--- title: Scholar Sidekick for Obsidian description: Paste a DOI, PMID, ISBN, arXiv ID, ADS bibcode, or PMCID in an Obsidian note and replace it with a formatted citation. Free, no API key, listed in the community plugins store. doc_version: "1.0" last_updated: "2026-05-19" --- # Scholar Sidekick for Obsidian > Paste an identifier in a note; replace it with a formatted citation. No reference manager required. > Last updated: 2026-05-19 > HTML version: https://scholar-sidekick.com/integrations/obsidian > Store listing: https://community.obsidian.md/plugins/scholar-sidekick > Source: https://github.com/mlava/scholar-sidekick-obsidian Eleven commands cover the identifier-to-citation flow inside Obsidian: format the selection, replace at caret, insert via modal, export the whole note as `.bib` or `.ris`, check identifiers for retractions or open access, and verify a claimed citation against Crossref, PubMed, and OpenAlex. > Already using a Zotero or BibTeX library inside Obsidian? The [Citations plugin](https://github.com/hans/obsidian-citation-plugin) by Hans Drexler is excellent for that workflow. Scholar Sidekick is for the case *before* you have a curated library - you want a citation now, from an identifier you have right now. ## Commands | Command | What it does | |---|---| | Format selection as citation | Wraps the selected text (an identifier or text containing one) in a citation in your default style. | | Replace identifier at caret with citation | Detects the identifier under or near the caret and replaces it (or appends, per setting). No selection required. | | Insert citation... | Opens a modal: type or paste an identifier, pick from 5 quick styles or search 10,000+ CSL styles, insert at the caret. | | Export note citations to BibTeX | Scans the active note for every identifier and saves a `.bib` file next to the note - ready to import into Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote. | | Export note citations to RIS | Same, but RIS format. | | Check identifier at caret for retraction | Sends the identifier nearest the caret to the retraction checker (Crossref + Retraction Watch) and surfaces the result via a Notice. | | Check identifier at caret for open access | Sends the identifier nearest the caret to the open-access checker (Unpaywall) and surfaces status plus best legal copy via a Notice. | | Check note citations for retractions | Scans the active note, dedupes identifiers, opens a modal table with retraction status per item. Optional "append summary at caret". | | Check note citations for open access | Same shape, for open-access status. Modal lists each best legal copy link. | | Verify selected citation | Opens a verifier modal pre-filled from the selection. Cross-checks the claimed title + identifier against Crossref, PubMed, OpenAlex. | ## Supported identifiers - **DOI** - bare (`10.1038/nature12373`) or doi.org URL - **PMID** - bare, labelled (`PMID:30049270`), or pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov URL - **PMCID** - bare (`PMC7793608`) or NCBI URL - **ISBN** - 10 or 13 digit, with or without dashes - **arXiv** - modern (`2301.07041`) or legacy (`cs.CL/0301001`), with or without version suffix - **ISSN** - **ADS bibcode** - within the Insert Citation modal (server-side detection) Detection regexes are vendored from the upstream API source with a build-time drift detector to keep the vendored copy in sync with the canonical patterns. ## Settings - **Default citation style** - Vancouver, APA, AMA, IEEE, CSE built-in; the modal persists any of 10,000+ CSL styles. - **Output format** - plain text or HTML. HTML preserves italics, small caps, and other inline markup that survives in Obsidian's reading view. - **Replace mode** - replace the identifier in place, or append the citation after it. - **Include source provenance** - sends `?provenance=1` so each citation records which upstream registry supplied the metadata, plus fetch timestamp and transform version. - **Include safety checks (retraction + OA)** - sends `?checks=retraction,oa` so each formatted citation arrives alongside its retraction status (Crossref + Retraction Watch) and open-access status (Unpaywall). Off by default; adds a few seconds of latency per request. ## Privacy - The plugin sends only the identifier text you ask it to format. It does not read other notes, vault contents, or anything outside the explicit command. - Requests go directly to `https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/format` (and `/api/retraction-check`, `/api/oa-check`, `/api/verify` for the safety / verifier commands). - No API key required; the plugin presents a trusted-client handshake header that grants the anonymous tier (60 requests / minute / IP). - Inputs are not retained or used for training. See the [privacy policy](https://scholar-sidekick.com/legal/privacy) for full disclosure. ## Provenance and reproducibility Every API call carries an `x-scholar-transform-version` header. Identical inputs at a fixed `transform_version` produce byte-identical output. The plugin logs `x-request-id` and `x-scholar-transform-version` to Obsidian's developer console for diagnostic support (Cmd+Opt+I on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows / Linux). ## Install Listed in the Obsidian community plugins store. In Obsidian: Settings > Community plugins > Browse > search "Scholar Sidekick" > Install > Enable. - Store listing: https://community.obsidian.md/plugins/scholar-sidekick - Source on GitHub (MIT licensed): https://github.com/mlava/scholar-sidekick-obsidian ## Related - [Integrations index](https://scholar-sidekick.com/integrations) - all first-party notes-app integrations - [Browser extension](https://scholar-sidekick.com/extension) - same citation engine, surfaced as a right-click on any web page (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) - [MCP server](https://scholar-sidekick.com/mcp) - citation tools for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and other agents - [API docs](https://scholar-sidekick.com/docs) - REST + OpenAPI spec for programmatic access from any client - [Free tools](https://scholar-sidekick.com/tools) - DOI lookup, identifier detector, retraction checker, OA checker, and more ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](https://scholar-sidekick.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.