# Two New AI Skill Suites for Research Papers (arXiv and OpenAlex) I shipped two open-source [[AI Agent Skills|Agent Skill]] suites today for anyone who searches/reads research papers with the help of AI. Both are MIT-licensed, have zero dependencies, and conform to the open [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) specification. Thus they work with Claude, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, and every other skills-compatible agent, not just one vendor. ## Arxiv Three skills for working with [[arXiv]] preprints: - **`arxiv-search`**: search the arXiv API by topic, category, author, date range - **`arxiv-analyze`**: fetch a paper via tiered fallback (markdown → arXiv HTML → ar5iv → PDF, with an opt-in TeX source tier for equation-heavy papers). Deterministic rate limiting, shared disk cache so repeat reads are free - **`arxiv-monitor`**: persistent watchlist: track queries over time, return only *new* papers since the last check. Pairs beautifully with cron or `/schedule` for weekly arXiv digests Open-source repository: LINK: https://github.com/dsebastien/ai-skill-arxiv Installation: ```bash npx skills add dsebastien/ai-skill-arxiv --skill '*' ``` ## OpenAlex Companion suite, built against [OpenAlex](https://openalex.org) (free, open, 250M+ scholarly works — no API key required): - **`scholar-search`**: cross-discipline paper search. Covers arXiv + conferences + journals + books, returns citation counts, venue, reconstructed abstracts, external IDs (arXiv/DOI/PMID) - **`scholar-citations`**: citation graph traversal. Given a paper, fetch its references (what preceded it) or the papers that cite it (what built on it). Accepts OpenAlex W-ids, DOIs, arXiv IDs, or URLs - **`literature-review`**: two-pass review orchestrator. Wide search → agent screens titles/abstracts → full-text on the shortlist → structured synthesis. Persistent session state so you can pause and resume. Integrates with `ai-skill-arxiv` when both are installed Open-source repository: LINK: https://github.com/dsebastien/ai-skill-scholar Installation: ```bash npx skills add dsebastien/ai-skill-scholar --skill '*' ``` ## Built with Knowledge Management in mind I designed these AI skills around how I actually use [[Obsidian]] and the [[Obsidian Starter Kit]]; my opinionated kit for building a solid [[Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS)]] on top of Obsidian. These AI skills are independent and work with any agent, but they click together especially well when you already have a structured vault to drop literature notes, citations, and syntheses into. Moreover, it's also a great way to current valuable content to enrich [[LLM Wiki|LLM Wikis]]. If you want the full workflow; vault structure, note types, templates, bases, AI skills, plugins, etc then check out the [[Obsidian Starter Kit]]: LINK: https://www.store.dsebastien.net/product/obsidian-starter-kit PS: This and a ton more is coming soon in v4! ## Related - [[My Published AI Skills]] - [[AI Agent Skills]] - [[Obsidian Starter Kit]] - [[Claude Code]] - [[Obsidian]] - [[arXiv]]