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)
- 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
- Create a
_workspace/directory at the project root - Organize the input and save it to
_workspace/00_input.md - If existing materials are provided, copy them to
_workspace/and adjust the relevant phase - 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
- Verify all files in
_workspace/ - Confirm that all critical proofreading items have been addressed
- 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 |