Rxiv-Maker: an automated template engine for streamlined scientific publications

TL;DR

Rxiv-Maker is an automated framework that transforms Markdown into professional PDFs, enabling live code execution for reproducible, up-to-date scientific manuscripts with seamless integration into standard development tools.

Contribution

It introduces a novel system that automates manuscript generation with embedded code execution, enhancing reproducibility and collaboration in scientific writing.

Findings

Creates self-updating, reproducible manuscripts from Markdown.

Integrates with Git and VS Code for efficient workflow.

Ensures manuscripts are always current with source data.

Abstract

The rapid growth of preprint servers has accelerated scientific dissemination but has also shifted the technical burden of manuscript preparation to authors. This challenge is particularly acute in computational research, where manuscripts must remain synchronised with evolving data and code. We present Rxiv-Maker, a framework that resolves this by converting simple Markdown files into professionally typeset, publication-ready PDFs. Its core feature is the ability to execute embedded code, creating a self-updating manuscript where figures and statistical values are generated directly from source data during compilation. This ensures that the final document is always current and fully reproducible. By integrating with standard tools like Git and Visual Studio (VS) Code, Rxiv-Maker provides an efficient, transparent, and collaborative authoring experience, applying principles of software engineering to academic writing to foster open and verifiable science.