thesis-advisor

# Thesis Advisor — Thesis Writing Support Full Pipeline

An agent team collaborates to perform topic selection, literature review, methodology design, writing, and proofreading.

## Execution Mode

**Agent Team** — 5 agents communicate directly via SendMessage and cross-verify each other's work.

## Agent Roster

| Agent | File | Role | Type |
|-------|------|------|------|
| topic-explorer | `.claude/agents/topic-explorer.md` | Topic exploration, research question formulation | general-purpose |
| literature-analyst | `.claude/agents/literature-analyst.md` | Literature survey, critical review | general-purpose |
| methodology-expert | `.claude/agents/methodology-expert.md` | Research design, analysis method selection | general-purpose |
| writing-coach | `.claude/agents/writing-coach.md` | Thesis structure design, draft writing | general-purpose |
| proofreader | `.claude/agents/proofreader.md` | Proofreading, format verification, consistency review | general-purpose |

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Preparation (Orchestrator performs directly)

1. Extract from user input:
    - **Discipline**: Major and sub-field
    - **Thesis type**: Master's / Doctoral / Journal article / Undergraduate thesis
    - **Topic of interest** (optional): Specific topic or keywords
    - **Advisor's research area** (optional): Lab research direction
    - **Existing materials** (optional): Existing manuscripts, reference lists, data
    - **Deadline** (optional): Submission date
2. Create a `_workspace/` directory at the project root
3. Organize the input and save it to `_workspace/00_input.md`
4. If existing materials are provided, copy them to `_workspace/` and adjust the relevant phase
5. Determine the **execution mode** based on the scope of the request

### Phase 2: Team Assembly and Execution

| Order | Task | Agent | Depends On | Deliverable |
|-------|------|-------|-----------|-------------|
| 1 | Topic exploration | topic-explorer | None | `_workspace/01_topic_proposal.md` |
| 2 | Literature review | literature-analyst | Task 1 | `_workspace/02_literature_review.md` |
| 3 | Methodology design | methodology-expert | Tasks 1, 2 | `_workspace/03_methodology_design.md` |
| 4 | Draft writing | writing-coach | Tasks 1, 2, 3 | `_workspace/04_draft_manuscript.md` |
| 5 | Proofreading | proofreader | Task 4 | `_workspace/05_proofread_report.md` |

**Inter-agent communication flow:**
- topic-explorer completes -> sends research questions and keywords to literature-analyst; sends hypotheses and variables to methodology-expert
- literature-analyst completes -> sends methodology trends from prior studies to methodology-expert; sends literature review content to writing-coach
- methodology-expert completes -> sends full methodology design to writing-coach
- writing-coach completes -> sends completed draft to proofreader
- proofreader completes -> on critical findings, requests corrections from the relevant agent (max 2 rounds)

### Phase 3: Integration and Final Report

1. Verify all files in `_workspace/`
2. Confirm that all critical proofreading items have been addressed
3. Report the final summary to the user

## Task-Scale Modes

| User Request Pattern | Execution Mode | Agents Deployed |
|---------------------|---------------|----------------|
| "Thesis from start to finish", "full support" | **Full Pipeline** | All 5 agents |
| "Help me find a research topic" | **Topic Exploration Mode** | topic-explorer only |
| "Do a literature review" | **Literature Review Mode** | topic-explorer + literature-analyst |
| "Design my methodology" | **Methodology Mode** | methodology-expert only (uses existing RQ) |
| "Write my thesis", "draft writing" | **Writing Mode** | writing-coach + proofreader |
| "Proofread my thesis" (existing manuscript) | **Proofreading Mode** | proofreader only |

**Existing material usage**: If the user provides existing manuscripts, reference lists, etc., skip or augment the relevant phase.

## Data Transfer Protocol

| Strategy | Method | Purpose |
|----------|--------|---------|
| File-based | `_workspace/` directory | Store and share major deliverables |
| Message-based | SendMessage | Real-time key information exchange, revision requests |
| Task-based | TaskCreate/TaskUpdate | Track progress |

File naming convention: `{order}_{agent}_{deliverable}.{extension}`

## Error Handling

| Error Type | Strategy |
|-----------|----------|
| Academic DB search failure | Substitute with web search; note "search limited" in report |
| Cannot determine field | Ask user narrowing questions; infer from interests |
| Existing manuscript format unclear | Apply standard dissertation format |
| Agent failure | Retry once -> proceed without that deliverable if still failing |
| Critical finding in proofreading | Request correction from relevant agent -> re-verify (max 2 rounds) |

## Test Scenarios

### Normal Flow
**Prompt**: "I want to write an education master's thesis. I'm interested in the impact of flipped learning on learning motivation."
**Expected Results**:
- Topic proposal: Discover research gap in flipped learning x motivation, 3-5 RQs, candidate topic comparison
- Literature review: 20+ prior studies on flipped learning and motivation, theoretical framework
- Methodology: Quasi-experimental design or survey, sample/instruments/analysis methods
- Draft: Master's thesis structure (6 chapters), Introduction through Methods completed
- Proofreading: Format, style, and consistency verification

### Existing File Flow
**Prompt**: "Proofread this manuscript" + thesis file attached
**Expected Results**:
- Proofreading Mode (proofreader only)
- Grammar, format, and consistency verification report

### Error Flow
**Prompt**: "Recommend a thesis topic; I haven't decided on a field yet"
**Expected Results**:
- Ask questions about interests and strengths to narrow the field, then proceed with topic exploration

## Agent Extension Skills

Extension skills that enhance each agent's domain expertise:

| Agent | Extension Skill | Role |
|-------|----------------|------|
| methodology-expert | `research-methodology` | Research design matrix, sample size calculation, validity/reliability, analysis method selection |
| writing-coach, proofreader | `academic-writing-style` | Per-chapter thesis structure, academic style rules, APA citations, proofreading checklist |