Guide · Agent skill
How to use the OfficeCLI Academic Paper Writer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The officecli-academic-paper skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI agent how to produce a formal academic document in Word (.docx), such as a journal article, conference paper or thesis chapter. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and what it needs to run. By the end you will know whether it fits your writing task and how to get a first .docx out of it.
OfficeCLI Academic Paper WriteriOfficeAI/OfficeCLI · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the officecli-academic-paper skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip the skill. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or your project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Install OfficeCLI. Run the install command for your system and confirm it works with officecli --version.
- 4Make the request. Describe the document, name the citation style and list any equations, figures, footnotes or columns you need.
- 5Check the .docx. Open the output file in Word and confirm the citations, reference list and numbering match your sources.
What the skill makes the agent do
Once installed, the agent knows how to build a Word document that follows academic conventions. It applies the rules for citation styles such as APA, Chicago, IEEE and MLA, numbers equations, numbers figures and tables automatically with live cross-references, adds footnotes or endnotes, and builds a bibliography with hanging indents. It also creates abstract and keyword blocks and can lay out a multi-column journal page.
The skill builds on a base Word skill called officecli-docx and drives the OfficeCLI command-line tool to create the file. The output is a single .docx file.
- Citation styles: APA, Chicago, IEEE, MLA
- Numbered equations and cross-references to figures and tables
- Footnotes and endnotes
- Bibliography with hanging indent
- Abstract and keywords block
- Multi-column journal layout (for example two-column IEEE style)
Install the skill from this page
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into one of these locations. Use ~/.claude/skills/ to make the skill available across your projects, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.
Alternatively, in the Claude apps you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project: unzip into your project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Install the OfficeCLI tool the skill depends on
The skill drives the OfficeCLI command-line tool, so it must be installed on your machine. If the agent reports that officecli is missing, use the install command for your system. Check the installation with the version command. If install fails, download a binary from the GitHub releases page.
The base Word skill officecli-docx should also be available, because this skill is written to be read alongside it.
- macOS / Linux: curl -fsSL https://d.officecli.ai/install.sh | bash
- Windows (PowerShell): irm https://d.officecli.ai/install.ps1 | iex
- Verify: officecli --version (open a new terminal if PATH has not updated)
- Fallback: binaries at https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/releases
officecli --versionHow to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need to name the skill. Describe the document you want and mention the venue or citation style. The skill's description lists trigger phrases such as 'research paper', 'journal paper', 'conference paper', 'manuscript', 'thesis', 'APA', 'MLA', 'Chicago', 'IEEE two-column', 'bibliography', 'hanging indent', 'citation style', 'abstract + keywords', 'equation numbering' and 'cross-reference'.
Be specific about the style and layout. The skill's rules depend on that choice, so name it at the start of the request.
- "Format my thesis chapter in APA 7 with a hanging-indent reference list and numbered figures."
- "Set up a two-column IEEE conference paper with an abstract, keywords and numbered equations."
- "Build a manuscript in Chicago style with footnotes and a bibliography."
What the skill needs and what it does on your machine
The skill runs scripts and uses the network. The install step downloads OfficeCLI from d.officecli.ai or GitHub, and the agent runs officecli commands to create and edit the .docx. Review the scripts and install commands before you run them, especially on a shared or work machine.
The skill does not check that your sources exist or are correct. It formats references you provide, so verify every citation yourself.
- Requires the OfficeCLI command-line tool
- Requires the officecli-docx base skill to be read alongside it
- Runs scripts: yes
- Uses network: yes
- Output: one .docx file
Tips for better results
Choose the citation style and venue before you start. Every later formatting decision follows from that choice, including hanging indents, footnotes versus in-text citations, and reference order.
Give the agent your full reference list and check that each in-text citation matches an entry. Figures and tables should be numbered with the built-in caption fields, not typed by hand, so that inserting a new figure does not break the numbering.
Use the skill for papers, not business documents. For white papers, policy briefs or HR templates with no citation style, the skill recommends the general Word skill instead.
- Name the style (APA, Chicago, IEEE, MLA) in the first message
- Supply a complete reference list and verify it yourself
- Ask for a page check before you submit
What people use it for
- A student formatting a thesis chapter in APA with a hanging-indent reference list.
- A researcher preparing a manuscript with numbered equations and cross-referenced figures for a journal.
- A writer producing a two-column IEEE-style conference paper with a formatted reference list.
- Adding footnotes or endnotes to a term paper that must follow Chicago style.
Frequently asked questions
Is the OfficeCLI academic paper skill free?
The skill is released under the Apache-2.0 licence, as stated on this page. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms before commercial use.
What do I need to install before using this skill?
You need the OfficeCLI command-line tool and the base officecli-docx skill, which this skill is written to be read alongside. OfficeCLI installs with a curl command on macOS and Linux or a PowerShell command on Windows.
Where do I put the skill files?
Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ to use it everywhere, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to use it in one project. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the skill check that my citations are real?
No. The skill formats the references you provide, but it does not verify that sources exist or are accurate. You must check every citation yourself.
Which citation styles does it support?
The skill names APA, Chicago, IEEE and MLA, and covers author format, date placement, reference order and in-text marker shape for each. It also covers multi-column layouts such as two-column IEEE.
Can I use it for a business report or white paper?
The skill is not meant for that. For documents without a citation style, such as white papers, policy briefs or HR templates, the skill directs the agent to use the general Word skill instead.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are writing a thesis chapter, term paper, journal manuscript or conference paper in Word and need a specific citation style, numbered equations, live figure and table numbering or a two-column layout. Pick a different tool if you need a business document with no citation style, or if you need the agent to verify that your sources are real, because this skill only formats them.
Download the skill