The exponential growth of scientific publications has made it increasingly difficult for researchers to stay updated and synthesize knowledge effectively. This paper presents XSum, a modular pipeline for multi-document summarization (MDS) in the scientific domain using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). The pipeline includes two core components: a question-generation module and an editor module. The question-generation module dynamically generates questions adapted to the input papers, ensuring the retrieval of relevant and accurate information. The editor module synthesizes the retrieved content into coherent and well-structured summaries that adhere to academic standards for proper citation. Evaluated on the SurveySum dataset, XSum demonstrates strong performance, achieving considerable improvements in metrics such as CheckEval, G-Eval and Ref-F1 compared to existing approaches. This work provides a transparent, adaptable framework for scientific summarization with potential applications in a wide range of domains. Code available at https://github.com/webis-de/scolia25-xsum

We introduce CheckEval, a novel evaluation framework using Large Language Models, addressing the challenges of ambiguity and inconsistency in current evaluation methods. CheckEval addresses these challenges by dividing evaluation criteria into detailed sub-aspects and constructing a checklist of Boolean questions for each, simplifying the evaluation. This approach not only renders the process more interpretable but also significantly enhances the robustness and reliability of results by focusing on specific evaluation dimensions. Validated through a focused case study using the SummEval benchmark, CheckEval indicates a strong correlation with human judgments. Furthermore, it demonstrates a highly consistent Inter-Annotator Agreement. These findings highlight the effectiveness of CheckEval for objective, flexible, and precise evaluations. By offering a customizable and interactive framework, CheckEval sets a new standard for the use of LLMs in evaluation, responding to the evolving needs of the field and establishing a clear method for future LLM-based evaluation.