Agent skill

Open Access Guide

by wentorai in wentorai/research-plugins

Navigate open access policies, repositories, and legal full-text retrieval me...

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Open Access Guide

skills CLI
$ npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill open-access-guide -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install wentorai/research-plugins open-access-guide --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/wentorai/research-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/literature/fulltext/open-access-guide .claude/skills/open-access-guide && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
open-access-guide
GitHub stars
298
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
306 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
405
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Navigate open access policies, repositories, and legal full-text retrieval me...

  • Works in 5 steps: Identify the correct version (usually… → Check the embargo period from SHERPA/RoMEO → Add complete metadata: title, authors,… → …
  • Tasks that involve Academic paper search
  • SKILL.md covers Open Access Models, Legal Full-Text Sources, Self-Archiving and Green OA and Institutional Repository Deposit
  • Reaches api.unpaywall.org and v2.sherpa.ac.uk

What it does

Open Access Guide is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins. Navigate open access policies, repositories, and legal full-text retrieval me...

Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Research & Science, covering Academic paper search. The repository describes itself as: 350+ academic research skills, MCP configs, and plugins for Research-Claw and AI agents. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Academic paper search

Example prompts

  • “/open-access-guide”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Identify the correct version (usually postprint for Green OA)
  2. Check the embargo period from SHERPA/RoMEO
  3. Add complete metadata: title, authors, DOI, journal, abstract, keywords
  4. Apply the correct license (often CC BY for funder mandates)
  5. Link to the publisher's Version of Record via DOI

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bf44b3c. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are python).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • api.unpaywall.org
    • v2.sherpa.ac.uk

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Open Access Guide loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 25 tokens; SKILL.md has 306 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~25
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.6k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from wentorai/research-plugins at commit bf44b3c, republished under its MIT licence (© wentorai). 306 words, ~1,620 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/open-access-guide/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
open-access-guide
description
Navigate open access policies, repositories, and legal full-text retrieval me...

Open Access Guide

A skill for understanding open access publishing models, locating free full-text articles legally, and navigating self-archiving policies. Essential for researchers at institutions with limited journal subscriptions.

Open Access Models

Types of Open Access
TypeDescriptionCost to AuthorReader Access
Gold OAPublished OA by journal (APC paid)$1,000-$11,000Immediate, permanent
Green OASelf-archived preprint/postprintFreeAfter embargo (0-24 months)
Diamond/Platinum OAJournal charges no APCFreeImmediate, permanent
Bronze OAFree to read on publisher siteFreeNo reuse license, may be temporary
Hybrid OAOA article in subscription journal$2,000-$5,000Immediate for that article
Checking OA Status
python
import requests

def check_oa_status(doi: str) -> dict:
    """
    Check open access availability using the Unpaywall API.

    Args:
        doi: DOI of the paper (e.g., '10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2')
    Returns:
        OA status and best available link
    """
    email = "researcher@university.edu"  # Required by Unpaywall API
    url = f"https://api.unpaywall.org/v2/{doi}?email={email}"

    response = requests.get(url)
    if response.status_code != 200:
        return {'error': f'API returned status {response.status_code}'}

    data = response.json()

    # Find best OA location
    best_location = data.get('best_oa_location', {})

    return {
        'doi': doi,
        'title': data.get('title', ''),
        'is_oa': data.get('is_oa', False),
        'oa_status': data.get('oa_status', 'closed'),
        'journal_is_oa': data.get('journal_is_oa', False),
        'best_oa_url': best_location.get('url', None) if best_location else None,
        'version': best_location.get('version', None) if best_location else None,
        'license': best_location.get('license', None) if best_location else None,
        'all_locations': len(data.get('oa_locations', []))
    }

# Example
result = check_oa_status('10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2')
if result['is_oa']:
    print(f"OA available: {result['best_oa_url']}")
else:
    print("Not openly available -- check Green OA options below")
Repositories and Aggregators
SourceTypeCoverageURL
PubMed Central (PMC)RepositoryBiomedical + life sciencesncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc
arXivPreprint serverPhysics, CS, Math, Statsarxiv.org
bioRxiv/medRxivPreprint serverBiology, medicinebiorxiv.org / medrxiv.org
SSRNPreprint serverSocial sciences, law, economicsssrn.com
ZenodoRepositoryAll disciplineszenodo.org
COREAggregator300M+ papers from repositoriescore.ac.uk
OpenAlexSearch + OA linksCross-disciplinaryopenalex.org
BASE (Bielefeld)Aggregator400M+ documentsbase-search.net
Batch OA Lookup
python
def batch_oa_lookup(dois: list[str]) -> list[dict]:
    """
    Check OA status for a batch of DOIs.
    Unpaywall supports up to 100,000 DOIs per day.
    """
    results = []
    for doi in dois:
        status = check_oa_status(doi)
        results.append(status)

    # Summary statistics
    total = len(results)
    oa_count = sum(1 for r in results if r.get('is_oa', False))
    print(f"OA availability: {oa_count}/{total} ({oa_count/total*100:.1f}%)")

    # Group by OA status
    by_status = {}
    for r in results:
        status = r.get('oa_status', 'unknown')
        by_status.setdefault(status, []).append(r)

    for status, papers in by_status.items():
        print(f"  {status}: {len(papers)} papers")

    return results

Self-Archiving and Green OA

Checking Publisher Policies

Use SHERPA/RoMEO to determine what you can self-archive:

python
def check_sherpa_romeo(issn: str, api_key: str) -> dict:
    """
    Check journal self-archiving policy via SHERPA/RoMEO.

    Args:
        issn: Journal ISSN
        api_key: SHERPA/RoMEO API key
    """
    url = f"https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/cgi/retrieve/by_id?item-type=publication&format=Json&api-key={api_key}&filter=[[%22issn%22,%22equals%22,%22{issn}%22]]"

    response = requests.get(url)
    data = response.json()

    if not data.get('items'):
        return {'error': 'Journal not found'}

    journal = data['items'][0]
    policies = journal.get('publisher_policy', [])

    results = {
        'journal': journal.get('title', [{}])[0].get('title', ''),
        'publisher': journal.get('publishers', [{}])[0].get('publisher', {}).get('name', ''),
        'policies': []
    }

    for policy in policies:
        for permitted in policy.get('permitted_oa', []):
            results['policies'].append({
                'version': permitted.get('article_version', ''),
                'location': permitted.get('location', {}).get('location', []),
                'conditions': permitted.get('conditions', []),
                'embargo': permitted.get('embargo', {}).get('amount', 0),
                'license': permitted.get('license', [])
            })

    return results
Version Terminology
  • Preprint (submitted manuscript): Author's version before peer review
  • Postprint (accepted manuscript): Author's version after peer review, before typesetting
  • Published version (Version of Record): Final published PDF with journal formatting

Most funders (NIH, UKRI, ERC) require deposit of at least the postprint in a repository. Always check your specific funder mandate and journal policy before self-archiving.

Institutional Repository Deposit

When depositing in your institutional repository:

  1. Identify the correct version (usually postprint for Green OA)
  2. Check the embargo period from SHERPA/RoMEO
  3. Add complete metadata: title, authors, DOI, journal, abstract, keywords
  4. Apply the correct license (often CC BY for funder mandates)
  5. Link to the publisher's Version of Record via DOI

This maximizes discoverability while respecting publisher agreements.

© wentorai, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/literature/fulltext/open-access-guide of wentorai/research-plugins.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bf44b3c

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in wentorai/research-plugins, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Open Access Guide next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Open Access Guide compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Open Access Guide this skillwentorai/research-plugins2981 repos~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Read arXiv Paperkarpathy/nanochat59k1 repos~494Automated safety check: PassMIT
Perplexity Web Searchdavila7/claude-code-templates32k11 repos~3.5kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Literature Reviewneflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent12620 repos~5.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Openalex Databaseneflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent12612 repos~3kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Citation ManagementK-Dense-AI/claude-scientific-writer2.4k2 repos~3.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Questions about Open Access Guide

What does Open Access Guide do?

Navigate open access policies, repositories, and legal full-text retrieval me... Open Access Guide is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins. Navigate open access policies, repositories, and legal full-text retrieval me...

When should I use Open Access Guide?

Open Access Guide fits situations like: tasks that involve Academic paper search.

How do I install Open Access Guide in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill open-access-guide -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/literature/fulltext/open-access-guide in wentorai/research-plugins) into .claude/skills/open-access-guide in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Open Access Guide in Codex?

Run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill open-access-guide -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/literature/fulltext/open-access-guide in wentorai/research-plugins) into .agents/skills/open-access-guide in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Open Access Guide in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill open-access-guide -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/open-access-guide, .gemini/skills/open-access-guide, .github/skills/open-access-guide and .opencode/skills/open-access-guide in your project.

What does Open Access Guide need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Open Access Guide is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Open Access Guide access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. In commands or code: api.unpaywall.org and v2.sherpa.ac.uk; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Open Access Guide safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Open Access Guide use?

Open Access Guide is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Open Access Guide use?

About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Open Access Guide?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Open Access Guide: Read arXiv Paper (karpathy/nanochat, 59k stars), Perplexity Web Search (davila7/claude-code-templates, 32k stars), Literature Review (neflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent, 126 stars) and Openalex Database (neflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent, 126 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Open Access Guide?

wentorai (a GitHub user) maintains it in wentorai/research-plugins, which has 298 GitHub stars. The repository holds 405 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 19, 2026.

Source: wentorai/research-plugins on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.