Apply Detectors + Generators
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Overview
Run the detector suite against a target artifact to find ambiguity, proxy substitution, bundled checks, undefined terms, false dichotomies, and hidden conditionals. This is the automated quality scan for procedure/gate text.
Steps
Step 1: Ambiguity Detection
Scan for lines where reasonable people would disagree on meaning:
| Pattern | Example | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Vague quantifiers | ”Several”, “many”, “few” | Different people assign different numbers |
| Undefined adjectives | ”Good”, “adequate”, “appropriate” | No shared standard |
| Pronoun ambiguity | ”It should be validated” | What is “it”? |
| Scope ambiguity | ”All requirements” | All of WHICH requirements? |
| Temporal ambiguity | ”Before proceeding” | Before which step? |
For each found: record the line, the ambiguous element, and suggest a specific rewrite.
Step 2: Proxy Detection
Scan for places where formatting or process is substituted for content:
| Proxy Pattern | Example | Real Check Needed |
|---|---|---|
| ”Document exists” → treated as “content is correct" | "Is there a risk assessment?" | "Does the risk assessment identify the top 3 risks?" |
| "Was reviewed” → treated as “is good" | "Has the plan been reviewed?" | "Did the reviewer find issues? Were they addressed?" |
| "Checklist complete” → treated as “work is done" | "All items checked off" | "Does each checked item have evidence?" |
| "Template followed” → treated as “quality met" | "Used standard template" | "Does the filled template contain substantive content?” |
For each found: record the proxy and propose a content-based check.
Step 3: Bundled Check Detection
Scan for questions/criteria that combine multiple independent checks:
Signal words: “and”, “or”, “as well as”, semicolons, parenthetical additions
Before: “Is the goal clear, measurable, and achievable with current resources?” After:
- “Is the goal clear?” (Can it be stated in one sentence?)
- “Is the goal measurable?” (What metric and target?)
- “Is the goal achievable with current resources?” (What resources are needed vs available?)
Step 4: Undefined Term Detection
Scan for recurring nouns/adjectives used as if their meaning is shared but never defined:
- Extract all nouns/adjectives used in evaluative positions
- Flag those that appear 3+ times without definition
- For each: is the meaning obvious? Would two executors agree on what it means?
- If not: propose a definition or replace with specific criteria
Step 5: False Dichotomy Detection
Scan for binary framings that may have more options:
| Pattern | Example | Question to Ask |
|---|---|---|
| ”Is X or Y?" | "Is this a bug or a feature?” | Could it be both? Neither? Something else? |
| ”Pass/fail” without gradient | ”Does it meet the standard?” | What about partial? Near-miss? Conditional? |
| Yes/no on continuous dimension | ”Is the plan complete?” | What % complete? What’s missing? |
Step 6: Hidden Conditional Detection
Scan for criteria that silently assume conditions:
| Pattern | Example | Hidden Condition |
|---|---|---|
| ”if applicable" | "Address security concerns (if applicable)“ | Who decides if applicable? |
| Unstated prerequisites | ”Verify test results” | Assumes tests were run |
| Context-dependent | ”Use appropriate method” | Depends on context not specified |
Step 7: Report
DETECTOR SUITE RESULTS:
Target: [what was scanned]
Lines scanned: [N]
| Detector | Findings | Severity | Top Priority Fix |
|----------|----------|----------|-----------------|
| Ambiguity | [N] | [H/M/L] | [worst case] |
| Proxy | [N] | [H/M/L] | [worst case] |
| Bundled | [N] | [H/M/L] | [worst case] |
| Undefined | [N] | [H/M/L] | [worst case] |
| False dichotomy | [N] | [H/M/L] | [worst case] |
| Hidden conditional | [N] | [H/M/L] | [worst case] |
Total findings: [N]
Rewrite queue: [ordered list of fixes by priority]When to Use
- Before refactoring a gate/procedure
- When text feels “rigorous” but is not checkable
- When you want better questions instead of faster answers
- → INVOKE: /saqrc (question rewrite chains) for fixing found issues
- → INVOKE: /sapea (executability audit) for checking if fixes work
Verification
- All 6 detectors applied
- Each finding has specific location and proposed fix
- Findings prioritized by severity
- Rewrite queue created for implementation
- Proxy substitutions identified (most insidious issue)