--- name: template-selector description: Selects the correct CLAUDE.md or LESSONS.md template via decision trees. Use when starting a project or unsure which fits. --- # Template selector Match projects to the correct template category. Don't guess, use the decision tree. ## Quick reference | Project type | Template category | |-------------|-------------------| | Newsroom AI tool, fact-checker | editorial-tool | | Conference, summit, workshop | event-website | | Newsletter, podcast, blog | publication | | Investigation, data journalism | research-project | | CMS workflow, syndication | content-pipeline | | Historical collection, archive | digital-archive | ## Decision tree ``` Is it for journalism/publishing? ├── Yes → │ ├── Has specific end date/event? → event-website │ ├── Ongoing content series? → publication │ ├── Historical/preservation? → digital-archive │ ├── Newsroom tool/AI? → editorial-tool │ ├── CMS/automation? → content-pipeline │ └── Investigation with scope? → research-project │ └── No (general software) → Use general template or another collection ``` ## Detailed category descriptions ### editorial-tool **Use when:** Building newsroom tools, writing assistants, fact-checkers, AI-powered research tools, moderation systems, workflow automation for journalists **Not for:** Generic productivity tools, non-journalism software **Signs it's an editorial tool:** - Primary users are journalists, editors, or producers - Helps with a specific editorial workflow step - Requires accuracy/trust for publication decisions ### event-website **Use when:** Building sites for conferences, summits, workshops, or events with specific dates **Not for:** Ongoing content, organization websites without events, event management software (that's editorial-tool) **Signs it's an event website:** - Has a specific event date (or date range) - Registration/attendance is involved - Content includes speakers, schedule, venue info ### publication **Use when:** Building newsletters, podcasts, blogs, magazines, or ongoing content series with regular publishing schedule **Not for:** One-off articles, static content sites, CMSes that power publications (that's editorial-tool) **Signs it's a publication:** - Regular publishing cadence (daily, weekly, monthly) - Growing subscriber/reader base - Consistent voice and format ### research-project **Use when:** Building investigative journalism projects, data journalism, analysis with defined scope and end date **Not for:** Ongoing research operations, general data analysis, tools that support research (that's editorial-tool) **Signs it's a research project:** - Answers a specific question or hypothesis - Has a defined end point (publication date) - Involves data collection, analysis, and findings ### content-pipeline **Use when:** Building CMS workflows, publishing automation, content syndication systems, feed aggregators, cross-posting tools **Not for:** Manual publishing workflows, single-site content management, publications themselves **Signs it's a content pipeline:** - Automates content movement between systems - Transforms content formats - Handles scheduling and distribution ### digital-archive **Use when:** Building historical collections, preservation projects, research databases, document repositories **Not for:** Active news sites, CMS platforms, search engines **Signs it's a digital archive:** - Primary focus is preservation - Collection has defined scope (time period, topic) - Users are researchers, historians, or the public seeking historical content ## Common mistakes | Project | Wrong choice | Right choice | Why | |---------|-------------|--------------|-----| | Newsletter dashboard | editorial-tool | publication | It's about the publication, not the tech | | AI fact-checker | research-project | editorial-tool | It's a tool, not a one-off investigation | | Event registration system | event-website | editorial-tool | It's a tool that serves events | | Podcast website | content-pipeline | publication | It's a publication, not automation | | Document search tool | digital-archive | editorial-tool | It's a tool, not the archive itself | | FOIA tracking system | research-project | editorial-tool | It's a tool that supports research | ## The litmus test If you're still unsure, ask: 1. **Is this a tool that helps journalists do X, or is this X itself?** - Tool → editorial-tool - The thing itself → other categories 2. **Does it have a specific end date?** - Yes, event dates → event-website - Yes, publication date → research-project - No, ongoing → publication, content-pipeline, or digital-archive 3. **Is preservation the primary goal?** - Yes → digital-archive - No → other categories ## Using templates ### For project memory (CLAUDE.md) 1. Identify project category using decision tree above 2. Copy appropriate template from `project-memory/templates/` 3. Fill in bracketed placeholders with your specifics 4. Delete sections that don't apply 5. Add project-specific gotchas as you discover them ### For retrospectives (LESSONS.md) 1. Identify project category 2. Copy appropriate template from `project-retrospective/templates/` 3. Fill in as the project progresses or at completion 4. Be specific about failures, that's the valuable part ## Template locations ``` claude-skills-journalism/ ├── project-memory/templates/ │ ├── editorial-tool.md │ ├── event-website.md │ ├── publication.md │ ├── research-project.md │ ├── content-pipeline.md │ └── digital-archive.md │ └── project-retrospective/templates/ ├── editorial-tool.md ├── event.md ├── publication.md └── research-project.md ``` --- *Pick the specific template that fits. "General" is a last resort.* --- Source attribution: jamditis Original project: https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 FridrichMethod Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. --- NOTE ON BUNDLED CONTENT This repository aggregates skills from multiple upstream projects (see the README for the source list). Each `skills//` directory may carry its own license inherited from its upstream source. The MIT license above applies to this repository's curation and the scripts/workflows in `/`, `/scripts/`, and `/.github/` — not to the upstream skill content itself. Consult the upstream repository linked in the README and any LICENSE file inside a skill directory before reusing skill content commercially. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: jamditis Original project: https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism Attribution basis: Actual original-project package file and versioned publisher credits Fields of work: Content & Media, Design, Marketing, Project & Program Management Roles: Content Marketer, Copywriter, Journalist / Editor, Project Manager, UX Writer Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Tool not specified Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: 7fdc520a191d71fc2f7fc9996755cd952741158e4497c75dee34888031a5e966 Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27 This metadata supersedes earlier Dave AI catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.