popdevr-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether a project fits Population and Development Review (PDR, Wiley / Population Council) and which article type to target. PDR sits at the intersection of demography and development, so the test is a population-change question tied to social, economic, or environmental change and policy — broad interest, not a narrow estimate. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill popdevr-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 (popdevr-topic-selection) PDR advances knowledge of the **relationships between population and social, economic, and environmental change**, and provides a forum for **public-policy** discussion of those relationships. The bar is not "I estimated a demographic rate"; it is **"this illuminates how population dynamics and development interact, in a way that a broad readership cares about."** Use this skill to pressure-test fit before you invest. ## When to trigger - Choosing among possible projects or framings for a PDR submission - A colleague said the paper is "pure demography" or "a development paper that ignores population" - Deciding between a **Research Article**, **Notes & Commentary**, and **Data & Perspectives** - Unsure whether the contribution is a new estimate, a synthetic framework, or a policy reframing ## The PDR fit test A strong PDR paper usually clears all four: 1. **A population–development linkage.** It connects a demographic process or outcome (fertility, mortality, migration, ageing, household/population structure) to **social, economic, or environmental change** — or to the **policy** that mediates them — not a topic that merely uses pop
- When to trigger
- The PDR fit test
- Domain framing (connect population to development, not just your sub-area)
- Article-type choice
- Anti-patterns
- Desk-screen fit patterns (what the editors' first read rejects)
- Worked fit check (illustrative vignette)
- Output format
- Supplementary resources
What does the popdevr-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether a project fits Population and Development Review (PDR, Wiley / Population Council) and which article type to target. PDR sits at the intersection of demography and development, so the test is a population-change question tied to social, economic, or environmental change and policy — broad interest, not a narrow estimate. Helps frame the question; it does not collect data.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill popdevr-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.