skills.rest
ryan-ressmeyer
ryan-ressmeyerCOMMUNITY
Explore all skills by this author →
GitHub

pdf-retrieve

Retrieve open-access PDF URLs for academic papers via Unpaywall, PubMed Central, arXiv, and Semantic Scholar.

Updated Mar 6, 2026
Search Tags:#pdf#research#download#open access#literature#doi
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/ryan-ressmeyer/llm-skills --skill pdf-retrieve
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: pdf-retrieve
Source: https://github.com/ryan-ressmeyer/llm-skills/tree/main/pdf-retrieve
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ryan-ressmeyer/llm-skills --skill pdf-retrieve

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

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

What problem does it solve?

This Skill automates the process of finding and downloading PDF versions of academic papers, ensuring you have the full text for your research without manual searching or paywall frustrations.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Open-Access Prioritization: Automatically checks Unpaywall, PubMed Central, arXiv, and Semantic Scholar for free PDF versions.
  • Paywall Handling: Gracefully handles paywalled articles by informing the user and providing a direct DOI link, never failing silently.
  • Use Case: When a new paper is added to your literature database without a PDF, this Skill can find and download it, or guide you on how to obtain it manually.

Quick Start

Use the pdf-retrieve skill to find the open access PDF for the paper with DOI 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1234-19.2019.

Frequently Asked Questions about pdf-retrieve

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I download open access PDFs for academic papers using a DOI?▼

You can download open access PDFs by querying Unpaywall, PubMed Central, arXiv, and Semantic Scholar with the paper's DOI. The tool retrieves direct PDF URLs from these repositories automatically.

What happens when a research paper is behind a paywall?▼

When a paper is paywalled, the tool provides the direct DOI link and instructions for manual retrieval instead of failing silently. It checks all open access sources before reporting the paywall.

Do I need Python libraries to retrieve literature PDFs automatically?▼

Yes, you need Python with the requests and python-dotenv libraries. These handle API interactions with academic databases and environment variable management for service credentials.

Can I find preprint PDFs from arXiv and Semantic Scholar?▼

Yes, the tool queries preprint servers like arXiv and Semantic Scholar alongside Unpaywall and PubMed Central to locate open access PDF versions of research papers.

What is the best way to automate adding PDFs to a literature database?▼

Use this tool to automatically find and retrieve open access PDFs when new papers are added to your literature database. It checks multiple academic repositories and handles paywalled articles gracefully.

Related Skills

Explore More Education & Research Skills→
NeuroAIHubNeuroAIHub
269

literature-search-openalex

Query the OpenAlex scholarly database for papers, authors, and institutions.

Official
Intermediate
Lord1EgyptLord1Egypt
2

bgpt-paper-search

Search scientific literature databases and extract structured experimental data and study metadata.

Community
Intermediate
botlearn-aibotlearn-ai
9

academic-search

Search arXiv, Semantic Scholar, and Google Scholar to rank top papers with metadata.

Official
Advanced
liujiayi3703liujiayi3703

scansci-pdf

Download academic papers by DOI, arXiv ID, or keyword and export citations.

Community
Advanced