OpenAlex
Follow connections among scholarly works, authors, institutions, and citations.
Explore the original source- Published by
- OurResearch
- Getting in
- Free web exploration and basic API queries; an account key adds free daily API credit, with paid usage beyond allowances.
- What you can work with
- JSON API · CSV exports · Data snapshot
- Links and access checked
A good place to start
Search urban heat islands; follow one work’s references and one later citing work.
What you can find
OpenAlex is a connected catalog of scholarship. You can move from a work to its authors, institutions, references, and later citations. Its product guide distinguishes web exploration, API queries, and whole-database downloads. These are different ways into a catalog, not a guarantee that every linked paper is available to read.
Try this first
Search “urban heat islands” on OpenAlex. Pick a relevant work and follow one reference backward and one citing work forward. Draw three boxes and label the connecting arrows with what you actually checked. A citation establishes a connection; read the citing passage before calling it agreement or support.
Access and reuse
The current authentication guide says basic API queries work without a key. A free account provides a key with daily usage credit; heavier service use can cost money. The pricing page separates the CC0 data from paid service levels. Recheck these rules before building an automated workflow.
Provenance
Keep OpenAlex identifiers and DOIs alongside titles. Check author identities and dates against the original publications when they matter. Linked article copies have their own licenses; the catalog's CC0 terms do not erase those rights.
What to watch for
- Citation links and author matches can be incomplete or mistaken.
- Citation totals are not a direct measure of truth or research quality.
- Metadata openness does not give blanket rights to linked full text.