Batch Citation to PMID Lookup
eutils_ecitmatchResolve formatted citation strings to PubMed IDs. Use when you have a reference list but no PMIDs.
Instructions
Resolve formatted citation strings to PubMed IDs.
Use this when you have a reference list but no PMIDs. It is far more reliable than free-text searching for a specific article.
Args:
citations (string[]): each string formatted as journal_title|year|volume|first_page|author_name|your_key| A trailing pipe is optional and is added for you.
response_format ('markdown' | 'json'): output format. Default 'markdown'.
Returns: { submitted, matched, records: [{ input, journal, year, volume, first_page, author, key, pmid, matched }] }
Examples:
Use when: "find the PMID for Mann BJ, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1991;88:3248" -> citations=["proc natl acad sci u s a|1991|88|3248|mann bj|Art1|"]
Use when: converting a bibliography into PMIDs before fetching abstracts
Don't use when: you are searching by topic (use eutils_esearch)
Error Handling:
Rejects a citation string with fewer than six pipe-separated fields
Reports matched=false per citation when NCBI finds no corresponding record
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| citations | Yes | Citation strings, each formatted as journal_title|year|volume|first_page|author_name|your_key|. Example: "science|1987|235|182|palmenberg ac|Art2|". | |
| response_format | No | Output format: 'markdown' for human-readable text, or 'json' for machine-readable data. Default: 'markdown'. | markdown |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| matched | Yes | ||
| records | Yes | ||
| submitted | Yes |