openalex

Search OpenAlex for scholarly works and reconstruct abstracts from inverted indexes.

40|6|Updated Mar 26, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/0xmariowu/Autosearch --skill openalex-0xmariowu
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: openalex
Source: https://github.com/0xmariowu/Autosearch/tree/main/autosearch/skills/channels/openalex
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/0xmariowu/Autosearch --skill openalex-0xmariowu

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires httpx, structlog, and includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Researchers need to discover and access metadata, abstracts, and open-access landing pages for scholarly works across a broad corpus. OpenAlex provides a public API to facilitate this workflow, replacing scattered search across multiple repositories with a unified source of metadata and URLs.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • OpenAlex works search via a public API to retrieve metadata, abstracts reconstructed from inverted index, and open-access landing pages.
  • Abstract reconstruction converts inverted_index data into readable text; URL resolution prioritizes best_oa_location.landing_page_url, then doi, then OpenAlex id for robust access.
  • Use cases include literature surveys, citation-graph construction, and topic discovery across academic disciplines.

Quick Start

Query OpenAlex for scholarly works matching your topic to retrieve titles, authors, abstracts, and open-access links.

Frequently Asked Questions about openalex

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I search for scholarly works and retrieve abstracts via a public API?▼

Search scholarly works by querying the OpenAlex works endpoint to retrieve titles, authors, and abstracts. The Skill reconstructs abstracts from inverted index data and resolves open-access landing pages for robust access.

Can I get open-access landing pages for academic literature metadata?▼

Yes, retrieving open-access landing pages for academic literature is handled by resolving evidence URLs in priority order: best_oa_location.landing_page_url, then DOI, then the OpenAlex ID.

How do I reconstruct abstracts from an inverted index when searching academic citations?▼

Reconstructing abstracts from an inverted index is handled internally during the OpenAlex search process, converting the inverted_index data into readable text within the returned metadata.

What's the best way to build a citation graph or conduct a literature survey across academic domains?▼

Building a citation graph or conducting a literature survey is supported by searching the OpenAlex unified metadata corpus, which provides per-page limits and reconstructed abstracts for topic discovery.

Does the OpenAlex search API support per-page limits for topic discovery?▼

Yes, the OpenAlex search API supports per-page limits for topic discovery, allowing you to manage the volume of scholarly works metadata returned during literature surveys.

Why are abstracts missing or incomplete when I search for scholarly works metadata?▼

Missing abstracts occur when the OpenAlex inverted index data is incomplete. The Skill reconstructs abstracts from available inverted index data, but relies entirely on the source API's metadata completeness.