Open Access Scout

Source: https://github.com/aipoch/medical-research-skills

Open Access Journal Scout

Find legitimate open access journals, verify publisher credibility, and avoid predatory publication traps.

Quick Check

Use this command to verify that the packaged script entry point can be parsed before deeper execution.

python -m py_compile scripts/main.py

Audit-Ready Commands

Use these concrete commands for validation. They are intentionally self-contained and avoid placeholder paths.

python -m py_compile scripts/main.py
python scripts/main.py --help

When to Use

• Use this skill when the task needs Use when finding open access journals, checking journal policies, or identifying predatory publishers. Helps researchers locate legitimate open access venues and avoid publication scams.
• Use this skill for evidence insight tasks that require explicit assumptions, bounded scope, and a reproducible output format.
• Use this skill when you need a documented fallback path for missing inputs, execution errors, or partial evidence.

Workflow

1. Confirm the user objective, required inputs, and non-negotiable constraints before doing detailed work.
2. Validate that the request matches the documented scope and stop early if the task would require unsupported assumptions.
3. Use the packaged script path or the documented reasoning path with only the inputs that are actually available.
4. Return a structured result that separates assumptions, deliverables, risks, and unresolved items.
5. If execution fails or inputs are incomplete, switch to the fallback path and state exactly what blocked full completion.

Quick Start

from scripts.oa_scout import OpenAccessScout

scout = OpenAccessScout()

# Find journals
journals = scout.find_journals(
    subject="oncology",
    impact_range=(2, 5),
    max_apc=2000
)

Core Capabilities

1. Journal Search

results = scout.search(
    keywords=["immunotherapy", "cancer"],
    filters={
        "indexed_in": ["PubMed", "Scopus"],
        "peer_review": "double_blind",
        "apc_max": 2500
    }
)

2. Predatory Check

assessment = scout.assess_journal("Journal of Medical Advances")
print(f"Trust score: {assessment.score}/100")
print(f"Red flags: {assessment.red_flags}")

Warning Signs:

• No clear editorial board
• Rapid review promises (<2 weeks)
• Excessive APCs (>$3000)
• Not indexed in major databases
• Spam email invitations

3. APC Comparison

comparison = scout.compare_apc(
    journals=["Journal A", "Journal B"],
    currency="USD"
)

CLI Usage

python scripts/oa_scout.py --search "oncology immunotherapy" --max-apc 2000

Skill ID: 210 | Version: 1.0 | License: MIT

Output Requirements

Every final response should make these items explicit when they are relevant:

• Objective or requested deliverable
• Inputs used and assumptions introduced
• Workflow or decision path
• Core result, recommendation, or artifact
• Constraints, risks, caveats, or validation needs
• Unresolved items and next-step checks

Error Handling

• If required inputs are missing, state exactly which fields are missing and request only the minimum additional information.
• If the task goes outside the documented scope, stop instead of guessing or silently widening the assignment.
• If scripts/main.py fails, report the failure point, summarize what still can be completed safely, and provide a manual fallback.
• Do not fabricate files, citations, data, search results, or execution outcomes.

Input Validation

This skill accepts requests that match the documented purpose of open-access-scout and include enough context to complete the workflow safely.

Do not continue the workflow when the request is out of scope, missing a critical input, or would require unsupported assumptions. Instead respond:

open-access-scout only handles its documented workflow. Please provide the missing required inputs or switch to a more suitable skill.

References

• references/audit-reference.md - Supported scope, audit commands, and fallback boundaries

Response Template

Use the following fixed structure for non-trivial requests:

1. Objective
2. Inputs Received
3. Assumptions
4. Workflow
5. Deliverable
6. Risks and Limits
7. Next Checks

If the request is simple, you may compress the structure, but still keep assumptions and limits explicit when they affect correctness.