literature-review

Literature Review Skill

Use this skill when conducting a systematic review, scoping review, or structured literature screening over a Zotero library using zotero-mcp-server (and optionally the AutoAttach Zotero plugin).

Core Principles

1. Never screen or delete silently. Always present proposed deduplications or screening decisions in a structured table and wait for the reviewer to confirm before writing tags, notes, or moving items to Trash.
2. Exclude standalone attachments from reference counts. Always pass item_type="-attachment" when counting or screening references so standalone PDFs do not inflate PRISMA totals.
3. Merge tags, never overwrite them. Use zotero_add_tags and zotero_remove_tags rather than zotero_update_item, which replaces the entire tags array.
4. Keep the audit trail inside the library. Every excluded study at full-text or abstract screening should receive both a structured tag (e.g. SCREENING:Excluded) and a child note (zotero_create_note) stating the primary exclusion reason.

Workflow Stages

Stage 1: Library Preparation & Deduplication

1. Identify scope: Ask whether the review covers a specific collection (zotero_list_collections) or the entire library.
2. Find duplicates: Call zotero_find_duplicates (with collection_key if scoped).
3. Inspect candidate clusters: For each duplicate cluster, call zotero_get_item_children on its members so you never trash the copy that holds the attached PDF or reading notes.
4. Propose deduplication table: Show:
   • Cluster # and matching evidence (exact DOI, ISBN, or title+author+year)
   • Key to Keep (richest metadata + attachments)
   • Key(s) to Trash
   • Tags/collections to merge onto the kept record
5. Apply after confirmation:
   • Merge tags via zotero_add_tags and collections via zotero_add_items_to_collection.
   • Trash redundant records via zotero_delete_items (permanent: false).
   • Record the count of duplicates removed for the PRISMA flow diagram.