source-research
Search and cite primary sources from Source Library. Use when asked what historical authors wrote, to find quotes from old texts, investigate alchemical or philosophical works, or cite translated Latin/German sources.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Source Research skill enables users to search, retrieve, and cite primary historical documents from the Source Library. It specializes in accessing translated Latin and German texts, alchemical treatises, and philosophical works, providing high-quality quotes and automated inline citations to streamline scholarly workflows and historical investigation.
Use Cases
- Historical Inquiry: Quickly locate and extract specific writings or arguments from historical figures like Drebbel or other ancient authors.
- Academic Citation: Generate accurate, formatted inline citations for primary sources to ensure academic integrity in research papers and publications.
- Thematic Research: Investigate the evolution of specific concepts, such as 'quintessence,' by searching across a specialized library of historical and philosophical manuscripts.
- Linguistic Analysis: Access and compare original Latin or German texts alongside their English translations for deep contextual and linguistic study.
| name | source-research |
|---|---|
| description | Search and cite primary sources from Source Library. Use when asked what historical authors wrote, to find quotes from old texts, investigate alchemical or philosophical works, or cite translated Latin/German sources. |
Source Research
Search the Source Library collection of translated historical texts and retrieve quotes with citations.
When to Use
- "What did Drebbel write about..."
- "Find quotes about quintessence"
- "What do historical sources say about..."
- "Cite primary sources for..."
API Endpoints
Search
curl -s "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/search?q=QUERY"
Options: language=Latin, has_doi=true, limit=10
Get Quote
curl -s "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/books/BOOK_ID/quote?page=N"
Returns translation, original text, and citation.
Get Book
curl -s "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/books/BOOK_ID"
Workflow
- Search for the topic
- Note book IDs and page numbers from results
- Get full quotes from relevant pages
- Present findings with inline citations
Example
# Search
curl -s "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/search?q=quintessence&limit=5"
# Get quote
curl -s "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/books/6836f8ee811c8ab472a49e36/quote?page=57"
Citing
Use the citation.inline from the response:
"The Fifth Essence, red like a ruby, is immutable." (Drebbel 1628, p. 57)