citation-fetch

Fetch citation metadata and generate BibTeX entries via DOI, PMID, or arXiv ID.

Updated Mar 6, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ryan-ressmeyer/llm-skills --skill citation-fetch
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: citation-fetch
Source: https://github.com/ryan-ressmeyer/llm-skills/tree/main/citation-fetch
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ryan-ressmeyer/llm-skills --skill citation-fetch

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires requests, pyyaml, python-dotenv, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill automates the retrieval of detailed citation metadata and related papers, streamlining the process of building and managing a literature database.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Metadata Retrieval: Fetch comprehensive details (authors, title, journal, year, DOI, PMID, abstract) for a paper using its DOI, PMID, arXiv ID, or a search query.
  • BibTeX Generation: Automatically create BibTeX entries for easy reference management.
  • Citation Graph Exploration: Discover papers cited by, citing, and semantically related to a given paper.
  • Use Case: When you encounter a new paper during your research, use this Skill to quickly fetch all its metadata, generate a BibTeX entry, and find its key references and citations to understand its context within the field.

Quick Start

Use the citation-fetch skill to retrieve metadata for the paper with DOI 10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2.

Frequently Asked Questions about citation-fetch

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I get BibTeX entries from a DOI or arXiv ID?

You can generate BibTeX entries by providing a DOI, PMID, or arXiv ID. The Skill fetches the academic paper's metadata and automatically formats the details into a valid BibTeX entry for reference management.

How do I find citing and referenced papers using Semantic Scholar?

To discover citing and referenced papers, provide a DOI or arXiv ID. The Skill queries Semantic Scholar to map the citation graph, returning lists of papers that cite the target and papers it references.

Can I retrieve PubMed metadata using a PMID?

Yes, you can retrieve PubMed metadata using a PMID. The Skill accepts PubMed IDs alongside DOIs and arXiv IDs to fetch comprehensive article details including authors, title, journal, year, and abstract.

Do I need Python and specific libraries to fetch citation metadata?

Yes, you need Python with the requests, pyyaml, and python-dotenv libraries installed. These dependencies are required to execute the scripts that handle API interactions and process the returned citation data.

What is the best way to find semantically related papers for my research?

The best way to find semantically related papers is to provide a known paper identifier. The Skill queries Semantic Scholar APIs to discover and return lists of conceptually related academic literature for your research context.

Why does my citation metadata fetch not return abstracts for older arXiv papers?

If your citation metadata fetch does not return abstracts for older arXiv papers, the source APIs may have incomplete indexing for that record. The Skill depends on Semantic Scholar and external APIs to return whatever metadata is currently available.