---
name: literature-searcher
description: |-
  Search CrossRef, OpenAlex, PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and optional Scopus; deduplicate results, download open-access PDFs by DOI, classify papers, monitor new results, and analyze coverage. Use when asked to search literature, monitor a topic, download an open-access paper, classify papers, or analyze literature gaps.
title: literature-searcher
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher
last_updated: 2026-09-28T23:10:54.000Z
---

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [.env.example](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/.env.example), [literature_searcher/__init__.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/__init__.py), [literature_searcher/classifier.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/classifier.py), [literature_searcher/crossref_searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/crossref_searcher.py), [literature_searcher/downloader.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/downloader.py), [literature_searcher/insight.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/insight.py), [literature_searcher/monitor.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/monitor.py), [literature_searcher/openalex_searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/openalex_searcher.py), [literature_searcher/pubmed_searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/pubmed_searcher.py), [literature_searcher/scopus_searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/scopus_searcher.py), [literature_searcher/searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/searcher.py), [literature_searcher/semantic_scholar_searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/literature_searcher/semantic_scholar_searcher.py), [monitor_config.json.template](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/monitor_config.json.template), [README.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/README.md), [tests/test_literature_searcher.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher/tests/test_literature_searcher.py).
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install dianel555/dskills/literature-searcher`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.

# Literature Searcher

Run all commands from `skills/literature-searcher`. The package uses only the
Python standard library.

## Search

```bash
python -m literature_searcher.searcher search "ionogel flexible sensor" --limit 10
python -m literature_searcher.searcher search "solid electrolyte" \
  --platform openalex --platform semantic_scholar --year-from 2020 --year-to 2024
```

Without `--platform`, the command searches CrossRef, OpenAlex, PubMed, and
Semantic Scholar. Scopus requires `ELSEVIER_API_KEY`.

## Download Open-Access PDFs

```bash
python -m literature_searcher.searcher download --doi 10.1016/j.cej.2022.135593
```

Downloads query Unpaywall by default. Enable the optional `scihub-cli` fallback
explicitly with `--scihub-fallback auto`.

## Incremental Monitoring And Insight

```powershell
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force data | Out-Null
Copy-Item monitor_config.json.template data/monitor_config.json
```

Set `queries` in `data/monitor_config.json`, then run:

```bash
python -m literature_searcher.monitor --config data/monitor_config.json
python -m literature_searcher.insight --input data/monitor_results.json
```

Monitoring uses the HTTPS DeepLX endpoint in `DEEPLX_ENDPOINT` by default and
does not require a DeepL API key. To use a local OpenAI-compatible model
service, set `LOCAL_LLM_BASE_URL` and `LOCAL_LLM_MODEL`, then pass
`--translator local_llm`. Translation failures are recorded in the result JSON
and do not stop monitoring.

## Python API

| Capability | Import | Entry point |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multi-platform search | `literature_searcher.searcher` | `search_papers()` |
| Result deduplication | `literature_searcher.searcher` | `merge_and_deduplicate()` |
| PDF download | `literature_searcher.downloader` | `Downloader.download_by_doi()` |
| Paper classification | `literature_searcher.classifier` | `PaperClassifier.classify()` |
| Incremental monitoring | `literature_searcher.monitor` | `run_monitor()` |
| Coverage analysis | `literature_searcher.insight` | `analyze_coverage()` |

`PaperClassifier.classify()` and `batch_classify()` accept both mappings and
objects with paper attributes.

## Configuration

The package reads these optional variables from the process environment:
`LITERATURE_EMAIL`, `OPENALEX_EMAIL`, `OPENALEX_API_KEY`,
`SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY`, `ELSEVIER_API_KEY`, `DEEPLX_ENDPOINT`,
`LOCAL_LLM_BASE_URL`, and `LOCAL_LLM_MODEL`. Copy `.env.example` to `.env` in
the skill directory to load values automatically. Variables already exported by
the calling shell take precedence.