designing-the-analysis
Use when you have an approved research question and need a concrete analysis plan, before touching outcome data or fitting any model
npx skills add K-Dense-AI/science-superpowers --skill designing-the-analysis --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.
# Designing the Analysis ## Overview Write a comprehensive analysis plan assuming the analyst has zero context for this project and questionable statistical taste. Document everything they need: which datasets and variables, how each construct is computed, the exact model or test, the sample size / power justification, which confounds are handled and how, the decision rules, and the planned figures. Give them the whole thing as bite-sized steps. DRY. YAGNI. Pre-register. Validate pipelines on known data. Commit frequently. Assume they are a capable programmer but know almost nothing about this domain, this dataset, or good statistical design. **Announce at start:** "I'm using the designing-the-analysis skill to create the analysis plan." **Save plans to:** `docs/science-superpowers/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md` ## Scope Check If the question document still bundles several independent investigations, stop and split it — one plan per question. Each plan should produce an interpretable, self-contained result. ## Inputs You Need First - The approved question document (`docs/science-superpowers/questions/...`) - The prior-work survey: the adopted method, the confound list, and a prior ef
- Overview
- Scope Check
- Inputs You Need First
- Artifact & Data-Flow Structure
- Confound & Validity Plan
- Power / Sample Size
- Bite-Sized Step Granularity
- Plan Document Header
- Task Structure
- No Placeholders
- Self-Review
- Handoff
What does the designing-the-analysis skill do?
Use when you have an approved research question and need a concrete analysis plan, before touching outcome data or fitting any model
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add K-Dense-AI/science-superpowers --skill designing-the-analysis --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 K-Dense-AI/science-superpowers, a repository with 280 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.