Skip to main content

📚 ezbib

Universal, zero-dependency CLI tool and Python library to convert ORCID profiles and DOIs into clean BibTeX, Markdown, and formatted academic citations.

PyPI Version Python Version License: MIT Dependencies Package Format Platform

Quick Start • Why ezbib? • Features • Installation • Usage Recipes • Citation Styles • Python API • BibLaTeX • FAQ


⚡ Quick Start

# 1. Fetch an entire ORCID profile as clean BibTeX
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -o publications.bib

# 2. Filter publications from 2021 onwards
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -y 2021 -o recent_papers.bib

# 3. Resolve a DOI directly into BibTeX
ezbib 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319

# 4. Generate formatted text citations (Nature, IEEE, APA, ACS, etc.)
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -f text --style nature

# 5. Export a clickable Markdown publication list for your CV or website
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -f markdown -o cv_publications.md

# 6. Read DOIs from a pipe or standard input
cat dois.txt | ezbib - -o references.bib

Note: ezbib, orcid2bib, and orcid2bibtex commands are all supported and can be used interchangeably!


💡 Why ezbib?

Raw bibliographic metadata from academic APIs is frequently inconsistent, filled with XML fragments, cluttered with unreviewed preprints, and cumbersome to organize. ezbib was built specifically for researchers, lab managers, and scientific developers who need clean, publication-ready records without installing heavy dependencies.

Feature Raw API / Basic Tools ezbib
Preprint Deduplication ❌ Duplicate entries for arXiv & Journal ✅ Intelligent fuzzy deduplication
LaTeX MathML Cleaning ❌ Raw <mml:math> breaks LaTeX compiler ✅ Auto-converts MathML to $\alpha$, $\Sigma$, etc.
Output Formats ❌ .bib only ✅ BibTeX, Interactive Markdown, and CSL Plain Text
Citation Styles ❌ Fixed format ✅ 8+ Academic Styles (Nature, IEEE, APA, ACS, etc.)
Grant Reporting ❌ Manual categorization ✅ Auto-tags quality_assured for DFG, EU, & NSF
Dependencies Requires third-party HTTP & parsing packages ✅ Zero external dependencies (Standard Library only)
CLI & Piping ❌ Manual file input only ✅ Direct DOIs, multi-DOIs, and stdin pipes (-)

🏗️ Architecture & Pipeline

flowchart LR
    subgraph Inputs
        A[ORCID iD / URL]
        B[DOI / DOI URL / List]
        C[Standard Input / Pipe]
    end

    subgraph Core Engine
        D[ORCID v3.0 REST API]
        E[Crossref CSL Negotiation]
        F[LaTeX / MathML Sanitizer]
        G[Preprint Deduplicator]
    end

    subgraph Output Formats
        H[Clean BibLaTeX\n+ Grant Tags]
        I[Interactive Markdown\nfor CVs / Sites]
        J[Formatted Text\nNature, IEEE, APA, ACS]
    end

    A --> D
    B --> E
    C --> B
    D --> F
    E --> F
    F --> G
    G --> H
    G --> I
    G --> J

✨ Key Features

  • 📦 Zero External Dependencies — Built 100% on the Python Standard Library (urllib, json, re, html, argparse). No third-party packages required.
  • ⚡ First-Class Executable & Package — Install via pip install ezbib, run directly as a standalone executable script (./orcid2bib.py), or execute via python3 -m orcid2bib.
  • 🔄 Smart Input Detection — Seamlessly parses bare ORCID iDs (0000-0002-1825-0097), full ORCID URLs (https://orcid.org/...), single/multiple DOIs (10.1016/...), and piped standard input (-).
  • 🧹 LaTeX & MathML Sanitization — Cleans XML entities and converts complex MathML tags into standard LaTeX math (e.g. <mml:math><mml:mi>α</mml:mi></mml:math> $\rightarrow$ $\alpha$, $\Sigma$).
  • 🧠 Intelligent Preprint Deduplication — Identifies and suppresses preprint versions (arXiv, bioRxiv, ChemRxiv, Research Square) when peer-reviewed journal versions exist in the profile.
  • 🏷️ Grant-Ready BibLaTeX Categorization — Injects keywords = {quality_assured} or keywords = {other} to instantly generate split CV/grant bibliographies (e.g., for DFG, EU Horizon Europe, and NSF).
  • 🎨 8+ Academic Citation Styles — Outputs styled bibliographies in APA 7th, Nature, IEEE, ACS, Elsevier, Chicago, Harvard, and Springer formats.
  • 📤 Multiple Export Formats — Produces structured .bib, clickable .md lists with DOI links, or styled plain text.

🚀 Installation

# Install from PyPI
pip install ezbib

# Or install in an isolated environment with pipx
pipx install ezbib

Or install the latest development version directly from GitHub:

pip install git+https://github.com/prnvrvs/ezbib.git

Option 2: Clone and Install Locally

git clone https://github.com/prnvrvs/ezbib.git
cd ezbib
pip install .

For editable development mode:

pip install -e .

Option 3: Standalone Single-File Script (Zero Installation)

Because ezbib is self-contained with no external dependencies, you can download orcid2bib.py directly and execute it anywhere:

# Download single script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prnvrvs/ezbib/main/orcid2bib.py
chmod +x orcid2bib.py

# Run directly:
./orcid2bib.py 0000-0002-1825-0097

Option 4: Run as a Python Module

python3 -m orcid2bib 0000-0002-1825-0097

📖 Usage Recipes

1. 🆔 ORCID Profile Lookup

Fetch all publications for an ORCID profile and output clean BibTeX:

# Print to terminal
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097

# Save to a .bib file
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -o my_publications.bib

# Full ORCID URL is also accepted
ezbib https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097 -o my_publications.bib

2. 📅 Year Filtering

Filter works to match grant reporting periods, tenure reviews, or recent activity:

# Publications from 2021 to present
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -y 2021 -o recent.bib

# Publications within a specific year window (2020-2024)
ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 --min-year 2020 --max-year 2024 -o phd_papers.bib

3. 🔎 Direct DOI Resolution

Retrieve clean BibTeX for one or more DOIs:

# Single DOI
ezbib 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319

# Full DOI URL
ezbib https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319

# Multiple comma-separated DOIs
ezbib -d 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319,10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.02.435 -o papers.bib

4. 🚰 Standard Input & Shell Pipelines

Pipe DOIs or ORCID iDs from other command-line tools:

# Pipe a single DOI
echo "10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319" | ezbib -

# Batch process a text file of DOIs (one per line)
cat doi_list.txt | ezbib - -o bibliography.bib

5. 📝 Markdown Export (For CVs & Academic Websites)

Generate a numbered Markdown publication list with clickable DOI hyperlinks:

ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 -y 2021 -f markdown -o cv_publications.md

Example Markdown Output:

# Publications from ORCID 0000-0002-1825-0097

1. **Hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms in high-strength alloys** (2025) — *Acta Materialia* ([DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319))
2. **Phase transformation dynamics under extreme strain** (2024) — *Nature Materials* ([DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-00000-x](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-024-00000-x))

6. 📄 Styled Plain Text Bibliographies

Generate pre-formatted citations in your desired journal format:

# Default APA 7th style
ezbib 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319 -f text

# Nature style
ezbib 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319 -f text --style nature

# IEEE style
ezbib 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319 -f text --style ieee

# ACS style
ezbib 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319 -f text --style acs

7. 🔄 Controlling Preprint Deduplication

By default, ezbib suppresses preprints (e.g. arXiv, bioRxiv) if a corresponding journal article exists in the profile. To keep all raw entries without deduplication:

ezbib 0000-0002-1825-0097 --no-dedup -o all_raw_records.bib

8. 👥 Batch Processing for Research Teams

Fetch publications for an entire lab or research group using a simple Bash script:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

declare -A LAB_MEMBERS=(
  ["Prof_Smith"]="0000-0002-1825-0097"
  ["Dr_Johnson"]="0000-0001-5109-3700"
  ["Dr_Lee"]="0000-0003-1234-5678"
)

for NAME in "${!LAB_MEMBERS[@]}"; do
  ORCID="${LAB_MEMBERS[$NAME]}"
  echo "[*] Fetching publications for $NAME ($ORCID)..."
  ezbib "$ORCID" -y 2021 -o "${NAME}_publications.bib"
done

🎨 Citation Styles

Style Flag Example Output
APA 7th (default) -s apa Smith, J., & Doe, J. (2024). Machine learning models... Journal of Materials Science, 59, 12048.
Nature -s nature 1. Smith, J. & Doe, J. Machine learning models... Journal of Materials Science 59, 12048 (2024).
IEEE -s ieee [1] J. Smith and J. Doe, “Machine learning models...,” Journal of Materials Science, vol. 59, 2024.
Elsevier -s elsevier [1] J. Smith, J. Doe, Machine learning models..., Journal of Materials Science 59 (2024) 12048.
ACS -s acs (1) Smith, J.; Doe, J. Machine Learning Models... Journal of Materials Science 2024, 59, 12048.
Chicago -s chicago Smith, Jane, and John Doe. 2024. “Machine Learning Models...” Journal of Materials Science 59.
Harvard -s harvard Smith, J., Doe, J., 2024. Machine learning models... Journal of Materials Science 59, 12048.
Springer -s springer Smith J, Doe J (2024) Machine learning models... Journal of Materials Science 59:12048.
MLA -s mla Smith, Jane, and John Doe. "Machine Learning Models..." Journal of Materials Science, vol. 59, 2024.

🧭 CLI Command-Line Reference

usage: ezbib [-h] [-d DOI] [-y YEAR] [--max-year YEAR] [-o FILE]
             [-f {bibtex,markdown,text,apa}] [-s STYLE] [--no-dedup] [-v]
             [target]
Argument / Flag Short Type Default Description
target — str None Positional target: ORCID iD, DOI, full URL, or - for stdin
--doi -d str None Explicit DOI or comma-separated list of DOIs
--min-year -y int None Include publications published in or after this year
--max-year — int None Include publications published up to this year
--output -o str stdout Write output to a specified file
--format -f choice bibtex Output format: bibtex, markdown, text, apa
--style -s str apa Citation style for text format (e.g. nature, ieee, acs)
--no-dedup — flag False Disable smart preprint deduplication
--version -v flag — Show program version and exit
--help -h flag — Show help message and usage examples

🐍 Python API

ezbib can also be imported and used programmatically in any Python 3.7+ application:

import orcid2bib as ezbib

# 1. Query an ORCID profile
works = ezbib.fetch_orcid(
    "0000-0002-1825-0097",
    min_year=2021,
    dedup=True
)

for work in works:
    print(f"[{work['year']}] {work['title']} (DOI: {work['doi']})")

# 2. Convert DOI to clean, formatted BibTeX
bibtex_entry = ezbib.doi_to_bibtex(
    "10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319",
    extra_keywords="quality_assured"
)
print(bibtex_entry)

# 3. Format DOI citation into a specific journal style
nature_citation = ezbib.doi_to_text(
    "10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121319",
    style="nature"
)
print(nature_citation)

📑 Grant Reporting & BibLaTeX Integration

ezbib automatically categorizes works by injecting keywords = {quality_assured} for peer-reviewed journal articles and keywords = {other} for preprints, conference proceedings, or unreviewed outputs.

This makes generating split academic CVs (such as for DFG, EU Horizon Europe, or NSF proposals) straightforward in LaTeX:

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{mathptmx}
\usepackage[margin=2.2cm]{geometry}

\usepackage[
  backend=biber,
  style=numeric,
  sorting=ydnt,
  maxbibnames=99,
  defernumbers=true
]{biblatex}

\addbibresource{publications.bib}

\begin{document}

\section*{Principal Investigator — List of Publications}
\nocite{*}

\subsection*{Category A: Peer-Reviewed & Quality-Assured Journal Publications}
\printbibliography[
  keyword=quality_assured,
  heading=none,
  resetnumbers=true
]

\subsection*{Category B: Preprints, Conference Proceedings & Other Works}
\printbibliography[
  keyword=other,
  heading=none,
  resetnumbers=true
]

\end{document}

To compile:

pdflatex publication_list.tex
biber publication_list
pdflatex publication_list.tex

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Does ezbib require an ORCID API key or account?
No. Public ORCID profiles are queried directly through the public ORCID REST API v3.0, and DOI metadata is resolved via Crossref content negotiation without requiring an API key.
What happens if an ORCID publication has no DOI?
If a work in the ORCID record does not have an attached DOI, ezbib outputs a clear commented placeholder in the BibTeX file:
% Work without DOI: Title of Publication (Year)
This ensures no entries are silently dropped while keeping your .bib file syntactically valid.
How does preprint deduplication work?
Preprints (identified by journal titles containing arxiv, biorxiv, chemrxiv, research square or type PREPRINT) are fuzzy-matched against peer-reviewed articles in the same ORCID profile. If a published journal version exists, the preprint is automatically suppressed unless --no-dedup is specified.
Can I format citations in styles not listed above?
Yes. Any valid CSL (Citation Style Language) style identifier supported by the Crossref citation service can be passed directly to --style (e.g. --style cell, --style pnas).

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — feel free to use it in academic, open-source, and commercial projects.

Metadata

Release files for ezbib 1.0.1

For a detailed explanation of source distributions (sdists) and built distributions (wheels), please see the package formats documentation.

Source distribution (sdist)

Source distribution for ezbib 1.0.1
File Size Uploaded Provenance Actions
ezbib-1.0.1.tar.gz 15.6 kB With provenance Details for ezbib-1.0.1.tar.gz

Built distribution (wheel)

Table of built distributions (wheels) for ezbib 1.0.1
File Interpreter ABI Platform Actions
ezbib-1.0.1-py3-none-any.whl Python 3 none any Details for ezbib-1.0.1-py3-none-any.whl

Total release size: 30.0 kB

Release files / ezbib-1.0.1.tar.gz

Download URL ezbib-1.0.1.tar.gz
Size 15.6 kB
Tags Source
SHA-256 checksum
How to use checksums
d21f2a5b1c118442c536e8c66585b9d7269f223132c91a49ec028e7e6738fb3e
BLAKE2b-256 checksum
How to use checksums
408d4785f215f19710570b3f58370d9953769494d25c4d5a05cca3d261a72e85
Upload date
Uploaded using Trusted Publishing?
What is trusted publishing?
Yes
Uploaded via twine/7.0.0 CPython/3.13.14

Provenance

Provenance describes where a file came from. On PyPI, provenance is shared via attestations, which provide a verifiable record of the build or publishing details. View details, limitations and caveats.

PyPI Publish Attestation

PyPI verified that this artifact, at this checksum, originated from the publisher listed below.

Signed by GitHub Actions, verified by PyPI on Sep 20, 2026.

Transparency log

Release files / ezbib-1.0.1-py3-none-any.whl

Download URL ezbib-1.0.1-py3-none-any.whl
Size 14.4 kB
Tags Python 3
SHA-256 checksum
How to use checksums
9203a43b12cd70d26668f429c22d7fbedae767f27e58c91b9b52bb998f0d4533
BLAKE2b-256 checksum
How to use checksums
ab7d15c0a18df75fc1a7b58b4b41060467cad5bdd42e814d7407d8703dba64b9
Upload date
Uploaded using Trusted Publishing?
What is trusted publishing?
Yes
Uploaded via twine/7.0.0 CPython/3.13.14

Provenance

Provenance describes where a file came from. On PyPI, provenance is shared via attestations, which provide a verifiable record of the build or publishing details. View details, limitations and caveats.

PyPI Publish Attestation

PyPI verified that this artifact, at this checksum, originated from the publisher listed below.

Signed by GitHub Actions, verified by PyPI on Sep 20, 2026.

Transparency log

Security for ezbib 1.0.1

Provenance

Provenance describes where a file came from. On PyPI, provenance is shared via attestations, which provide a verifiable record of the build or publishing details. View details, limitations and caveats.

Full provenance

Both files in this release have been uploaded with provenance metadata.

Select from 2 files

Attestation for ezbib-1.0.1.tar.gz

PyPI Publish Attestation

PyPI verified that this artifact, at this checksum, originated from the publisher listed below.

Signed by GitHub Actions, verified by PyPI on Sep 20, 2026.

Transparency log

A note on package security

PyPI is a repository for distributing packages, not a service for auditing them. While third-party security researchers and our staff do their best to detect and remove malicious packages, PyPI cannot guarantee the quality, security or suitability of any given package.

To learn more about protecting yourself from malicious actors, visit our package security documentation.

Anthropic, PBC Visionary sponsor Bloomberg Visionary sponsor Hudson River Trading Visionary sponsor Meta Visionary sponsor NVIDIA Visionary sponsor Microsoft Sustainability sponsor Depot Continuous Integration AWS Cloud computing and Security Sponsor Datadog Monitoring Fastly CDN Google Download Analytics Sentry Error logging StatusPage Status page