lit-search

Route academic literature queries across six databases using five adaptive search modes.

3|Updated May 6, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/mh105/lit-search-skills --skill lit-search-mh105
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: lit-search
Source: https://github.com/mh105/lit-search-skills/tree/main/lit-search
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/mh105/lit-search-skills --skill lit-search-mh105

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires requests, urllib3, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Researchers and students waste hours switching between PubMed, Semantic Scholar, bioRxiv, and other engines to find papers, often missing relevant work because each engine covers different domains. This Skill unifies six engines into one adaptive workflow that automatically picks the right search strategy based on what you actually need.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Five adaptive search modes: Explore for broad discovery, Precise for specific papers or authors, Latest for recent preprints, AI for non-paper web content, and Associate for finding similar papers.
  • Six integrated engines: Semantic Scholar, PubMed, bioRxiv, PsyArxiv, Consensus, and Tavily—each used for its strengths.
  • Intelligent routing: Automatically detects whether you want a literature review, NIH grant scoping, or a quick paper lookup and delegates to the right tool or mode.

Quick Start

Use the lit-search skill to find recent papers on hippocampal replay during sharp-wave ripples and summarize the key findings.

Frequently Asked Questions about lit-search

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I search PubMed and bioRxiv at the same time for neuroscience literature?

Multi-engine academic literature search tools unify specialized databases like PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and bioRxiv through deterministic script wrappers, automatically routing queries to balance recall and precision across neuroscience and biomedical domains.

What is the best way to find recent preprints on PsyArxiv for psychology research?

The best way to find recent preprints is using an adaptive search mode designed for latest publications that queries PsyArxiv directly, ensuring you capture newly released psychology research before formal peer review.

Can I find papers similar to a specific study using Semantic Scholar?

Yes, you can find similar papers by using an Associate search mode that queries Semantic Scholar to identify closely related work, helping you discover equivalent studies for your biomedical research tasks.

How do I do a broad literature review search across Consensus and Tavily?

You can perform a broad literature review by using an Explore search mode that queries multiple engines including Consensus and Tavily, maximizing recall to discover relevant non-paper web content and published studies.

Does this literature search approach work for finding specific authors in PubMed?

Yes, this approach supports a Precise search mode specifically designed for looking up specific papers or authors in PubMed, optimizing for exact matches rather than broad discovery.

Why does my multi-engine search return results with mandatory citation protocols?

Multi-engine searches enforce mandatory citation protocols for each integrated engine like PubMed and bioRxiv to ensure academic integrity and proper attribution when retrieving literature across different specialized databases.