# OpenAlex API

> OpenAlex returns scholarly papers and institution research summaries as a workflow and API.

OpenAlex searches scholarly papers by required topic words, with optional institution, publication-year, open-access, and sorting inputs. Get institution research summarizes an institution’s output, annual works and citations, leading topics, and coauthors of institution-linked works.

- Page: https://fous.com/workflows/openalex
- Handle: `@openalex`
- Category: [Science](https://fous.com/workflows/category/science)
- Source website: https://openalex.org
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with OpenAlex.

## Methods

### Get institution research

Operation `get_institution_research`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

Summarise an institution’s research output from its name, including annual output, leading topics and authors. Annual citations count citations received by works published that year; leading authors are coauthors of institution-linked works, not necessarily employees.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `institution` | string | yes | `"MIT"` | Name of the university, hospital or company, for example MIT or Pfizer. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "institution"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "institution": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Name of the university, hospital or company, for example MIT or Pfizer.",
      "examples": [
        "MIT",
        "Pfizer"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "institution": "MIT"
    },
    {
      "institution": "Pfizer"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `city` | string or null | `"Cambridge"` |  |
| `name` | string | `"Massachusetts Institute of Technology"` |  |
| `type` | string or null | `"education"` | Institution category in words. |
| `country` | string or null | `"United States"` |  |
| `homepage` | string or null | `"https://web.mit.edu"` |  |
| `ror_link` | string or null | `"https://ror.org/042nb2s44"` |  |
| `top_topics` | array |  |  |
| `top_topics[].name` | string | `"Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies"` |  |
| `top_topics[].works` | integer | `9611` |  |
| `top_topics[].openalex_link` | string | `"https://openalex.org/T10048"` |  |
| `top_authors` | array |  |  |
| `top_authors[].name` | string | `"Brian Zambri"` |  |
| `top_authors[].works` | integer | `3076` |  |
| `top_authors[].openalex_link` | string | `"https://openalex.org/A5004625476"` |  |
| `total_works` | integer | `428599` |  |
| `openalex_link` | string | `"https://openalex.org/I63966007"` |  |
| `total_citations` | integer | `82199297` |  |
| `openalex_institution_id` | string | `"I63966007"` |  |
| `works_and_citations_by_year` | array |  |  |
| `works_and_citations_by_year[].year` | integer | `2017` |  |
| `works_and_citations_by_year[].works` | integer | `12715` |  |
| `works_and_citations_by_year[].citations` | integer | `904194` |  |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "institution": "MIT"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "city": "Cambridge",
  "name": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology",
  "type": "education",
  "country": "United States",
  "homepage": "https://web.mit.edu",
  "ror_link": "https://ror.org/042nb2s44",
  "top_topics": [
    {
      "name": "Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies",
      "works": 9611,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/T10048"
    },
    {
      "name": "Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions",
      "works": 7350,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/T10224"
    },
    {
      "name": "High-Energy Particle Collisions Research",
      "works": 6258,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/T10527"
    }
  ],
  "top_authors": [
    {
      "name": "Brian Zambri",
      "works": 3076,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/A5004625476"
    },
    {
      "name": "Michael James Mills",
      "works": 2877,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/A5019602067"
    },
    {
      "name": "Anja Schmidt",
      "works": 2875,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/A5041318032"
    }
  ],
  "total_works": 428599,
  "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/I63966007",
  "total_citations": 82199297,
  "openalex_institution_id": "I63966007",
  "works_and_citations_by_year": [
    {
      "year": 2017,
      "works": 12715,
      "citations": 904194
    },
    {
      "year": 2018,
      "works": 13543,
      "citations": 862407
    },
    {
      "year": 2019,
      "works": 17991,
      "citations": 856075
    }
  ]
}
```

### Search papers

Operation `search_papers`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

Search scholarly works by topic, with optional institution, publication-year, and open-access filters. Returns up to 100 papers ranked by relevance, citations, or newest publication date.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `sort` | string | no | `"newest"` | Order of results, for example most_cited. |
| `query` | string | yes | `"machine learning"` | Topic words to find in scholarly works, for example microplastics in drinking water. |
| `end_year` | integer | no | `2024` | Latest publication year to include, for example 2024. |
| `start_year` | integer | no | `2023` | Earliest publication year to include, for example 2020. |
| `institution` | string | no | `"Stanford University"` | Institution name to filter author affiliations, for example Stanford University. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `3` | Maximum papers to return, for example 20. |
| `open_access_only` | boolean | no | `true` | Include only open-access works, for example true. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "query"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "sort": {
      "enum": [
        "relevance",
        "most_cited",
        "newest"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "relevance",
      "description": "Order of results, for example most_cited.",
      "examples": [
        "newest",
        "most_cited"
      ]
    },
    "query": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Topic words to find in scholarly works, for example microplastics in drinking water.",
      "examples": [
        "machine learning",
        "microplastics in drinking water",
        "zzzxxyyvvvqqq171226"
      ]
    },
    "end_year": {
      "type": "integer",
      "maximum": 9999,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Latest publication year to include, for example 2024.",
      "examples": [
        2024
      ]
    },
    "start_year": {
      "type": "integer",
      "maximum": 9999,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Earliest publication year to include, for example 2020.",
      "examples": [
        2023,
        2020
      ]
    },
    "institution": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Institution name to filter author affiliations, for example Stanford University.",
      "examples": [
        "Stanford University"
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum papers to return, for example 20.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        3,
        5,
        2
      ]
    },
    "open_access_only": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": false,
      "description": "Include only open-access works, for example true.",
      "examples": [
        true
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "sort": "newest",
      "query": "machine learning",
      "end_year": 2024,
      "start_year": 2023,
      "institution": "Stanford University",
      "max_results": 3
    },
    {
      "sort": "most_cited",
      "query": "microplastics in drinking water",
      "end_year": 2024,
      "start_year": 2020,
      "max_results": 5,
      "open_access_only": true
    },
    {
      "query": "zzzxxyyvvvqqq171226",
      "max_results": 2
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `papers` | array |  | Matching scholarly works. |
| `papers[].title` | string or null | `"Estimated Sleep-Wake Patterns Obtained From a Large U.S. Sample Using a Home-Based Under-Mattress Sleep-Monitoring Devi` | Paper title. |
| `papers[].venue` | string or null | `"Journal of Sleep Medicine"` | Journal, conference, or other publication venue. |
| `papers[].authors` | string | `"Jennifer Zitser, Andrew Cotton-Clay, Venkat Easwar, Arthur Kinsolving, Philippe H. Kahn, Clete A. Kushida"` | Author names, separated by commas. |
| `papers[].doi_link` | string or null | `"https://doi.org/10.13078/jsm.240020"` | DOI link, when known. |
| `papers[].open_access` | boolean | `true` | Whether the work is open access. |
| `papers[].openalex_link` | string | `"https://openalex.org/W4406078627"` | Paper page on OpenAlex. |
| `papers[].citation_count` | integer or null | `0` | Number of citations recorded. |
| `papers[].openalex_work_id` | string | `"W4406078627"` | OpenAlex work identifier. |
| `papers[].publication_date` | string or null | `"2024-12-31"` | Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD. |
| `papers[].publication_year` | integer or null | `2024` | Year the work was published. |
| `papers[].free_full_text_link` | string or null | `"https://www.e-jsm.org/upload/jsm-240020.pdf"` | Link to a freely available full-text version, when known. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "sort": "newest",
  "query": "machine learning",
  "end_year": 2024,
  "start_year": 2023,
  "institution": "Stanford University",
  "max_results": 3
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "papers": [
    {
      "title": "Estimated Sleep-Wake Patterns Obtained From a Large U.S. Sample Using a Home-Based Under-Mattress Sleep-Monitoring Device",
      "venue": "Journal of Sleep Medicine",
      "authors": "Jennifer Zitser, Andrew Cotton-Clay, Venkat Easwar, Arthur Kinsolving, Philippe H. Kahn, Clete A. Kushida",
      "doi_link": "https://doi.org/10.13078/jsm.240020",
      "open_access": true,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/W4406078627",
      "citation_count": 0,
      "openalex_work_id": "W4406078627",
      "publication_date": "2024-12-31",
      "publication_year": 2024,
      "free_full_text_link": "https://www.e-jsm.org/upload/jsm-240020.pdf"
    },
    {
      "title": "Advances in Control Systems for Power Electronics in Energy Management",
      "venue": "American Journal Of Power Electronics And Power Systems",
      "authors": " Dr. John Smith",
      "doi_link": "https://doi.org/10.71465/ajpeps2554",
      "open_access": true,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/W7142421929",
      "citation_count": 0,
      "openalex_work_id": "W7142421929",
      "publication_date": "2024-12-31",
      "publication_year": 2024,
      "free_full_text_link": "https://doi.org/10.71465/ajpeps2554"
    },
    {
      "title": "Advancements in Non-Invasive Diagnostics: The Role of Biomedical Engineering",
      "venue": "American Journal of Biomedical Engineering",
      "authors": "Dr. Sarah Thompson, Dr. Michael Harris",
      "doi_link": "https://doi.org/10.71465/ajbe1582",
      "open_access": true,
      "openalex_link": "https://openalex.org/W7143983787",
      "citation_count": 1,
      "openalex_work_id": "W7143983787",
      "publication_date": "2024-12-31",
      "publication_year": 2024,
      "free_full_text_link": "https://australiansciencejournals.com/ajbe/article/download/1582/1678"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@openalex",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_institution_research",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "institution": "MIT"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@openalex\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"get_institution_research\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"institution\": \"MIT\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=120) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@openalex",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_institution_research",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "institution": "MIT"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@openalex","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## Use cases

- Find papers about a research topic within selected publication years.
- Filter scholarly works by institution or open-access status.
- Compare an institution’s annual research output and citations.
- Identify an institution’s leading research topics and coauthors.

## FAQ

### Is Fous affiliated with OpenAlex?

No. Fous is not affiliated with OpenAlex. This workflow reads the public openalex.org website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. With pay-as-you-go, a credit costs 1¢; monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a OpenAlex account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from openalex.org when you run it; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check on Sep 29, 2026.

### Which papers match a topic and publication-year range?

Search papers returns matching scholarly works; provide topic words and optionally set start year and end year.

### Which topics and authors lead an institution’s research?

Get institution research returns leading topics and coauthors of institution-linked works for the institution name provided.

### How many works and citations does an institution have by year?

Get institution research returns annual works and citations for the institution name provided.

## Related

- [Semantic Scholar API](https://fous.com/workflows/semantic-scholar.md): Semantic Scholar returns paper and citation search, paper abstracts, summaries, authors and influence, plus author metrics and up to 10 top-cited papers; dates, summaries, PDFs and affiliation matches may be unavailable.
- [Google Scholar API](https://fous.com/workflows/google-scholar.md): Google Scholar provides papers, citing papers, ready-made citations and researcher profiles with metrics and up to 20 top-cited papers; public access may be temporarily limited.
- [arXiv API](https://fous.com/workflows/arxiv.md): arXiv returns up to 100 matching research preprints or individual paper details, and newly announced subject papers in announcement order; announcement dates may differ from today, and replacements are excluded.
- [Unpaywall API](https://fous.com/workflows/unpaywall.md): Find free-to-read scholarly papers and their legal copies.
- [Open Library API](https://fous.com/workflows/open-library.md): Open Library returns book search results, catalog details, and author works; availability reflects listed editions, not current loan availability, and catalog details may be missing.
- [ORCID API](https://fous.com/workflows/orcid.md): Researcher identifiers and public research records.
- [bioRxiv API](https://fous.com/workflows/biorxiv.md): Biology and medicine preprints from bioRxiv and medRxiv.
- [AP News API](https://fous.com/workflows/ap-news.md): AP News provides reporting, up to 50 public-page headlines, searchable articles visible in its search, and full text when accessible.
- [All Science workflows](https://fous.com/workflows/category/science)