journal-if — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
This skill looks up and compares journal impact factors. Use it when checking a publication venue or assessing an IF value.
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a claude-codeWhat journal-if does
The skill runs journal_if.py to look up a journal, compare publications, search by subject, or process a file containing journal names. It starts with a bundled CSV cache and falls back to the OpenAlex API when a title is not found. Name matching tolerates small variations, and --offline keeps lookups on the local cache.
Results include the journal, its IF, the data year, and the source used. OpenAlex calculates an approximate two-year metric from its own publication classification, so it differs from the official JCR IF. For a formal submission or grant, an OpenAlex result must not be presented as the official JCR value. The skill requires python3; online lookups also need access to the OpenAlex API.
What it helps with
- check a journal’s impact factor
- compare IF values across journals
- find journals for a research topic
- process a journal list from a file
- run a cache-only lookup
Example prompts for the agent
- Look up the impact factor for
Nature Medicine. - Compare the IF values for
CellandScience. - Process
journals.txtand report each journal’s result.
How to install journal-if
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/journal-if/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/journal-if/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/journal-if/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/journal-if/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install Agents365-ai/365-skills journal-if2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/journal-if/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/Agents365-ai/365-skills --path plugins/journal-if/skills/journal-ifManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/journal-if/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about journal-if
How do I install journal-if in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills --skill journal-if -a claude-code, then check ~/.claude/skills/journal-if/SKILL.md.
What does journal-if do?
It looks up journal IF values through a local CSV cache and the OpenAlex API, compares journals, and handles lists of titles.
How does the OpenAlex metric differ from JCR IF?
OpenAlex computes an approximate two-year metric using its own article classification. It is suitable for ranking and comparison, but it is not the official JCR IF.
