crim-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether a project fits Criminology (ASC / Wiley) and whether to target a full Article or a Research Note. Criminology is the discipline's interdisciplinary flagship, so the test is a general criminological contribution about the etiology, patterning, or control of crime — not a dataset-specific correlation. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill crim-topic-selection --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Topic Selection & Fit (crim-topic-selection) *Criminology* is the **general flagship** of the field, not a regional or specialty outlet. The bar is not "new to my dataset" — it is **"advances how criminology understands crime, deviance, or its control."** Use this skill to pressure-test fit before you invest. ## When to trigger - Choosing among possible projects or framings for a *Criminology* submission - A reviewer/colleague said the paper feels "descriptive," "atheoretical," or "a policy memo" - Deciding between a full **Article** and a **Research Note** - Considering a replication/reappraisal of an influential published finding ## The Criminology fit test A strong *Criminology* paper usually clears all four: 1. **General criminological significance.** It speaks to a core question of the field — etiology of offending, the age–crime curve, criminal careers and desistance, victimization, deterrence, neighborhoods and crime, or the legitimacy/effects of the criminal-legal system — not just one jurisdiction's numbers. 2. **A theoretical contribution, not just a finding.** It tests, extends, adjudicates, or revises a theory (strain, control, social learning, life-course, routine ac
- When to trigger
- The Criminology fit test
- Distinguish from a policy paper (and from sociology-generic)
- Article vs. Research Note
- Anti-patterns
- What an ASC-flagship editor screens for (desk-reject grid)
- Worked vignette: fit for a desistance study (illustrative)
- Referee-pushback patterns at the fit stage (Criminology fix)
- Output format
- Supplementary resources
What does the crim-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether a project fits Criminology (ASC / Wiley) and whether to target a full Article or a Research Note. Criminology is the discipline's interdisciplinary flagship, so the test is a general criminological contribution about the etiology, patterning, or control of crime — not a dataset-specific correlation. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill crim-topic-selection --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills, a repository with 909 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.