API Documentation

CiteScope API

Private beta — Q3 2025

Base URL: https://api.citescope.io/v1

The CiteScope API lets you programmatically generate verified academic research papers. All endpoints are RESTful and return JSON unless a file download is requested.

Authentication

All API requests require an API key passed in the Authorization header.

# Example request header
Authorization: Bearer cs_live_your_api_key_here
Content-Type: application/json

API keys are available to paid plan subscribers. Join the waitlist to get early access.

POST/generate

Submit a research topic for paper generation. Returns a job_id for tracking.

Request body

Parameter	Type	Description
`topic` required	`string`	Your research topic or question
`num_citations` optional	`integer`	Target citation count (10–50). Default: 20
`template_type` optional	`string`	`ieee`, `springer`, or `general`
`export_format` optional	`string`	`docx`, `pdf`, or `both`
`author_name` optional	`string`	Author name for the paper header
`institution` optional	`string`	Institution or affiliation
`include_math` optional	`boolean`	Include mathematical formulations. Default: true

Response

{
  "job_id": "j_3f8a9b2c",
  "status": "pending",
  "created_at": "2025-06-01T14:22:10Z",
  "estimated_seconds": 720
}

GET/status/{job_id}

Poll the progress of a generation job.

Response

{
  "job_id": "j_3f8a9b2c",
  "status": "running",  // pending | running | completed | failed
  "progress": 64,
  "current_step": "Generating methodology section...",
  "sections_completed": ["retrieval", "crossref", "figures", "introduction"],
  "output_files": null  // populated on completion
}

GET/download/{job_id}?format=docx

Download the completed paper. Query param format accepts docx or pdf. Returns the file as a binary stream with appropriate Content-Disposition headers.

Error codes

Code	Meaning
`400`	Bad request — missing required parameters
`401`	Unauthorized — invalid or missing API key
`402`	Insufficient credits
`429`	Rate limit exceeded
`500`	Internal server error — generation failed