--- name: scholar-sidekick-reference-list-formatting-export description: Turn a set of scholarly identifiers into a formatted reference list in a chosen citation style and export it to a reference-manager format (BibTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, EndNote and others) for the production step of writing. Use when the user asks to format references, build a bibliography, convert a DOI or PMID list into a style, export to BibTeX or RIS or EndNote, or get a reference list ready for a manuscript. Not for checking whether citations are real. --- # Format and export a reference list This job is production, not verification. Its output is a reference list in the style the user needs and an export file their reference manager or LaTeX toolchain can read. Do not treat a successful format or export as proof that the citations are correct. Resolution only confirms that an identifier points to a record; it does not confirm the user's claimed title, authors or year. If the user has a claimed citation list they are unsure of, route that to the verification or bibliography-audit skills first. ## 1. Confirm the target before calling anything Ask for, or infer from context, three things: - **Identifier list.** DOI, PMID, PMCID, ISBN, arXiv ID, ISSN, ADS bibcode or WHO IRIS URL. Mixed types are fine; the tools accept a comma- or newline-separated batch, so pass the whole list in one call rather than looping. - **Citation style.** Five builtins exist: Vancouver, AMA, APA, IEEE and CSE. Any CSL style ID also works, and the tool resolves aliases and dependent styles. If the user names a journal's style, use its CSL ID when you know it; if you do not know the exact ID, say so and ask rather than guessing a near-match. - **Output destination.** Formatted text for pasting into a document, HTML for a web page, JSON for further processing, or a file in a reference-manager format. If the user wants both a formatted list and an export, run the format step and the export step separately. They serve different consumers. ## 2. Resolve first, then format Run `resolveIdentifier` on the full list before formatting. Read the returned metadata and check two things: - **Every identifier resolved.** Any identifier that did not resolve is a gap. List it by name. Never silently drop it from the reference list, because a missing entry in a manuscript is a real error the author must see. - **Metadata is complete enough for the style.** A record without authors, year or container title will format into a broken entry. Flag those records and ask whether the user wants to supply the missing fields or drop the item. Only then call `formatCitation` with the chosen style and output mode. Keep the order of the user's list unless they ask for sorting; many styles (Vancouver, AMA, CSE) number entries by first appearance in the text, so the sequence the user cites in matters more than alphabetical order. ## 3. Export with the right format for the consumer Choose the export format by what will read the file, not by familiarity: | Consumer | Format | |---|---| | LaTeX / BibTeX toolchain | BibTeX | | Zotero, Mendeley, many managers (import) | RIS | | Pandoc, citeproc pipelines, programmatic use | CSL JSON | | EndNote | EndNote XML or Refer | | RefWorks | RefWorks | | PubMed-style workflows | MEDLINE | | Zotero RDF import | Zotero RDF | | Spreadsheet review | CSV | | Quick human-readable list | plain text | Use `exportCitation` with the chosen format. The export is text for the user to save; hand it over in a code block and say which file name to save it under. Writing to disk is outside this skill's tools, so say that the user must save it themselves. ## 4. Check the output before handing it over Spot-check at least three entries in the formatted output against the source records: author order, year, journal or container, and volume and pages. Look for the common formatter failures: - Author lists truncated or in the wrong order for the style. - Missing DOI or URL where the style expects one. - Titles in the wrong case for the style. - Corporate or group authors rendered as personal names. - Preprints or ISBN-only books formatted as journal articles. If the style requires a particular author limit (for example "et al." after six authors in Vancouver) confirm it appears as the style requires. Note any entry you could not fully check. ## Common patterns and traps - **Mixing identifier types silently.** A PMID and its DOI can point to the same work. Duplicates in the list produce duplicate numbered references. Deduplicate by resolved DOI and tell the user what you merged. - **Preprint and published version both present.** An arXiv ID and the journal DOI for the same paper will both format. Keep the version the user intends to cite and say which one you kept. - **Style chosen by name, not ID.** "Nature style" or "the journal's style" is not a CSL ID. Ask for the exact style or propose the closest and label it as a guess. - **Export format mismatch.** BibTeX exported for a Zotero user, or RIS for a LaTeX user, produces an import that looks fine and then drops fields. Ask what the consumer is before exporting. - **Formatted output treated as verified.** A correctly formatted entry for the wrong paper is still wrong. Formatting cannot detect a claimed citation that does not match its identifier. - **Partial batch failure.** One bad identifier in a batch of 40 should not stop the other 39. Report the successes and name the failure. - **Provenance block ignored.** Each formatted response carries a metadata block with the engine and style used and any warnings. Pass warnings to the user; they often explain a formatting fallback. ## Output ``` Style: