ebsco

name	ebsco
description	EBSCO school databases (EBSCOhost, Explora) — search peer-reviewed articles, reference materials, and grade-leveled nonfiction from school-licensed academic databases.
metadata	{"openclaw":{"requires":{"env":["EBSCO_API_KEY","EBSCO_PROFILE_ID","EBSCO_BASE_URL"]}},"primaryEnv":"EBSCO_API_KEY"}

EBSCO

What it is

EBSCO Information Services provides the most widely licensed suite of academic databases for K-12 schools, including Explora (elementary and secondary), EBSCOhost, and subject-specific collections. These databases give students access to peer-reviewed journals, magazines, reference books, and primary sources with reading-level filtering and citation metadata.

When to use this skill

• Searching for credible sources on a research topic appropriate to the student's grade level
• Retrieving full-text articles, encyclopedia entries, or primary source documents for a research assignment
• Filtering results by reading level (Lexile) to match sources to the student's current literacy level
• Generating formatted citations (MLA, APA, Chicago) from article metadata returned by the database
• Verifying source credibility and authority when a student questions whether a source is reliable

Credentials

This skill authenticates using env vars declared in the frontmatter metadata and provided via ~/.openclaw/.env (see .env.example at the segment root). Required variables:

• EBSCO_API_KEY - EBSCOhost API key issued through EBSCO Connect for the district's subscription
• EBSCO_PROFILE_ID - database profile ID identifying the licensed databases available to the district
• EBSCO_BASE_URL - EBSCOhost API base URL (e.g. https://eit.ebscohost.com/Services/SearchService.asmx)

Key operations

• POST /Search — execute a keyword or subject-heading search with reading-level and source-type filters
• GET /Retrieve — fetch full record and full text for a specific item by accession number
• GET /Info — retrieve available database lists and filter field definitions for the licensed profile
• POST /ExportFormat — export citation metadata in MLA, APA, or Chicago format for a given record
• Lexile and reading-level filter parameters: LN (Lexile low), LH (Lexile high), RV (reading level code)

Notes

• Access is licensed per district; confirm that the target databases are included in the district's EBSCO subscription before querying.
• Full-text availability varies by title and embargo period; some articles return abstract-only even within the licensed profile.
• Never fabricate citations; always derive citation data from actual EBSCO API response metadata.
• IP-authenticated access (without API key) is available on school networks; API key authentication is preferred for agent use.