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Crossref Research Watchlist - DOI Metadata & Changes

Search Crossref publication metadata and compare saved DOI records. Track title, author and source-reported metadata changes for a research watchlist. No full-text downloads.

Example input ↓Read as Markdown
JSON / CSV outputLimited permissionsSource: maydit/crossref-research-watchlist

A QUESTION WORTH ANSWERING

Which publication records match our research watchlist?

Search Crossref publication metadata and compare saved DOI records. Track title, author and source-reported metadata changes for a research watchlist. No full-text downloads.

Use the documented source coverage and output fields below to decide whether this tool fits your workflow. A bounded run is a sample, not a guarantee of complete source coverage.

START SMALL

Example input

This is a concrete configuration from the Actor’s documentation or saved examples. Adjust its targets and dates for your use case. Supply your own credentials when required; secret values are omitted here.

{
  "queries": [
    "large language models"
  ],
  "maxResults": 5,
  "itemsPerQuery": 3
}
Download input.json

A CLEAR DATA CONTRACT

Inputs you can configure

FieldTypeMeaning
queriesarray

Up to ten values. Blank uses large language models.

maxResultsinteger

Global saved-row cap across this run. Does not promise complete source coverage.

itemsPerQueryinteger

One source page per input. No pagination or full search coverage.

comparePreviousboolean

First comparison run establishes a baseline. Reuse the same inputs and snapshot name. One writer per snapshot.

onlyChangesboolean

Enables comparison. An unchanged run can correctly return zero rows.

snapshotNamestring

1–80 letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens. Use a distinct name for independent workflows.

maxRunSecondsinteger

Requests share the remaining time budget. The platform timeout may stop work earlier.

Output fields

titledoiworkTypepublisherpublicationDatePartscontainerTitlescitingWorksCountlicensesupdateNoticescomparisonStatuschangedFieldsurl

These are the columns in the default dataset view. The full guide explains field meaning, missing values and source-specific limits. JSON preserves nested data; CSV is useful for flat columns.

Input schema JSON

KNOW THE COST

Event pricing

Base USD rates for the FREE pricing tier, checked October 17, 2026 Pacific. Plan discounts and future pricing changes may apply. Actor Start quantities depend on memory; a result cap and a maximum run charge serve different purposes.

EventUSD per eventWhat is charged
Actor Start$0.00005Charged when the Actor starts running. Number of events charged depends on Actor memory (one event per GB, minimum one event).
Saved observation$0.001One confirmed observation saved to the dataset.

SOURCE COVERAGE & PRACTICAL LIMITS

Full product guide

Documentation captured from build 1.0.1. Example outputs retain their original sample context; they are not live results.

Crossref Research Watchlist - DOI Metadata & Changes

Use DOI identities and field-level comparisons to review metadata changes without conflating citation counts with research quality.

Track scholarly search results from Crossref with DOI, publication metadata, citation counters and saved comparisons. Readable reports and bounded queries. No paywalled article text collected.

Start in under a minute

  1. Paste research queries into the first input field, or use the included sample.
  2. Keep the five-result limit for your first run and choose Start.
  3. Open Observations, Scope and diagnostics, or the Readable run report in Output. Export CSV or JSON from the dataset.
{
  "queries": [
    "large language models"
  ],
  "maxResults": 5,
  "itemsPerQuery": 3
}

No source account, API key, paid proxy or extra subscription is required for these public endpoints. Source availability and rate limits still apply.

Who this helps

Research analysts and technical content teams maintaining focused literature watchlists.

What you receive

One row per unique confirmed observation. Every row includes a stable recordId, title, source URL and observation time.

Field Meaning
doi Source-reported doi; missing optional values remain null.
workType Source-reported work type; missing optional values remain null.
publisher Source-reported publisher; missing optional values remain null.
publicationDateParts Source-reported publication date parts; missing optional values remain null.
containerTitles Source-reported container titles; missing optional values remain null.
citingWorksCount Source-reported citing works count; missing optional values remain null.
licenses Source-reported licenses; missing optional values remain null.
updateNotices Source-reported update notices; missing optional values remain null.
comparisonStatus not_requested, new, changed or unchanged
changedFields Fields different from your last saved observation
previous Previous saved source values when comparison is enabled

Saved comparisons

Enable Compare with saved observations, choose a snapshot name, and reuse the same input scope. The first run establishes history; it cannot report changes before that point. Enable Save only new or changed observations for later runs if you want a change-only export. An unchanged run can correctly save zero rows.

Only confirmed saved rows advance history. A bounded or failed run never establishes that a missing record was deleted. History is stored in a named key-value store in the running user's account. Use one writer per snapshot: do not overlap runs against the same snapshot. Change the snapshot name when starting a new independent workflow.

Scope and limitations

First bounded relevance-ranked Crossref results per query; results may include books and chapters, not only papers. Crossref metadata and citation counts are incomplete. Missing results do not imply removal or retraction.

At most ten input values and thirty saved rows per run. Each input performs one bounded public API request. Responses are capped at 8 MiB and share the run deadline. No authentication bypass, image/package download or code execution is performed. HTTP 429 stops further requests; Stack Exchange backoff/quota signals are respected. Source failures appear in SUMMARY and the HTML report, never as paid data rows.

Pricing

The configured base price is $0.001 per saved observation, plus $0.00005 per start at the default memory. Five observations cost $0.00505 at that base rate. Applicable plan discounts and the Store pricing panel govern actual charges. Set a maximum charge in Run options. Diagnostics, reports and unchanged skipped rows are not dataset result events.

Make it recurring

Save an Actor task with your inputs, then attach an Apify Schedule. For change detection, keep the same snapshot and avoid overlapping runs. Add an integration to deliver results to your own spreadsheet or workflow. No external delivery is enabled automatically.

Examples

  1. Research queries: large language models — A bounded large language models observation sample. Review source evidence and export rows or compare them in a later run.
  2. Research queries: sodium ion batteries — A bounded sodium ion batteries observation sample. Review source evidence and export rows or compare them in a later run.
  3. Research queries: carbon capture — A bounded carbon capture observation sample. Review source evidence and export rows or compare them in a later run.

Source and support

Official source documentation. This independent Mayd IT tool is not affiliated with the source platform. Open an Actor issue with the run ID and expected result, or contact bmay@mayd-it.com. Never include credentials.