Getting Started with PaperCraftr 📑✨

PaperCraftr is part of the AICraftr suite and is designed to assist you in crafting academic papers with the help of AI. Inspired by structured research methodologies, this guide will walk you through creating a paper from scratch. Whether you’re outlining, conducting literature reviews, or drafting sections, PaperCraftr provides support every step of the way.

Structured research emphasizes clarity in contribution, framework, and writing process, which we will follow throughout this guide.

Step 1: Install AICraftr

To use PaperCraftr, first install the AICraftr suite, which includes StoryCraftr, using pipx, a tool to help you install and run Python applications in isolated environments. It works on most platforms, including macOS, Linux, and Windows. Using pipx ensures that AICraftr runs in its own virtual environment, keeping your system’s Python installation clean.

To install AICraftr, run the following command:

pipx install git+https://github.com/raestrada/[email protected]

Important: Before running the papercraftr command

Store the key in a text file located at ~/.papercraftr/openai_api_key.txt for convenience.

mkdir -p ~/.papercraftr/
echo "your-openai-api-key" > ~/.papercraftr/openai_api_key.txt

Once installed and the API key is set, you can run the tool using the command papercraftr.

Step 2: Create the Behavior File

The behavior file is essential to guide the AI’s writing approach. It represents the researcher’s perspective and defines how the AI should approach the paper. This file goes beyond technical details—it sets the tone, style, and focus of the paper, establishing a foundation for the AI to align with your research goals.

The behavior file acts as a creative guide for the AI, helping ensure that all generated content follows your desired tone, methodology, and academic style.

What Should Go in the Behavior File?

In the behavior file, you can include various elements to help guide the AI:

  • Research Focus: What’s the central question or hypothesis?
  • Tone: Should the writing be formal, technical, concise, etc.?
  • Methodology: What approach should the AI follow in presenting data?
  • Literature Depth: Does the paper require an extensive review, or is it focused on a narrow contribution?
  • Length: Are you aiming for a conference paper, journal article, or thesis?
  • Structure: Does your paper follow a standard format (like IMRaD) or a customized structure?

Here’s an example:

echo "Write in a formal, structured tone focusing on a hypothesis-driven research paper. The paper should explore connections between AI and cognitive psychology, using a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Target length: 15-20 pages." > behaviors/default.txt

Why the Behavior File Matters

Unlike the outline (which organizes content) or the literature review (which frames the context), the behavior file establishes the research style and approach. It ensures the AI aligns with your academic expectations, helping it produce content that matches your intended tone and structure.

Step 3: Generate the Outline

A well-defined outline provides the structure for a coherent paper, helping maintain focus and clarity. Let’s build an outline for your academic paper.

  1. General Outline:

    papercraftr outline general-outline "Summarize the key contributions of a paper exploring the connection between AI models and cognitive psychology, with a focus on systematic review findings."

  2. Section Summaries:

    papercraftr outline section-summary "Summarize the introduction, methodology, results, and discussion sections for a paper exploring AI's impact on cognitive psychology."

  3. Key Points:

    papercraftr outline key-points "Identify the main points to address in a systematic review on the applications of AI in cognitive psychology."

  4. Detailed Synopsis:

    papercraftr outline detailed-synopsis "Outline each section of a research paper that aims to evaluate AI's influence on cognitive processes, focusing on methodology and critical findings."

Step 4: Organize Literature and Framework

A comprehensive literature review situates your research within the existing body of knowledge, highlighting its significance. Here’s how you can organize and develop this part with PaperCraftr:

  1. Review Key Studies:

    papercraftr organize_lit review "Review studies connecting neural networks with cognitive processes, focusing on key findings and identified research gaps."

  2. Conceptual Framework:

    papercraftr organize_lit framework "Develop a conceptual framework that illustrates the interaction between AI and cognitive psychology."

  3. Identify Gaps:

    papercraftr organize_lit identify-gaps "Identify unexplored areas within existing literature on AI's impact on memory and perception."

Step 5: Draft Each Section

With a structured outline and literature review, we can now proceed to draft each section. PaperCraftr enables a systematic approach to academic writing.

  1. Draft Introduction:

    papercraftr generate_section introduction "Write an introduction summarizing the relevance of AI in cognitive psychology, including research questions and hypotheses."

  2. Draft Methodology:

    papercraftr generate_section methodology "Write the methodology section, detailing the systematic review approach used to analyze studies on AI and cognition."

  3. Draft Results:

    papercraftr generate_section results "Summarize the findings, focusing on the impact of AI models on cognitive functions like memory and learning."

  4. Draft Discussion:

    papercraftr generate_section discussion "Discuss the implications of AI in cognitive psychology, including potential applications and future research directions."

Step 6: Refine and Finalize

Iterate over each draft to improve clarity and academic rigor, ensuring a consistent tone and quality throughout your paper.

  1. Consistency Check:

    papercraftr iterate consistency-check "Ensure terminology and style are consistent across sections."

  2. Review References:

    papercraftr references review "Organize and format references according to the target journal's citation style."

  3. Proofreading:

    papercraftr iterate proofread "Check for grammar, clarity, and formatting across the entire paper."

  4. Generate PDF:

    papercraftr publish pdf en

Step 7: Chat with Your Assistant

PaperCraftr includes a command to chat directly with your AI assistant. This feature allows you to ask questions, refine ideas, or request improvements to your paper’s content, all from the terminal.

How to Start a Chat

To start chatting with your assistant, make sure your project is initialized and run:

papercraftr chat

Example Chat Session

  1. Ask for section feedback:

    [You]: "What are the strengths and weaknesses of the introduction section in my paper on AI in cognitive psychology?"

  2. Request writing help:

    [You]: "Help me improve the clarity of the methods section."

Happy writing with PaperCraftr!