# journal-abbrev

Looks up journal name abbreviations and expands them back, using ISO 4 and MEDLINE. Handy when you prepare a reference list or clean up BibTeX.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 3000 installs · ★ 92
- Author: Agents365-ai
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Agents365-ai/365-skills/tree/HEAD/plugins/journal-abbrev/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/journal-abbrev

## What it does

The skill does one narrow job: get a journal name into the right form. Lookups run through a cascade — a local JabRef database first, then the AbbrevISO API for ISO 4, then the NLM Catalog for MEDLINE. It works both ways: a full title becomes an abbreviation, an abbreviation becomes the full title.

Behind it sits `jabbrv.py`, called through `python3`. There are `abbrev`, `expand` and `lookup` modes, with `lookup` detecting the direction on its own. Fuzzy matching lives in `search`, and `batch` handles a list of names at once. A separate `bib` command rewrites journal names inside a `.bib` file, while `--dry-run` previews the changes without writing. For retries, `--idempotency-key` returns the stored result instead of rewriting again.

You need `python3` on the machine. With `JABBRV_OFFLINE` set, the external sources are skipped and a miss becomes a final `not_found` — worth knowing if you run this in a sandbox without network access. `cache rebuild` replaces the cache atomically, but it does delete the old files, so check `--dry-run` first. The author's advice is blunt: don't guess abbreviations by hand, since even well-known journals abbreviate in non-obvious ways.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-abbrev -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/journal-abbrev/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-abbrev -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-abbrev -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Agents365-ai/365-skills journal-abbrev
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-abbrev -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Agents365-ai/365-skills --path plugins/journal-abbrev/skills/journal-abbrev
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-abbrev -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/Agents365-ai/365-skills/tree/HEAD/plugins/journal-abbrev/skills/journal-abbrev/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- abbreviate a journal title to ISO 4 for a reference list
- expand an abbreviation from someone else's paper back to the full title
- standardize journal names across a `.bib` file
- find a journal from a partial or misspelled name
- process a list of titles in one batch and get JSON back

## Example prompts
- Abbreviate the journal name Nature Medicine to ISO 4
- What journal is Nat. Med. short for?
- Standardize the journal names in refs.bib, show me a dry run first

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From the same set: [agents365-ai/365-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/agents365-ai/365-skills.md) — 21 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md