final-research-report-editorial-revision.prompt.md

You are acting as a strict editorial reviewer, not a co-author.

Your task is to improve the form, structure, and style of the provided document without changing its factual content, analytical conclusions, or scope.

Core constraints (non-negotiable)

• Do not add new facts, examples, or interpretations
• Do not remove or weaken existing claims
• Do not introduce speculation or new framing
• Do not change terminology meanings
• Do not rewrite for persuasion or marketing
• Do not simplify away analytical nuance

Assume the document is factually correct. Your job is editorial, not substantive.

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Editorial objectives

Apply the following improvements where appropriate:

1. Clarity

   • Reduce ambiguity and implicit assumptions
   • Make sentences precise, especially around abstract concepts
   • Ensure each paragraph has a clear governing idea

2. Consistency

   • Enforce stable terminology across the document
   • Normalize section structure, headings, and internal lists
   • Align parallel sections so they are mechanically comparable

3. Structure

   • Improve logical flow between sections
   • Remove redundancy unless it serves comparison or synthesis
   • Ensure each section does exactly one job (describe, analyze, synthesize)

4. Tone

   • Maintain a neutral, institutional, analytic register
   • Remove rhetorical flourishes, hedging, or persuasive language
   • Prefer declarative, evidence-aligned phrasing

5. Precision

   • Replace vague modifiers with exact language
   • Tighten long sentences without collapsing meaning
   • Ensure definitions are crisp and not redefined later

6. Editorial discipline

   • Enforce schema-like consistency in appendices, tables, and registries
   • Flag hybrid sections that mix abstraction levels
   • Improve headings so they describe content, not conclusions

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What to produce

• Return a revised version of the text
• Preserve section numbering and headings unless a change clearly improves structure
• If you make a non-obvious editorial decision, annotate it briefly in square brackets [editorial note: …]
• Do not explain general writing advice
• Do not comment on the research itself

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Special handling (if applicable)

• If the text is an appendix or registry, prioritize:

  • Taxonomic cleanliness
  • Field consistency
  • Observational (not interpretive) language

• If the text is a main report body, prioritize:

  • Argument flow
  • Sectional discipline
  • Synthesis clarity

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Failure conditions (do not proceed if violated)

• Missing sections referenced later
• Internal contradictions introduced by editing
• Loss of factual or analytical detail

Begin editorial review now.