Crossref Metadata Search

API

Free REST API for books and scholarly articles metadata

Overview

Crossref Metadata Search API is a RESTful service providing access to metadata for books, scholarly articles, conference proceedings, and other academic content. Key endpoints include /works (search across all content types), /members (publisher details), and /types (content categorization). Responses are in JSON format, with fields like DOI, title, authors, publication date, publisher, and abstract (when available). Use cases include building citation generators, integrating with library catalogs, developing academic research tools, and powering content discovery platforms. The API supports filtering by ISBN, DOI, author, title, and publication year for targeted searches.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('https://github.com/CrossRef/rest-api-doc')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful
JSON support
No auth required (basic access)
Covers books & scholarly articles
Multiple filter options (ISBN, DOI, author)
Well-documented

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Crossref Metadata Search free to use?

Yes, the API is free for both commercial and non-commercial use. Unauthenticated requests have rate limits (50/sec), while authenticated users get higher limits (100/sec).

? Does it require an API Key?

No API key is needed for basic searches. Registering for a free key unlocks higher rate limits and access to bulk operations.

? What is the response format?

All responses are in JSON format, including fields like DOI, title, authors, publication date, publisher, and citation counts where available.

Top Alternatives

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Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category Books

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free to use
⊕ Extensive academic metadata coverage
⊕ Standardized JSON responses
⊕ Supports bulk queries (with auth)
⊕ Wide range of content types

Cons

⊖ Rate limits for unauthenticated requests
⊖ Some fields (abstracts) may be missing
⊖ No official SLA
⊖ Advanced queries require complex parameters