Agent skill

Sci Search

by ShZhao27208 in ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write

Academic paper search and metrics analysis. An agent skill from ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write.

MITAuto-check: notesResearch & Science

Install Sci Search

skills CLI
$ npx skills add ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write --skill sci-search -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write sci-search --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/ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/sci-search .claude/skills/sci-search && 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
sci-search
GitHub stars
209
Token cost
~1.7k tokens
SKILL.md length
583 words
Files
5
Skills in repo
9
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Academic paper search and metrics analysis. An agent skill from ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write.

  • Requests to search for papers
  • SKILL.md covers Trigger Phrases, Capabilities, Configuration and Usage, plus 1 more section
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls python; needs SPRINGER_API_KEY and SPRINGER_OA_API_KEY
  • Find literature

What it does

Sci Search is an agent skill from ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write. Academic paper search and metrics analysis. Searches arXiv, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer Nature, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAlex simultaneously with journal impact factor data. Triggers on requests to search for papers or find literature.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.7k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 4 other files (for example `_meta.json`, `journal_db.json` and `sci_search.py`).

It sits in Research & Science, covering Academic paper search. It works with Semantic Scholar, arXiv and PubMed. The repository describes itself as: Academic research skills suite for AI Agent — literature search/download (WoS+Elsevier+Springer), PDF extraction, figure cropping, review writing, Zotero sync, and PPT/Html… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Requests to search for papers
  • Find literature

Example prompts

  • “/sci-search”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • A credential in WOS_API_KEY
  • A credential in SPRINGER_API_KEY

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 357766f. 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

    Ships script files (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • python

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

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • developer.clarivate.com
    • dev.springernature.com
    • dev.elsevier.com
    • semanticscholar.org

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

  • Credentials

    Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:

    • SPRINGER_API_KEY
    • SPRINGER_OA_API_KEY
    • SCOPUS_API_KEY
    • WOS_API_KEY
    • SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY
    • NCBI_API_KEY
    • ZOTERO_API_KEY

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

Context cost

Sci Search loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 65 tokens; SKILL.md has 583 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~65
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.7k

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: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:59
    PI_KEY` to the unified `~/.aut_sci_write/.env` file to enable Web of Science search:
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:71
    `SPRINGER_API_KEY` to `~/.aut_sci_write/.env`:
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:77
    PRINGER_OA_API_KEY` to `~/.aut_sci_write/.env` (falls back to `SPRINGER_API_KEY` if not set):
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:87
    dd `SCOPUS_API_KEY` to `~/.aut_sci_write/.env` to enable Scopus search:
  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:108
    ### Other optional `.env` values (all in `~/.aut_sci_write/.env`)

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 ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write at commit 357766f, republished under its MIT licence (© ShZhao27208). 583 words, ~1,689 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/sci-search/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 4 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
sci-search
description
Academic paper search and metrics analysis. Searches arXiv, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer Nature, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAlex simultaneously with journal impact factor data. Triggers on requests to search for papers or find literature.
author
Shuo Zhao
license
MIT
copyright
© 2026 Shuo Zhao. All rights reserved.
triggers
搜索文献, 查文献, 找论文, 最新论文, 相关文献, 文献检索, 影响因子, 期刊分区, Web of Science, WoS, SCI检索, arXiv, PubMed, Springer, Springer Nature, Scopus, Elsevier, Semantic Scholar…

Sci-Search — Sci Search Skill

Academic paper search and metrics analysis tool for scientific research workflows.

Trigger Phrases

  • "搜索关于 [主题] 的高影响因子论文"
  • "在 Web of Science 上查找 [主题] 的最新文献"
  • "search academic papers on [topic]"
  • "find recent papers about [topic] on Web of Science"
  • "get impact factor for [topic] papers"

Capabilities

  • Seven-Source Search: Simultaneously searches arXiv, PubMed, Web of Science, Springer Nature, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, and OpenAlex (API-key-gated sources activate when keys are configured).
  • Web of Science Integration: Returns SCI-indexed papers with times-cited counts — the gold standard for academic quality filtering.
  • Springer Nature Integration: Returns articles from Springer, Nature, Palgrave Macmillan, and other Springer Nature imprints with DOI links.
  • Scopus Integration: Elsevier's largest abstract and citation database; returns cited-by counts.
  • Semantic Scholar Integration: AI-powered academic graph with citation counts; no API key required.
  • OpenAlex Integration: Free and open catalog of 200M+ scholarly works; no API key required.
  • Journal Metrics: Automatically supplements results with JCR partitions and Impact Factors (IF).
  • Ranking & Highlighting: Highlights top-tier journals (Nature, Science, Advanced Materials, etc.).
  • Markdown Export: Generates formatted markdown reports of search results.
  • Source Selection: Use --source scopus, --source springer, --source semantic_scholar, --source openalex, --source wos, or --source all for all sources.

Configuration

Add WOS_API_KEY to the unified ~/.aut_sci_write/.env file to enable Web of Science search:

bash
WOS_API_KEY=your_wos_api_key

Apply for a free API key at: https://developer.clarivate.com/apis/wos-starter

The WoS Starter API is free to apply for and provides access to the Web of Science Core Collection — the most authoritative index of SCI/SSCI journals.

Springer Nature API (two endpoints)

The Springer Nature API provides two separate endpoints:

1. Metadata API (/meta/v2/json) — metadata for all Springer Nature content (journals + books). Add SPRINGER_API_KEY to ~/.aut_sci_write/.env:

bash
SPRINGER_API_KEY=your_springer_api_key

2. Open Access API (/openaccess/json) — full-text OA content from BMC, SpringerOpen, Nature OA articles. Add SPRINGER_OA_API_KEY to ~/.aut_sci_write/.env (falls back to SPRINGER_API_KEY if not set):

bash
SPRINGER_OA_API_KEY=your_oa_api_key

Apply for free API keys at: https://dev.springernature.com/

Use --source springer for both, --source springer_meta for metadata only, or --source springer_oa for Open Access only.

Show full SKILL.md (255 more words)Show less
Scopus API (Elsevier — largest abstract database)

Add SCOPUS_API_KEY to ~/.aut_sci_write/.env to enable Scopus search:

bash
SCOPUS_API_KEY=your_scopus_api_key

Apply for a free API key at: https://dev.elsevier.com/

The Scopus Search API covers 90M+ records across science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts & humanities. Requires institutional affiliation for full access.

Semantic Scholar (free, no key required)

Works out of the box. For higher rate limits, optionally add:

bash
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=your_key

Request a key at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/product/api#api-key

OpenAlex (free, no key required)

Works out of the box. For polite pool (faster rate limits), optionally add:

bash
OPENALEX_EMAIL=your_email@example.com
Other optional .env values (all in ~/.aut_sci_write/.env)
  • SPRINGER_API_KEY - Springer Nature Metadata API key (see above)
  • SPRINGER_OA_API_KEY - Springer Nature Open Access API key (falls back to SPRINGER_API_KEY)
  • SCOPUS_API_KEY - Elsevier Scopus API key (see above)
  • SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY - optional, for higher rate limits
  • OPENALEX_EMAIL - optional, for polite pool access
  • NCBI_API_KEY - optional PubMed/NCBI E-utilities API key for higher rate limits
  • NCBI_EMAIL - optional contact email sent to NCBI E-utilities
  • NCBI_TOOL - optional NCBI tool name; defaults to sci-search
  • ZOTERO_USER_ID — for Zotero integration
  • ZOTERO_API_KEY — for Zotero integration

Usage

Main script: ./sci_search.py

bash
# Search all sources (arXiv + PubMed + WoS + Springer + Scopus + Semantic Scholar + OpenAlex)
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "perovskite solar cells" --limit 5

# Search Web of Science only
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "solid state electrolyte" --source wos --limit 10

# Search PubMed only with NCBI E-utilities
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "cancer immunotherapy" --source pubmed --limit 10

# Search Springer Nature only
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "machine learning materials science" --source springer --limit 10

# Search Scopus only
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "lithium ion battery" --source scopus --limit 10

# Search Semantic Scholar only (no key needed)
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "transformer attention mechanism" --source semantic_scholar --limit 10

# Search OpenAlex only (no key needed)
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "CRISPR gene editing" --source openalex --limit 10

# Export results to markdown
python skills/sci-search/sci_search.py "graphene battery" --output results.md

Aut_Sci_Write — Autonomous Scientific Writer

  • Author: Shuo Zhao
  • License: MIT License
  • Copyright: © 2026 Shuo Zhao. All rights reserved.
  • Original Work: This is an original work created by the author. No reproduction, redistribution, or commercial use without explicit permission. Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software... (See the LICENSE file in the root directory for the full MIT terms.)

This skill is part of the Aut_Sci_Write suite. For full license terms, see the LICENSE file in the project root.

© ShZhao27208, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 4 other files in skills/sci-search of ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write.

  • SKILL.md
  • .gitignore
  • _meta.json
  • journal_db.json
  • sci_search.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 357766f

Compare with similar skills

Sci Search 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.

Sci Search compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Sci Search this skillShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write209—~1.7kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Literature Reviewneflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent12620 repos~5.9kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Paper Searchopenags/paper-search-mcp2.8k—~1.2kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Nature Academic Searchwp-a/nature-academic-search304—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Paper Searchopenags/paper-search-mcp2.8k—~794Automated safety check: NotesMIT
Nature Academic Searchjing1312/nature-figure-skill171—~1.3kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Questions about Sci Search

What does Sci Search do?

Academic paper search and metrics analysis. An agent skill from ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write. Sci Search is an agent skill from ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write. Academic paper search and metrics analysis.

When should I use Sci Search?

Sci Search fits situations like: requests to search for papers; find literature.

How do I install Sci Search in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write --skill sci-search -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/sci-search in ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write) into .claude/skills/sci-search in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Sci Search in Codex?

Run `npx skills add ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write --skill sci-search -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/sci-search in ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write) into .agents/skills/sci-search in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Sci Search 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 ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write --skill sci-search -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/sci-search, .gemini/skills/sci-search, .github/skills/sci-search and .opencode/skills/sci-search in your project.

What does Sci Search need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Sci Search needs Python for the scripts in its folder, the command-line tools its instructions call (python) and credentials named SPRINGER_API_KEY, SPRINGER_OA_API_KEY, SCOPUS_API_KEY and WOS_API_KEY. Our summary lists: Python 3; A credential in WOS_API_KEY; A credential in SPRINGER_API_KEY.

Does Sci Search access the network?

SKILL.md names 4 domains. As links in the text: developer.clarivate.com, dev.springernature.com, dev.elsevier.com and semanticscholar.org. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Sci Search safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Sci Search use?

Sci Search is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Sci Search use?

About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.8k 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 Sci Search?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Sci Search: Literature Review (neflibata-feng/MyArxiv-Agent, 126 stars), Paper Search (openags/paper-search-mcp, 2.8k stars), Nature Academic Search (wp-a/nature-academic-search, 304 stars) and Paper Search (openags/paper-search-mcp, 2.8k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Sci Search?

ShZhao27208 (a GitHub user) maintains it in ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write, which has 209 GitHub stars. The repository holds 9 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 13, 2026.

Source: ShZhao27208/Aut_Sci_Write on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.