openalex

Search OpenAlex for citation data, affiliations, and funding information.

Updated Jun 10, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/xqinag/ARIS-new --skill openalex-xqinag
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: openalex
Source: https://github.com/xqinag/ARIS-new/tree/main/skills/openalex
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/xqinag/ARIS-new --skill openalex-xqinag

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

OpenAlex offers open, richly annotated metadata for scholarly works, but users often struggle to access consolidated citation data, affiliations, and funding information from disparate sources. This skill provides a unified search interface to OpenAlex to streamline discovery and metadata collection.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Open citation data: fully open citation graph
  • Institutional affiliations: author institutions and collaborations
  • Funding information: NSF, NIH, and other funding sources
  • Comprehensive metadata: topics, keywords, abstract, open access status
  • Cross-database coverage: indexes 250M+ works from multiple sources

Quick Start

Ask OpenAlex to search for your topic and retrieve papers, authors, and metadata.

Frequently Asked Questions about openalex

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I search for open access papers and retrieve scholarly metadata across disciplines?

To search for open access papers and retrieve scholarly metadata, query the OpenAlex database which indexes over 250 million works. You can apply filters like publication year, work type, and minimum citations to discover papers and compile metadata for literature reviews.

Can I track institutional collaborations and funding information for academic publications?

Yes, you can track institutional collaborations and funding information for academic publications. The OpenAlex metadata includes author affiliations, institutional collaboration networks, and funding sources like NSF and NIH, allowing you to identify the origins and backing of specific scholarly works.

What is the best way to filter scholarly citation data by minimum citations and publication year?

The best way to filter scholarly citation data by minimum citations and publication year is to use deterministic retrieval filters. You can sort results and apply specific constraints such as open-access status and minimum citation counts to refine your search output.

Do I need Python and the requests library to access open citation data?

Yes, you need Python 3.7 or higher with the requests library installed to access open citation data. The skill relies on the openalex_fetch.py fetcher to query the OpenAlex API and retrieve consolidated metadata, affiliations, and citation graphs.

How does OpenAlex compare to other literature search tools for compiling metadata?

OpenAlex provides fully open citation data and comprehensive metadata across 250 million indexed works, unlike many other literature search tools. It consolidates topics, keywords, abstracts, and open access status from multiple sources into a single searchable interface.

What are the limitations when retrieving scholarly metadata from OpenAlex?

A limitation when retrieving scholarly metadata from OpenAlex is that search results depend on the available filters such as year, type, and min-citations. The retrieval is deterministic but constrained by the underlying API and the coverage of open access publications in the database.