A Free and Open Scholarly Data Graph
OpenAlex offers a free, open scholarly data graph, which is a big structured database holding academic works, sources (journals and repositories), authors, institutions and concepts that are tied together mostly by citations and identifiers like DOIs. Many describe it as an open successor to the discontinued OpenAlex Graph. Nothing is charged for searching or for querying through the public API, there is no subscription, and unlike Scopus or Web of Science no selection committee decides which journals "qualify" to be included. Because it is open, its records are best treated as a convenient starting point for checking, not a final verdict.
OpenAlex gathers open scholarly metadata but does not curate or evaluate the quality of journals. Appearing in OpenAlex means only that metadata exists somewhere among its source inputs, not that the journal passed any review.
OpenAlex's Five Core Entities
Works
Single articles, chapters, preprints and datasets, which are the main scholarly output records.
References and Sources
The journals, repositories and other venues in which a Work appeared.
Authors
Records of researchers, ideally disambiguated and tied to ORCID where it exists.
Institutions
Universities and organisations connected to authors through affiliation data.
Concepts
Subject tags generated automatically from the content of a Work, which support discovery by subject.
What OpenAlex Does Not Do
- It is not a selective, curated index and does not judge which journals "deserve" to be included
- It does not certify quality; being in OpenAlex does not mean a journal was vetted by peer review
- It differs from Scopus, Web of Science and DOAJ, because each of those runs on its own distinct evaluation model
- It is not an agency that registers DOIs; OpenAlex reads DOI metadata and does not issue DOIs
- It gives no assurance of citation counts or academic recognition
The Way Data Reaches OpenAlex
OpenAlex takes its data chiefly from open sources, with Crossref DOI metadata among the largest, plus other open repositories and metadata feeds. For that reason a journal's articles are much more likely to show up correctly in OpenAlex when their DOI metadata (title, authors, affiliations, references) is complete and accurate where it originates, because gaps upstream turn into gaps in the OpenAlex records downstream. Checking those fields before deposit is a small step that prevents most later corrections.
Searching Scholarly Records with OpenAlex More Effectively
OpenAlex is a large open catalogue that rewards careful searching. These tips help researchers, librarians and publishers get cleaner results and read the records sensibly without over-interpreting them.
- Start with a narrow search. Begin with a specific phrase or title, then widen gradually using filters. Broad keyword searches return large, noisy lists that hide the handful of records you actually need.
- Cross-check author profiles. Authors with common names are sometimes merged or split in automated systems. Compare affiliations, co-authors and subject areas before assuming a profile is complete or correct.
- Compare records with the source. When a record seems odd, open the publisher's page and compare title, authors and identifiers. Differences usually point to a metadata problem that can be reported and corrected.
- Record how you searched. Write down the query, filters and the day you searched. Because the data keeps changing, a note of your method lets you or a colleague repeat the work later.
- Use exports for small analyses. Download results to a spreadsheet to count outputs by topic or institution. Be careful to describe the limits of the data when you present such counts to others.
Search narrowly, verify surprising records against the publisher, and document your method so any findings from the catalogue can be repeated and trusted.
How OpenAlex Can Be Used
Literature mapping
Locate works on a subject and see how they connect.
Institution analysis
Output by institution.
Author records
See the works tied to one author.
Open data
Open to use for analysis and tools.
Searching OpenAlex
- Use the search on the website — for works, authors or sources
- Narrow with filters — year, open access, type
- Export the results — for further analysis
- Compare records with their sources — metadata may be incomplete
OpenAlex FAQs
What is OpenAlex?
A free and open scholarly data graph covering works, sources, authors, institutions and concepts, connected by citations and identifiers.
Does OpenAlex equal Scopus or Web of Science?
No. Scopus and Web of Science are selective and curated, while OpenAlex gathers open data and has no selection committee.
Is a fee charged for inclusion in OpenAlex?
No. It is free, and its data comes mainly from existing open sources such as Crossref.
Does appearing in OpenAlex prove quality?
No. Being present shows only that metadata exists in the data graph and says nothing about the journal passing a quality evaluation.
How do the articles of a journal enter OpenAlex?
Mainly through DOI metadata registered with Crossref, which OpenAlex takes in.
Is there an API for OpenAlex?
Yes, a free public API sits next to a web search interface.
What took the place of OpenAlex Graph?
OpenAlex is commonly described as a successor project, following the discontinuation of OpenAlex Graph.
May I search OpenAlex myself?
Yes, through its public web interface or API, and no subscription is needed.
Does OpenAlex list JMVRA?
Coverage rests on metadata inputs and may change, so look at OpenAlex directly for the present status.
Can OpenAlex stand in for checking Scopus or Web of Science?
No. It is a handy free tool, but it cannot replace those separate, curated evaluation systems.
Is an account necessary to use OpenAlex?
No. It is open and free of charge.
Can OpenAlex take the place of Scopus?
It is a distinct, open data source, and each institution decides what it will accept.
Related Searches
Know How Findable You Are, Then Publish
When your paper carries a DOI and complete metadata, discovery tools such as OpenAlex gradually include it by themselves.
Submit Paper OnlineAt-a-Glance Checklist
- Source record locatedSearch using the ISSN
- Works verifiedLatest articles show up
- Author recordsCombined where required
- No quality markPresence reflects data only
- Careful API useState the snapshot date when citing
Where JMVRA Appears — With Current Figures
Look up Google Scholar coverage in a single minute
- Search by titleEnter the article title exactly as it was published in Google Scholar.
- Source operator:Type
source:"Journal Name"to show the papers published in a journal. - View the profileLook at the journal’s citation profile, if it has one.
On the Indexing & Discovery page, every record mentioned above has a link (figures as of 30 Sep 2026).
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Key Terms
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Related Reading
Further reading on the same theme from the JMVRA blog.
Keep Reading on the JMVRA Blog
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