OpenAlex Skill

Prerequisites

1. uv: Read the uv skill and follow its Setup instructions to ensure uv is installed and on PATH.
2. User Notification: If .licenses/literature_search_openalex_LICENSE.txt does not already exist in the workspace root directory then (1) prominently notify the user to check the terms at https://developers.openalex.org/ and to always check the license of the papers retrieved by the skill for any restrictions, then (2) create the file recording the notification text and timestamp.
3. .env file: Make sure the .env file exists in your home directory. Create one if it does not exist.
4. OPENALEX_API_KEY (optional but recommended): Enables the OpenAlex Premium API with higher rate limits. The skill works without it (using the free "polite pool"). You can obtain a key at OpenAlex.org → account settings. You MUST use the safe credentials protocol in the credentials skill to check for and request this key if this skill looks relevant to the user's request.

Core Rules

1. List Sources. If this skill is used, ensure this is mentioned in the output AND list the URLs of all papers that were used in producing the output.
2. Resolve before filter. NEVER filter by name. Always resolve a name to an ID first, then use that ID in --filter.
3. Use the CLI only. Never call the API via curl/urllib. The CLI handles retries and rate limiting.
4. No fabrication. Never invent OpenAlex IDs or DOIs. Use resolve/get to look them up. Report empty results accurately.
5. API key. If a command returns 401/429 or you need high-volume queries, you MUST use the safe credentials protocol in the skill to check for and request the to help the user add it to their file.