| name | semantic-scholar-lookup |
| description | Use when user needs to find papers from the open web (not local Zotero library) to support a writing argument, fill a citation gap, or discover literature in a field. Triggers include: "find papers on X", "I need references for this claim", "what's been published about Y", Zotero returns empty results, or topic is outside local library. |
Semantic Scholar Lookup
Search the open Semantic Scholar corpus and return citation-ready evidence packs for scientific writing. Use when Zotero is unavailable or insufficient.
When to Use
- Finding papers on a topic not in the local Zotero library
- Supporting a specific argument or claim with external citations
- Discovering recent literature in a field
- Zotero semantic search returns empty or irrelevant results
- User explicitly asks to search Semantic Scholar or the web for papers
Do NOT use when the user wants citations from their own curated library — use zotero-research-lookup instead.
API Key Setup
The script works anonymously but an API key gives stable 1 req/s throughput. Before running, check if the user has configured their API key:
- Look for a
.env file in the project directory or parent directories
- Check for
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=<key> in the .env file
- If not found, inform the user they can:
The script automatically detects the file and warns if the key is missing (anonymous mode proceeds with rate limits).
