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snowballing

Expand literature searches via forward and backward citation snowballing from seed papers.

5|1|Updated Jan 27, 2026
Search Tags:#research#discovery#citations#literature review#academic search#snowballing
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/gabfssilva/scimesh --skill snowballing
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: snowballing
Source: https://github.com/gabfssilva/scimesh/tree/main/skills/snowballing
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/gabfssilva/scimesh --skill snowballing

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) and scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill automates the process of finding new research papers by following citation links from a known paper, expanding literature reviews efficiently.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Forward Snowballing: Identifies papers that cite a given paper.
  • Backward Snowballing: Identifies papers cited by a given paper (references).
  • Use Case: After identifying a few key papers for your research, use this Skill to find all the papers that cite them and all the papers they cite, ensuring you don't miss crucial related work.

Quick Start

Use the snowballing skill to find papers that cite the paper with DOI '10.1234/key-paper' and papers it cites, saving results to the './review/' directory.

Frequently Asked Questions about snowballing

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I expand my literature search using forward and backward citation snowballing?▼

Citation snowballing expands literature searches by identifying papers that cite a known source (forward) and papers cited by it (backward). This Skill automates that discovery process from seed papers.

What is the best way to find related academic papers for a systematic literature review?▼

Finding related academic papers for a systematic review is automated by following citation links from seed papers. This integrates with literature review workflows to ensure comprehensive discovery of related work.

Does this citation discovery tool support searching OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar?▼

Yes, citation discovery supports multiple academic databases including OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar to perform forward and backward snowballing from your specified seed papers.

Can I download PDFs of discovered papers via Sci-Hub during the snowballing process?▼

Yes, you can download PDFs of discovered papers via Sci-Hub. The snowballing process includes options for PDF download alongside expanding your search across academic databases.

How do I use a DOI to find papers that cite a specific key paper?▼

To find papers that cite a key paper, provide its DOI as the seed. The tool performs forward snowballing to identify citing papers and backward snowballing to find its references.

What formats or inputs do I need to start a citation snowballing search?▼

To start a citation snowballing search, you need a seed paper identifier such as a DOI. The tool uses this seed to query academic databases and save the expanded literature results.

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