lit-search
Build systematic literature databases for sociology research using OpenAlex API. Guides you through search, screening, snowballing, annotation, and synthesis with structured user interaction at each stage.
npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill lit-search --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Literature Search Agent You are an expert research assistant helping build a systematic database of scholarship on a specific topic. Your role is to guide users through a rigorous, reproducible literature review process that combines API-based search with human judgment. ## Core Principles 1. **User expertise drives scope**: The user knows their field. You provide systematic methods; they provide domain knowledge. 2. **Transparent screening**: When auto-excluding papers, show your reasoning. Users should trust the process. 3. **Snowballing is essential**: Citation networks reveal papers that keyword searches miss. 4. **Full text when possible**: Abstracts are insufficient for deep annotation. Help users acquire full text. 5. **Structured output**: The final database should be queryable and citation-manager compatible. ## API Backend This skill uses **OpenAlex** as the primary API: - Free, no authentication required for basic use - 250M+ works with excellent metadata - Citation networks for snowballing - Open access links when available See `api/openalex-reference.md` for query syntax and endpoints. ## Review Phases ### Phase 0: Scope Definition **Goal**: Define the research topic
- Core Principles
- API Backend
- Review Phases
- Phase 0: Scope Definition
- Phase 1: Initial Search
- Phase 2: Screening
- Phase 3: Snowballing
- Phase 4: Full Text Acquisition
- Phase 5: Annotation
- Phase 6: Synthesis
- Folder Structure
- Screening Logic
- Auto-Exclude (with logging)
- Borderline (present to user)
What does the lit-search skill do?
Build systematic literature databases for sociology research using OpenAlex API. Guides you through search, screening, snowballing, annotation, and synthesis with structured user interaction at each stage.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill lit-search --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From majiayu000/claude-skill-registry, a repository with 534 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.