research-hub

Turn your research stack into an AI-operable workspace. Use Zotero, Obsidian, and NotebookLM together, or start with any two. research-hub gives your AI assistant a real CLI, MCP server, REST API, and dashboard for repeatable literature workflows.

Traditional Chinese: README.zh-TW.md | Watch the full-res mp4

📚 Part of the agentic AI learning roadmap — a 7-stage curated path for building agentic AI, multilingual (zh-TW · zh-Hans · English). This workspace is referenced in §13 (research workflow skills).

🧪 Real-use signal: in daily use by 1 PhD researcher (Lehigh CEE) tracking 7+ research clusters across Zotero + Obsidian + NotebookLM. Shipping since Apr 2026, docs updated for v0.95.0.

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Quick start

pip install research-hub-pipeline
research-hub dashboard --sample   # preview with sample data, no accounts needed

For a real research-hub vault with Zotero / Obsidian / NotebookLM integration, pick the install path matching your stack in § Start Here.

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Contents

1. Quick start
2. Real Screenshots
3. Is this for me?
4. Start Here
5. First-Run Checklist
6. Credential Reference
7. Connect your AI host
8. Why this exists
9. What it does
10. Operator Modes
11. Dashboard tour
12. Inside Zotero
13. Feature matrix
14. Troubleshooting
15. Known limitations
16. Docs + Status + Dev
17. License

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Real Screenshots

These are generated by a real research-hub vault, not mockups.

Obsidian paper note: Markdown note with title, authors, DOI, Zotero key, tags, cluster, status, and verification metadata.

Obsidian Bases dashboard: generated .base file with sortable paper metadata and reading status.

Obsidian graph view: managed topic folders and labels can be colored with research-hub vault graph-colors --refresh.

Generated crystals are also plain Markdown notes under hub/<cluster>/crystals/*.md, so they can be linked, searched, and read by MCP tools at low token cost.

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Is this for me? — vs alternatives

research-hub does not replace Zotero, Obsidian, or NotebookLM. It connects them so an AI agent can operate the workflow.

What you can do	Zotero alone	NotebookLM alone	Generic RAG	Obsidian-Zotero plugin	research-hub
Search arXiv + Semantic Scholar in one command	No	No	DIY	No	Yes
Ingest into Zotero and Obsidian and NotebookLM	No	No	DIY	Partial	Yes
AI brief from your collection	No	Manual	DIY	No	Yes
Cached canonical answers	No	No	Re-fetches	No	Yes
Structured memory layer	No	No	Usually chunks	No	Yes
Direct AI-agent control via MCP	No	No	DIY	No	Yes
Live dashboard with action buttons	No	No	No	No	Yes
Per-cluster Obsidian Bases dashboard	No	No	No	No	Yes
No OpenAI/Anthropic API key required	n/a	Yes	Usually no	n/a	Yes
Local-first vault you own	Partial	No	Depends	Yes	Yes

The practical fit: research-hub is most useful if you already use at least two of Zotero, Obsidian, and NotebookLM and want your AI assistant to run the repetitive steps.

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Start Here

Pick the path with the fewest moving parts. You can add Zotero, NotebookLM, MCP, or AI-host skills later.

Goal	Accounts needed	Commands
Preview the dashboard only	None	pip install research-hub-pipeline then research-hub dashboard --sample
Try a demo vault	None	pip install research-hub-pipeline then research-hub init --sample
Work from local PDFs/DOCX/Markdown	Obsidian optional	pip install "research-hub-pipeline[import,secrets]" then research-hub setup --persona analyst
Zotero + Obsidian, no browser automation	Zotero	pip install "research-hub-pipeline[secrets]" then research-hub setup --skip-login
Full Zotero + Obsidian + NotebookLM loop	Zotero + Google	pip install "research-hub-pipeline[playwright,secrets]" then research-hub setup
Autonomous agent bootstrap	Existing vault or target folder	python -m research_hub setup --autonomous --vault ./vault --persona agent

After setup, run:

research-hub doctor
research-hub serve --dashboard

For the first real ingestion, keep NotebookLM out of the path until Zotero and Obsidian are healthy:

research-hub auto "agent-based modeling" --max-papers 3 --no-nlm

Then enable NotebookLM after the browser login works:

research-hub notebooklm login --auto-detect
research-hub notebooklm bundle --cluster <slug>
research-hub notebooklm upload --cluster <slug>
research-hub notebooklm generate --cluster <slug> --type brief
research-hub notebooklm download --cluster <slug>

research-hub setup also prints these next steps when it finishes.

First-Run Checklist

Item	Needed when	How to handle it
Python 3.10+	Always	Use the same Python that runs pip install research-hub-pipeline
Zotero API key + library ID	Zotero-backed paper ingestion	Set ZOTERO_API_KEY and ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID, then run research-hub doctor
Obsidian vault	Markdown note workflow	Point setup at a folder you can open in Obsidian; it is still plain Markdown
NotebookLM browser login	NotebookLM upload/generate/download	Run research-hub notebooklm login --auto-detect; Google OAuth still requires a visible human sign-in
LLM CLI for relevance judging	research-hub auto default path	Install claude, codex, gemini, opencode, aichat, cursor, configure a custom adapter, or pass --no-fit-check
AI-host integration	Claude/Codex/Cursor/Gemini/OpenClaw/etc.	Use MCP/REST for tool-calling hosts; use research-hub install --platform ... only for verified skill installer targets

Credential Reference

These variables are required only for Zotero-backed workflows. Local file import, sample dashboards, MCP server startup, and REST API inspection can run without them.

Name	Required	Purpose
ZOTERO_API_KEY	yes	Zotero web API auth, required for paper ingestion
ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID	yes	Zotero library identifier
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY	no	Uses an S2 API key and defaults to a conservative ~1 request/sec throttle
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_RPS	no	Optional S2 request-rate override; leave unset unless your key has a different quota
TAVILY_API_KEY	no	Web search backend (alternative to DDG)
BRAVE_API_KEY	no	Web search backend (alternative to DDG)

Semantic Scholar searches are deliberately paced. Without SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY, research-hub uses a slower anonymous delay because public traffic shares capacity. With a key, the default is approximately one request per second and 429 responses are retried with Retry-After / exponential backoff. If Semantic Scholar grants your key a different quota, set SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_RPS instead of editing code.

Connect your AI host

research-hub has two AI-facing integration layers:

Layer	Best for	Current status
MCP / REST	Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Continue.dev, Cline, Roo Code, VS Code Copilot, OpenClaw, and other tool-calling hosts	Host-agnostic; configure the MCP server or call the REST API
Installed SKILL.md files	Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini	Built-in installer targets via research-hub install --platform ...
Manual SKILL.md loading	Hermes, OpenClaw, other agents with skill/rules directories	Copy or reference the bundled skill directories manually; not release-verified as installer targets

For Claude Desktop, Cursor, Continue.dev, Cline, VS Code Copilot, OpenClaw, or another MCP host, configure the MCP server:

{ "mcpServers": { "research-hub": { "command": "research-hub", "args": ["serve"] } } }

Restart the host. Then ask naturally:

Find me 5 papers on agent-based modeling and put them in a notebook.

The AI can call auto_research_topic(topic="agent-based modeling", max_papers=5) and ingest papers, generate a NotebookLM brief, and update the vault.

Install host-specific skill files for the platforms with known default skill directories:

research-hub install --platform claude-code
research-hub install --platform cursor
research-hub install --platform codex
research-hub install --platform gemini

OpenClaw, Hermes, and other agents can still use research-hub through MCP/REST. If the host supports SKILL.md-style directories or rules files, copy the bundled directories from skills/ or inline the relevant SKILL.md into the host's instructions. research-hub install --platform does not currently verify those hosts.

Browser-only or HTTP-capable AIs can use the REST API after starting the local server with research-hub serve --dashboard:

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/v1/plan \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d "{\"intent\":\"research harness engineering\"}"

Full reference: MCP tools, AI integrations, AI host support matrix, and live smoke checklist.

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Why this exists

Most research tools are good at one part of the workflow:

• Zotero stores citations, metadata, and PDFs.
• Obsidian stores notes, links, and synthesis.
• NotebookLM turns source bundles into AI-readable briefs.

The painful part is the handoff. research-hub connects those handoffs so an AI agent can search, ingest, tag, summarize, repair, brief, and inspect your workspace without turning your library into an opaque RAG box.

You do not need all three tools on day one.

Your current stack	What research-hub gives you first
Zotero + Obsidian	Paper search, Zotero metadata, Markdown notes, tags, Obsidian Bases dashboards
Obsidian + NotebookLM	Local PDF/DOCX/MD/TXT ingest, cluster dashboards, NotebookLM bundles and briefs
Zotero + NotebookLM	Zotero-backed paper selection, namespaced tags, NotebookLM upload/generate/download
Zotero + Obsidian + NotebookLM	Full loop: discover -> ingest -> organize -> brief -> answer -> maintain
No accounts yet	Sample dashboard and local smoke tests before connecting anything

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What it does

research-hub is a local-first orchestration layer for research workflows:

• CLI: research-hub auto, import-folder, ask, doctor, tidy, clusters, zotero, notebooklm, crystal, and more.
• MCP server: lets Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Continue.dev, Cline, Roo Code, OpenClaw, and other MCP hosts operate the same workflow.
• REST API: exposes /api/v1/* for browser-only or HTTP-capable assistants.
• 12-skill portable pack: SKILL.md workflows install directly for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Gemini. The new resumable orchestrator automates low-risk stages and pauses at explicit human gates before external writes, costly experiments, semantic revisions, and release.
• Dashboard: gives humans a live view of clusters, papers, diagnostics, briefs, writing support, and management actions.
• Vault format: writes normal Markdown, frontmatter, .base dashboards, cache files, and logs that you can inspect directly.
• Authenticity gate (v0.95+): every discovered paper must resolve to a real identifier (DOI / arXiv / PMID), pass integrity and relevance checks, or it is quarantined with a recorded reason and never written to the vault. No fabricated references — inspect rejects with research-hub quarantine list.

The core loop:

topic or source folder
  -> discover or import sources
  -> verify authenticity (resolve + integrity + relevance) or quarantine
  -> enrich metadata
  -> write Zotero tags/notes when enabled
  -> write Obsidian Markdown notes and cluster dashboards
  -> bundle/upload/generate with NotebookLM when enabled
  -> cache answers as crystals and structured memory

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Operator Modes

research-hub supports both human-first and agent-first setup.

For a human researcher, research-hub setup runs the onboarding wizard, installs host-specific skills when it can detect the host, optionally launches NotebookLM login, and offers a small sample run.

For an autonomous agent or Cowork-style host:

pip install research-hub-pipeline
python -m research_hub describe > capabilities.json
python -m research_hub setup --autonomous --vault ./vault --persona agent
# emits BootstrapReport JSON; exit code 0 if ready, 1 otherwise

Then drive operations via CLI --json mode or the bundled MCP server (research-hub-mcp). All report-shaped commands accept --json; capability introspection lives in research-hub describe.

NotebookLM boundary. NotebookLM upload still requires one-time human-driven browser-based Google OAuth. Headless agents can prepare bundles and read downloaded briefs, but they cannot complete Google's first sign-in or phone challenge by themselves.

Relevance judge boundary. auto_research_topic and research-hub auto run a fail-closed relevance check by default. With no supported LLM CLI and no --no-fit-check, auto stops before search and prints the fix instead of silently producing an empty vault.

Persona	Best for	Install extra
Researcher	STEM papers, DOI/arXiv, Zotero-first workflows	[playwright,secrets]
Humanities	books, quotes, URL-only sources, Zotero + Obsidian	[playwright,secrets]
Analyst	industry research, local PDFs/reports, no Zotero required	[import,secrets]
Internal KM	lab/company knowledge bases, mixed file types	[import,secrets]

Field presets for discover new, search, and related planning flows are cs, bio, med, physics, math, social, econ, chem, astro, edu, and general. There is no hydrology preset; use general intentionally.

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Dashboard tour

research-hub serve --dashboard opens http://127.0.0.1:8765/.

Overview: treemap over clusters, storage map, and health summary.

Library: per-cluster drill-down with papers, sub-topics, and per-paper actions.

Diagnostics: grouped drift alerts and readiness checks.

Manage: CLI actions as buttons, inline result drawer, confirmation modal, and per-paper row actions.

Briefings and Writing tabs are also available. See the dashboard walkthrough and persona variants.

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Inside Zotero

Every ingested paper gets a namespaced tag set so you can filter your library by research-hub context:

Tag	Meaning
research-hub	Ingested through this pipeline
cluster/<slug>	Which research cluster the paper belongs to
category/<arxiv-code>	arXiv category like cs.AI or econ.GN
type/<publication-type>	Review, JournalArticle, etc. from Semantic Scholar
src/<backend>	Search backend that discovered it: arxiv, semantic_scholar, crossref, zotero

Every paper can also get a child note with Summary / Key Findings / Methodology / Relevance, derived from the Obsidian frontmatter. Papers that were in Zotero before research-hub existed can be backfilled with:

research-hub zotero backfill --tags --notes --apply

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Feature matrix

Capability	Command or MCP tool	Notes
One-shot setup	research-hub setup	init + install + optional NotebookLM login + guided sample run
Lazy research pipeline	research-hub auto "topic" / auto_research_topic	Search, ingest, bundle, upload, generate, download
Authenticity quarantine review	research-hub quarantine list / show <id> / restore <id>	Inspect and optionally restore papers the authenticity gate rejected (with the failing layer + reason)
Plan before running	research-hub plan "intent" / plan_research_workflow	Suggests field, cluster slug, and max papers
Resumable HITL workflow	`research-hub workflow init	status
Zotero hygiene	research-hub zotero backfill --tags --notes [--apply]	Fills missing tags and notes on legacy items
Cluster cascade delete	research-hub clusters delete <slug> [--apply --force]	Preview impact on Obsidian, Zotero, dedup, memory, and crystals
No-NotebookLM smoke test	research-hub auto "topic" --no-nlm	Validates search and vault ingest without browser automation
Local file ingest	research-hub import-folder <folder> --cluster <slug>	PDF, DOCX, MD, TXT, URL
Ad-hoc cluster Q&A	research-hub ask <cluster> "question" / ask_cluster_notebooklm	Top-level CLI takes cluster first, then question
NotebookLM operations	research-hub notebooklm upload --cluster <slug>	Browser automation with persistent Chrome
Pre-computed crystals	research-hub crystal emit --cluster <slug>	Canonical answers cached as Markdown
Structured memory	research-hub memory emit --cluster <slug>	Entities, claims, methods
Live dashboard	research-hub serve --dashboard	HTTP dashboard with action buttons
Sample preview	research-hub dashboard --sample	Temporary bundled vault, no accounts
Lazy maintenance	research-hub tidy	Doctor, dedup, bases refresh, cleanup preview
Garbage collection	research-hub cleanup --all --apply	Bundles, debug logs, stale artifacts
Cluster repair	research-hub clusters rebind --emit then --apply	Rebinds orphaned notes
Obsidian Bases	research-hub bases emit --cluster <slug>	Generated .base dashboard
Web search	research-hub websearch "query" / web_search	Tavily, Brave, Google CSE, DDG fallback

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
research-hub init reports Chrome warnings	Chrome is missing or patchright cannot find it	Install Chrome, then run research-hub doctor
research-hub notebooklm login opens a browser but Google blocks login	New-device or bot challenge	Complete the visible browser sign-in and phone challenge
research-hub auto finds 0 papers / empty vault	Topic too narrow OR papers were quarantined by the authenticity gate (unresolved DOI, failed integrity, or relevance-unjudged)	Re-run with --max-papers 20 / rephrase; run research-hub quarantine list to see rejected papers + reasons
research-hub auto stops before searching: "no relevance judge on PATH"	Fail-closed relevance check and no supported LLM CLI found	Install a judge CLI, or re-run with --no-fit-check to skip relevance judging
NotebookLM upload or generate fails	NotebookLM UI changed or login expired	Run research-hub notebooklm login --auto-detect; then resume with research-hub notebooklm bundle/upload/generate/download --cluster <slug>
notebooklm upload worked yesterday and now fails on auth	Google's __Secure-1PSIDTS / PSIDRTS cookies expire roughly every 3.5h; notebooklm keepalive cannot refresh them server-side	Re-run research-hub notebooklm login --auto-detect — the browser opens, the cookies refresh on sign-in, the session saves automatically (no terminal interaction). Takes < 1 minute
auto --with-crystals cannot find an LLM CLI	No supported LLM CLI is on PATH	Install one, configure a custom adapter, or use crystal emit and crystal apply manually
Claude Desktop cannot see the MCP server	MCP config is in the wrong file or host was not restarted	Check the host config path and restart Claude Desktop
init reports Zotero warnings but you do not use Zotero	Persona expects Zotero	Re-run research-hub setup --persona analyst or --persona internal
research-hub clusters delete refuses to delete	Cluster has papers, notes, or Zotero items	Re-run with --apply --force after reviewing the cascade preview
research-hub auto errors "cluster already has N papers"	Cluster is non-empty and you ran auto --cluster <slug> without a flag	Add --append to add more, or --force to overwrite
Zotero items miss research-hub tags or notes	Items were created before v0.61 or pipeline failed mid-run	research-hub zotero backfill --tags --notes --apply

For broader checks, run:

research-hub doctor --autofix

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Known limitations

These are platform or design boundaries, not bugs — please do not file them as issues. They are documented here so you know what to expect and which workaround to reach for.