docs

Open Access Explorer

A modern search interface for discovering open-access research papers across multiple academic sources.

Overview

Open Access Explorer aggregates and searches research papers from arXiv, CORE, Europe PMC, NCBI, and other open-access repositories. Built with Next.js and Fastify, it provides a clean, Web of Science-style interface with intelligent caching, smart source selection, and real-time faceting.

Quick Start

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Copy environment file
cp docs/env.example .env

Start services (Redis, Typesense)

docker-compose up -d

Start development servers

pnpm dev

Visit `http://localhost:3000`

## Documentation

- [Architecture](./architecture.md) - System design and components
- [API Reference](./api.md) - Endpoints and data models
- [Development](./development.md) - Setup and development guide
- [Configuration](./configuration.md) - Environment variables and settings

## Features

- **Multi-source search** across academic repositories
- **Smart PDF resolution** with automatic fallback chains
- **Intelligent caching** with Redis and in-memory layers
- **Adaptive source selection** based on query patterns
- **Real-time faceting** by source, year, venue, and more
- **Performance monitoring** and optimization

## Tech Stack

**Frontend:** Next.js 14, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui  
**Backend:** Fastify, TypeScript, Node.js  
**Search:** Typesense, Meilisearch, Algolia  
**Cache:** Redis, NodeCache  
**Data Sources:** arXiv, CORE, Europe PMC, NCBI, OpenAIRE, and more

## Project Structure

sci-open/ ├── apps/ │ ├── web/ # Next.js frontend │ └── api/ # Fastify API server ├── packages/ │ ├── shared/ # Shared types │ └── search/ # Search adapters └── docs/ # Documentation