# OpenAlex Research Graph Scraper API - Works & Authors (`pink_comic/openalex-research-graph`) Actor

Search and normalize OpenAlex works, authors, and institutions for research intelligence. Filter publications by DOI, graph IDs, author, institution, topic, country, open access, type, year, and citations with bounded authorship, affiliation, grant, location, and citation evidence.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/pink\_comic/openalex-research-graph.md
- **Developed by:** [Ava Torres](https://apify.com/pink_comic) (community)
- **Categories:** Education, AI, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 openalex research graph scraper api - works & auth evidence items

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## OpenAlex Research Graph Scraper API

Search and normalize OpenAlex **works, authors, and institutions** for literature review, research intelligence, scholarly discovery, author/institution mapping, open-access analysis, and citation evidence.

Empty input returns one recent machine-learning work with bounded authorships, institutions, topics, OA locations, grants, citation metrics, canonical IDs, and source links. Default maximum cost is **$0.0021**: $0.0001 start + one $0.002 dataset item.

```json
{}
```

```json
{"mode":"works","search":"machine learning","openAccess":"open","fromPublicationYear":2024,"minCitations":5,"maxResults":10}
```

```json
{"mode":"authors","search":"Geoffrey Hinton","maxResults":5}
```

```json
{"mode":"institutions","search":"University of Oxford","country":"GB","maxResults":5}
```

Filters include search, DOI/OpenAlex ID, author, institution, topic/concept, country, OA status, publication type/year, minimum citations, sort, and cursor. Candidate/page/output bounds and per-record nested-array bounds prevent accidental unbounded graph expansion. The client uses OpenAlex's `mailto` polite-pool parameter and bounded retries for transport, HTTP, body-read, and malformed-response failures.

### Important interpretation limits

OpenAlex continuously aggregates multiple scholarly sources; results are retrieval-time graph evidence, not a fixed archival snapshot or endorsement. Links, identities, affiliations, authorship order, topics, grants, locations, open-access signals, and citation counts can be incomplete, inferred, duplicated, delayed, merged, split, or corrected. A record does not prove identity, current affiliation, authorship, research quality, endorsement, or complete citation impact. Verify consequential conclusions through the linked OpenAlex, DOI/publisher, and underlying source records.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Optional research entity mode filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `search` (type: `string`):

Full-text OpenAlex search. Empty works input defaults to machine learning.

## `id` (type: `string`):

Exact mode-compatible W..., A..., or I... OpenAlex ID.

## `doi` (type: `string`):

Works mode only; accepts 10.x/... or a doi.org URL.

## `authorId` (type: `string`):

Filter works by author, or select an author ID in authors mode.

## `institutionId` (type: `string`):

Filter work authorships, author last-known institutions, or an institution ID.

## `topicId` (type: `string`):

Works mode topic filter.

## `conceptId` (type: `string`):

Works mode concept filter; topics are preferred for current classification.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter ISO code. Works mode checks authorship institutions.

## `openAccess` (type: `string`):

Optional open access filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `publicationType` (type: `string`):

Works mode OpenAlex type, such as article, book, dataset, or preprint.

## `fromPublicationYear` (type: `integer`):

Works mode inclusive lower year.

## `toPublicationYear` (type: `integer`):

Works mode inclusive upper year.

## `minCitations` (type: `integer`):

Minimum OpenAlex cited\_by\_count. Citation counts can lag and do not establish research quality.

## `cursor` (type: `string`):

Optional OpenAlex next\_cursor from a prior bounded result.

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Optional sort filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `mailto` (type: `string`):

Optional contact sent through OpenAlex's documented mailto polite-pool parameter.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Total dataset-item cap. Default first run costs at most $0.0021 including the $0.0001 start.

## `maxCandidates` (type: `integer`):

Bound checked before output stops.

## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):

Hard cursor-pagination request bound.

## `maxAuthorships` (type: `integer`):

Optional authorships per work filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `maxInstitutions` (type: `integer`):

Optional institutions / affiliations per record filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `maxTopics` (type: `integer`):

Optional topics per record filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `maxLocations` (type: `integer`):

Optional locations per work filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## `maxGrants` (type: `integer`):

Optional grants per work filter or result-control setting. See the README for exact source semantics, bounds, and examples.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "works",
  "search": "machine learning",
  "openAccess": "any",
  "minCitations": 0,
  "sortBy": "",
  "maxResults": 1,
  "maxCandidates": 100,
  "maxPages": 5,
  "maxAuthorships": 20,
  "maxInstitutions": 20,
  "maxTopics": 20,
  "maxLocations": 10,
  "maxGrants": 10
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "mode": "works",
    "search": "machine learning",
    "maxResults": 1
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("pink_comic/openalex-research-graph").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "mode": "works",
    "search": "machine learning",
    "maxResults": 1,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("pink_comic/openalex-research-graph").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "mode": "works",
  "search": "machine learning",
  "maxResults": 1
}' |
apify call pink_comic/openalex-research-graph --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=pink_comic/openalex-research-graph",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/gsmzrQDl0M9HnxK2e/builds/EyXej4gg59d86IRjn/openapi.json