Agent skill

Semantic Scholar Recs Guide

by wentorai in wentorai/research-plugins

Paper discovery via recommendation APIs (OpenAlex, CrossRef citation networks)

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Semantic Scholar Recs Guide

skills CLI
$ npx skills add wentorai/research-plugins --skill semantic-scholar-recs-guide -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install wentorai/research-plugins semantic-scholar-recs-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/discovery/semantic-scholar-recs-guide .claude/skills/semantic-scholar-recs-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
semantic-scholar-recs-guide
GitHub stars
298
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
269 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
405
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Paper discovery via recommendation APIs (OpenAlex, CrossRef citation networks)

  • Tasks that involve Academic paper search
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, Finding Related Papers, Citation Network Traversal and Building a Reading List Pipeline, plus 1 more section
  • Reaches api.openalex.org and api.crossref.org
  • Tasks that involve Citation management

What it does

Semantic Scholar Recs Guide is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins. Paper discovery via recommendation APIs (OpenAlex, CrossRef citation networks)

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 and Citation management. It works with Semantic Scholar. 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
  • Tasks that involve Citation management

Example prompts

  • “/semantic-scholar-recs-guide”

Requirements

  • Python 3

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.openalex.org
    • api.crossref.org
    • wentor.ai

    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

Semantic Scholar Recs Guide loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 27 tokens; SKILL.md has 269 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~27
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). 269 words, ~1,593 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/semantic-scholar-recs-guide/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
semantic-scholar-recs-guide
description
Paper discovery via recommendation APIs (OpenAlex, CrossRef citation networks)

Paper Discovery via OpenAlex & CrossRef

Leverage the OpenAlex and CrossRef APIs to discover related papers, traverse citation networks, and build comprehensive reading lists programmatically.

Overview

OpenAlex indexes over 250 million academic works and provides a free, no-key-required API that supports:

  • Work search by title, keyword, or DOI
  • Citation and reference graph traversal
  • Author profiles and publication histories
  • Concept-based discovery across disciplines
  • Institutional and venue filtering

Base URL: https://api.openalex.org CrossRef URL: https://api.crossref.org

Use OpenAlex's concept graph and citation data to discover related work from seed papers.

Concept-Based Discovery
python
import requests

HEADERS = {"User-Agent": "ResearchPlugins/1.0 (https://wentor.ai)"}
WORK_ID = "W2741809807"  # OpenAlex work ID

# Get the seed paper's concepts
response = requests.get(
    f"https://api.openalex.org/works/{WORK_ID}",
    headers=HEADERS
)
paper = response.json()
concepts = [c["id"] for c in paper.get("concepts", [])[:3]]

# Find works sharing the same concepts, sorted by citations
for concept_id in concepts:
    related = requests.get(
        "https://api.openalex.org/works",
        params={"filter": f"concepts.id:{concept_id}", "sort": "cited_by_count:desc", "per_page": 10},
        headers=HEADERS
    )
    for w in related.json().get("results", []):
        print(f"[{w.get('publication_year')}] {w.get('title')} (citations: {w.get('cited_by_count')})")
CrossRef Subject-Based Discovery
python
import requests

def search_crossref(query, limit=10, sort="is-referenced-by-count"):
    """Search CrossRef for papers sorted by citation count."""
    resp = requests.get(
        "https://api.crossref.org/works",
        params={"query": query, "rows": limit, "sort": sort, "order": "desc"},
        headers={"User-Agent": "ResearchPlugins/1.0 (https://wentor.ai; mailto:dev@wentor.ai)"}
    )
    return resp.json().get("message", {}).get("items", [])

results = search_crossref("transformer attention mechanism")
for w in results:
    title = w.get("title", [""])[0] if w.get("title") else ""
    print(f"  {title} — Cited by: {w.get('is-referenced-by-count', 0)}")

Citation Network Traversal

Walk the citation graph to discover foundational and derivative works.

Forward Citations (Who Cited This Paper?)
python
work_id = "W2741809807"

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.openalex.org/works",
    params={
        "filter": f"cites:{work_id}",
        "sort": "cited_by_count:desc",
        "per_page": 20
    },
    headers=HEADERS
)

for w in response.json().get("results", []):
    print(f"  [{w.get('publication_year')}] {w.get('title')} ({w.get('cited_by_count')} cites)")
Backward References (What Did This Paper Cite?)
python
response = requests.get(
    f"https://api.openalex.org/works/{work_id}",
    headers=HEADERS
)
paper = response.json()
ref_ids = paper.get("referenced_works", [])

# Fetch details for referenced works
for ref_id in ref_ids[:20]:
    ref = requests.get(f"https://api.openalex.org/works/{ref_id.split('/')[-1]}", headers=HEADERS).json()
    print(f"  [{ref.get('publication_year')}] {ref.get('title')} ({ref.get('cited_by_count')} cites)")

Building a Reading List Pipeline

Combine search, concept discovery, and citation traversal into a discovery pipeline:

StepMethodPurpose
1. Seed selectionManual or keyword searchIdentify 3-5 highly relevant papers
2. Expand via conceptsOpenAlex concept graphFind thematically related work
3. Forward citationOpenAlex cites filterFind recent derivative works
4. Backward citationreferenced_works fieldFind foundational papers
5. DeduplicateOpenAlex work ID matchingRemove duplicates across steps
6. Rank & filterSort by year, citations, relevancePrioritize reading order
python
def build_reading_list(seed_ids, max_papers=50):
    """Build a ranked reading list from seed papers."""
    seen = set()
    candidates = []

    for seed_id in seed_ids:
        # Get concepts from seed paper
        paper = requests.get(f"https://api.openalex.org/works/{seed_id}", headers=HEADERS).json()
        concept_ids = [c["id"] for c in paper.get("concepts", [])[:2]]

        # Find related works via concepts
        for cid in concept_ids:
            related = requests.get(
                "https://api.openalex.org/works",
                params={"filter": f"concepts.id:{cid}", "sort": "cited_by_count:desc", "per_page": 20},
                headers=HEADERS
            ).json().get("results", [])
            for w in related:
                wid = w.get("id", "").split("/")[-1]
                if wid not in seen:
                    seen.add(wid)
                    candidates.append(w)

        # Get citing works
        citing = requests.get(
            "https://api.openalex.org/works",
            params={"filter": f"cites:{seed_id}", "sort": "cited_by_count:desc", "per_page": 20},
            headers=HEADERS
        ).json().get("results", [])
        for w in citing:
            wid = w.get("id", "").split("/")[-1]
            if wid not in seen:
                seen.add(wid)
                candidates.append(w)

    # Rank by citation count and recency
    candidates.sort(key=lambda p: (p.get("publication_year", 0), p.get("cited_by_count", 0)), reverse=True)
    return candidates[:max_papers]

Best Practices

  • OpenAlex is free with no API key required; use a polite User-Agent header
  • CrossRef requires a polite pool user agent with contact info for higher rate limits
  • Always include only the fields you need via select parameter to reduce payload size
  • Use page and per_page for pagination on large result sets
  • Cache responses locally to avoid redundant requests
  • Use DOI as the universal identifier for cross-system compatibility

© 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/discovery/semantic-scholar-recs-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

Semantic Scholar Recs 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.

Semantic Scholar Recs Guide compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Semantic Scholar Recs Guide this skillwentorai/research-plugins2981 repos~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Literature Reviewneflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent12620 repos~5.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Paper Research on arXivXiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code14k—~1.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Literature Review AgentAr9av/PaperOrchestra6791 repos~5.2kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Paper AutoratersAr9av/PaperOrchestra6791 repos~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Deep Research Literature SurveyHKUSTDial/Supervisor-Skills8.8k—~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassCC-BY-NC-SA-4.0

Similar skills

  • Literature Review

    neflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent

    Conduct comprehensive, systematic literature reviews using multiple academic databases (PubMed, arXiv, bioRxiv, Semantic Scholar, etc.).

    126 GitHub starsUsed in 20 repos~5.9k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check: notes
  • Paper Research on arXiv

    XiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code

    Searches arXiv, fetches metadata, generates BibTeX, downloads PDFs and finds citations and related papers using a bundled Python script.

    14k GitHub stars~1.5k tokensUpdated 2 days ago
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Literature Review Agent

    Ar9av/PaperOrchestra

    Step 3 of the PaperOrchestra pipeline (arXiv:2604.05018). An agent skill from Ar9av/PaperOrchestra.

    679 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~5.2k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Paper Autoraters

    Ar9av/PaperOrchestra

    Run the four paper-quality autoraters from PaperOrchestra (arXiv:2604.05018, App.

    679 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.6k tokens
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Deep Research Literature Survey

    HKUSTDial/Supervisor-Skills

    Runs a survey-grade literature investigation: fixes the research questions, searches from adversarial angles, verifies citations and writes an evidence-first report.

    8.8k GitHub stars~2.4k tokensUpdated 1 mo ago
    Research & ScienceAuto-check passed
  • Nature Academic Search

    jing1312/nature-figure-skill

    Multi-source literature search, citation verification, MeSH search strategy, citation file management (.nbib/.ris/.bib conversion), and reference management (BibTeX, related articles, ID conversion)…

    171 GitHub stars~1.3k tokensUpdated 1 mo ago
    Research & ScienceAuto-check: notes

More from wentorai/research-plugins

All 405 skills in this repo
  • Abstract Writing Guide

    wentorai/research-plugins

    Craft structured research abstracts that maximize clarity and journal acceptance

    298 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.7k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Academic Citation Manager

    wentorai/research-plugins

    Manage academic citations across BibTeX, APA, MLA, and Chicago formats

    298 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.7k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Academic Paper Summarizer

    wentorai/research-plugins

    Summarize academic papers with structured extraction of key elements

    298 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.4k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Academic Study Methods

    wentorai/research-plugins

    Evidence-based study techniques for academic learning and retention

    298 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.8k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Academic Tone Guide

    wentorai/research-plugins

    Adjust writing tone and register for academic audiences and venues

    298 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.9k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Academic Translation Guide

    wentorai/research-plugins

    Academic translation, post-editing, and Chinglish correction guide

    298 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.6k tokens
    Auto-check passed

Questions about Semantic Scholar Recs Guide

What does Semantic Scholar Recs Guide do?

Paper discovery via recommendation APIs (OpenAlex, CrossRef citation networks). Semantic Scholar Recs Guide is an agent skill from wentorai/research-plugins.

When should I use Semantic Scholar Recs Guide?

Semantic Scholar Recs Guide fits situations like: tasks that involve Academic paper search; tasks that involve Citation management.

How do I install Semantic Scholar Recs Guide in Claude Code?

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

How do I install Semantic Scholar Recs Guide in Codex?

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

Can I use Semantic Scholar Recs 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 semantic-scholar-recs-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/semantic-scholar-recs-guide, .gemini/skills/semantic-scholar-recs-guide, .github/skills/semantic-scholar-recs-guide and .opencode/skills/semantic-scholar-recs-guide in your project.

What does Semantic Scholar Recs Guide need to run?

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

Does Semantic Scholar Recs Guide access the network?

SKILL.md names 3 domains. In commands or code: api.openalex.org, api.crossref.org and wentor.ai; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Semantic Scholar Recs 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 Semantic Scholar Recs Guide use?

Semantic Scholar Recs 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 Semantic Scholar Recs Guide use?

About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.4k 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 Semantic Scholar Recs Guide?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Semantic Scholar Recs Guide: Literature Review (neflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent, 126 stars), Paper Research on arXiv (XiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code, 14k stars), Literature Review Agent (Ar9av/PaperOrchestra, 679 stars) and Paper Autoraters (Ar9av/PaperOrchestra, 679 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Semantic Scholar Recs 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.