fcr-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether an agronomy or crop-science project fits Field Crops Research (FCR) and which article type to target. FCR's defining test is field-based agronomic significance with multi-season/-environment relevance — it rejects controlled-environment-only, single-site single-season, horticultural/woody-perennial, and corroborative/descriptive/local-only work. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill fcr-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 & Scope Fit (fcr-topic-selection) FCR is a **field-agronomy** journal. The bar is not "a new result in my plot" — it is **"a field-based insight of general relevance to field crops."** Use this skill to pressure-test fit **before** you invest, because FCR's scope boundary is strict and a mismatch is a fast desk rejection. ## When to trigger - Choosing among possible projects or framings for an FCR submission - A reviewer/colleague said the work feels "controlled-environment," "too local," or "descriptive" - Deciding between an **Original Research Paper** and a **Short Communication** - Considering a **Review** or **Opinion** piece (propose to the Editors-in-Chief first) ## The FCR scope gate (must clear all four) 1. **Field-based.** Conducted in the field, not **exclusively** under controlled conditions (greenhouse, pots, or **any system that constricts root growth**). A controlled-environment component is fine only when integrated with, and subordinate to, field results. 2. **Multi-season / multi-environment relevance.** Field experiments should, unless exceptional circumstances apply, span **at least two seasons and/or multiple locations/environments**. A single
- When to trigger
- The FCR scope gate (must clear all four)
- Frame the agronomic contribution
- Article-type choice
- Scope-boundary calls (borderline cases ruled)
- Worked scope vignette (illustrative)
- Anti-patterns
- Output format
- Supplementary resources
What does the fcr-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether an agronomy or crop-science project fits Field Crops Research (FCR) and which article type to target. FCR's defining test is field-based agronomic significance with multi-season/-environment relevance — it rejects controlled-environment-only, single-site single-season, horticultural/woody-perennial, and corroborative/descriptive/local-only work. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill fcr-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.