lang-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether a linguistics project fits Language (Linguistic Society of America) and how to frame it. Language is a generalist flagship spanning every subfield; the test is a theoretically grounded contribution legible to the whole discipline, not a description of one language or a result inside one framework. Helps frame the question; it does not collect or gloss data.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill lang-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 (lang-topic-selection) *Language* is the LSA's **generalist flagship**, covering phonology, syntax, semantics, morphology, historical and typological work, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and computational linguistics. The bar is not "new data from language X" — it is **"a theoretically grounded claim, carried by rigorous evidence, that a linguist outside my subfield should care about."** A description with no analytic payoff, or a demonstration that runs only inside one formalism, is off-fit and often desk-returned. Use this skill to pressure-test fit before you invest. ## When to trigger - Choosing among projects or framings for a *Language* submission - A colleague said the paper is "descriptive," "narrow," or "only for [framework] people" - Deciding between a **General Research Article** and a shorter **Research Report** - Weighing *Language* against a subfield venue (e.g., *Phonology*, *NLLT*, *Journal of Semantics*, *Language Variation and Change*) ## The Language fit test A strong *Language* paper usually clears all four: 1. **Theoretical stakes.** It changes how linguists *analyze* something — an interface, a typological generalization, a proces
- When to trigger
- The Language fit test
- Language vs. a subfield venue (frame to the right journal)
- Framing by subfield (write past your home area)
- Fit-screen decision table (what to do with each verdict)
- Calibration (Language appetite, hedged)
- Anti-patterns
- Output format
- Supplementary resources
What does the lang-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether a linguistics project fits Language (Linguistic Society of America) and how to frame it. Language is a generalist flagship spanning every subfield; the test is a theoretically grounded contribution legible to the whole discipline, not a description of one language or a result inside one framework. Helps frame the question; it does not collect or gloss data.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill lang-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.