image links and locates the corresponding *-images/ directory (e.g., RateSOX2.md → RateSOX2-images/).
• Opens every image in the images folder without skipping and classifies each as chart / table / schematic / flowchart / body-text block.
• Builds an internal (non-exported) alignment list to map images to figure numbers using captions and body-text citations.
• Interprets only chart-type images (and other figure-like visuals when required), excluding body-text blocks.
• Produces a single structured “Image Interpretation” Markdown report per input file, saved to outputs/.
• Enforces evidence-based interpretation: rely only on captions, body text, and visible image content; do not speculate.

Dependencies

• pdf-extract (version: not specified) — used only when the source is PDF and must be converted to Markdown first.
• Markdown template: assets/figure_interpretation_template.md (version: not specified)
• Quality/requirements reference: references/guide.md (version: not specified)

Example Usage

Input layout

skill/
  literatureimages-interpretation/
    inputs/
      RateSOX2.md
    RateSOX2-images/
      image_001.png
      image_002.png
      ...
    assets/
      figure_interpretation_template.md
    references/
      guide.md
    outputs/

Run (conceptual workflow)

1. If starting from PDF, convert to Markdown first:

   pdf-extract RateSOX2.pdf > skill/literatureimages-interpretation/inputs/RateSOX2.md
   

2. Ensure the images folder exists and matches the literature name:

   • inputs/RateSOX2.md
   • RateSOX2-images/

3. Execute the interpretation process:

   • Read inputs/RateSOX2.md (captions + in-text citations + image links).
   • Open every image in RateSOX2-images/ sequentially.
   • Classify images; keep only chart/figure-like items for interpretation.
   • Align images to figure numbers (e.g., Figure 1A) when possible; otherwise mark as Unassigned.
   • Fill assets/figure_interpretation_template.md.
   • Write exactly one UTF-8 Markdown output to:
     • outputs/RateSOX2_figure_interpretation.md (example name; keep it concise)

Output (must be a single Markdown file)

• Location: outputs/
• Content: only the “Image Interpretation” section (do not include the internal image list table)
• Encoding: UTF-8

Implementation Details

• Input assumptions

  • Default input is a PDF-to-Markdown file (.md) containing:
    • page markers like ## Page XX
    • image links
    • captions and surrounding body text
  • If only a PDF is provided, convert it to Markdown using pdf-extract before interpretation.

• Image discovery

  • Images are typically stored in a folder named *-images/ matching the literature filename.
  • Use Markdown image links and/or folder naming to locate the correct images.

• Mandatory full pass over images

  • Open every image in the *-images/ folder without skipping.
  • Classify each image into one of:
    • chart/plot
    • table
    • schematic
    • flowchart
    • body text block (to be excluded from interpretation)

• Figure attribution (alignment)

  • Use captions and in-text citations to assign figure identifiers (e.g., Figure 2, Fig. 3B).
  • If attribution cannot be determined, label the item as Unassigned.
  • Maintain an internal alignment list for processing only; do not generate or export any image list file.

• Interpretation scope and constraints

  • Interpret only chart-type (and other figure-like) images that require analysis; exclude body-text blocks.
  • Interpretations must be grounded in:
    • visible content in the image (axes, legends, labels, values, trends)
    • caption text
    • relevant body text citations
  • Do not infer beyond the evidence; if information is missing, write “Not specified”.

• Output rules

  • Use assets/figure_interpretation_template.md as the structure.
  • Output exactly one Markdown file per input document.
  • Save to outputs/ with a concise filename (avoid redundant phrases).
  • Do not include the internal image list table; output only the final “Image Interpretation” content.
  • Ensure UTF-8 encoding to prevent character corruption.

• Quality checks

  • Follow detailed requirements and checkpoints in references/guide.md.

When Not to Use

• Do not proceed when required input files, identifiers, parameters, or context are missing — ask the user to provide them first.
• Do not assume capabilities beyond this skill's declared scope when the user requests external operations or inferences.
• Do not proceed without user confirmation when overwriting existing results, executing high-cost batch operations, or expanding task scope.

Required Inputs

| Field | Required | Format/Source | Example | If Missing | |---|---|---|---|---| | User task description | Yes | Text | Research question, writing goal, analysis objective | Stop and ask user to provide | | Primary input material | Depends on task | Text, file path, ID, table, or literature | PMID, PDF, CSV, DOCX, keywords, etc. | Specify which material type is missing | | Output preference | No | Text | Language, format, target journal, template | Use skill default format |

Output Contract

• Primary output: Structured result or target file aligned with this skill's objective.
• Optional output: Intermediate check notes, issue list, supplementary suggestions, or generated file paths.
• Format requirement: Unless the user specifies otherwise, prefer stable, reviewable Markdown or JSON; if the skill's bundled script requires a fixed format, use that format.
• If partially complete: Must explicitly mark as PARTIAL and state which steps are completed and which remain.

Failure Handling

• Missing critical input: Explicitly state which fields, files, or identifiers are missing and pause.
• Script, template, or resource execution failure: Report the failing step, likely cause, and recovery suggestions — do not silently degrade.
• Partial completion only: Return the verified portion first, then list remaining blockers and suggested next steps.

User Checkpoints

• Before executing batch processing, overwriting files, long-running searches, or multi-stage generation, confirm scope and output format with the user.
• Before proceeding when a key judgment is ambiguous, evidence is insufficient, or the workflow is entering the next stage, confirm with the user.

Input Validation

This skill accepts requests that match the documented purpose of literatureimages-interpretation 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:

literatureimages-interpretation only handles its documented workflow. Please provide the missing required inputs or switch to a more suitable skill.

Quick Validation

• Check that key scripts, templates, or reference file paths this skill depends on exist.
• Check that the final output contains the core fields, sections, or files specified for this task.
• Check that results clearly mark assumptions, limitations, and incomplete items.