Developer hub · Free · CC-BY 4.0
Implement CASRAI
Integrate CRediT and the CASRAI Dictionary via a free GraphQL endpoint at /api/graphql, a REST namespace at /wp-json/casrai/v1/, a beta Model Context Protocol server for AI agents, and bulk downloads in JSON-LD, RDF Turtle, OWL, CSV, BibTeX, and XLSX. JATS XML, Crossref, ORCID, and DataCite encodings are documented below.
# GET a CRediT role definition
curl https://casrai.org/api/graphql \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"query":"{
creditRole(slug:\"investigation\") {
slug name definition order group
}
}"}'Twelve integration paths
The full developer surface
Live · stable
GraphQL endpoint
Live GraphQL API exposing every dictionary type. Sample queries, authentication, rate limits. The canonical programmatic entry point.
Learn moreLive · stable
REST endpoints
The /wp-json/casrai/v1/ namespace: upsert helpers, stats endpoints, lookup-by-slug, /terms/picklist.
Learn moreOpenAPI 3.1
Interactive API reference
Card-per-endpoint viewer for /api/v1/*: parameters, examples, status codes, live key verifier, downloadable OpenAPI spec.
Learn moreBeta
MCP server
Model Context Protocol server exposing the dictionary as a tool to AI agents (Claude, GPT-5, etc.).
Learn moreSpec
JATS XML
The <role> element, vocab attributes, JATS4R best practice. Worked examples with canonical NISO URIs.
Learn moreSpec
JSON-LD
Schema.org DefinedTerm + DefinedTermSet patterns for headless systems, repositories, and JSON-first pipelines.
Learn moreIntegration
ORCID push
How to push CRediT-tagged works into ORCID records via the works API. Member API setup notes.
Learn moreIntegration
Crossref schema 5.5
Deposit CRediT roles in Crossref metadata; downstream propagation to ORCID and citation services.
Learn moreIntegration
DataCite contributorType
Cross-walk between CRediT roles and DataCite contributorType for datasets, software, and instruments.
Learn moreDrop-in
Plugins
WordPress + Open Journal Systems plugins for CRediT and dictionary integration. Composer-installable.
Learn moreComing · Phase 5
SDKs
JavaScript, Python, and R SDKs for the GraphQL endpoint. Typed clients, batched queries, caching helpers.
Learn moreComing
Webhooks
Subscribe to dictionary releases, term updates, deprecations. HMAC-signed payloads, deliverability dashboard.
Learn moreReference
Code examples
JavaScript, Python, PHP samples for common integration patterns. End-to-end recipes, not toy snippets.
Learn moreFeatured by category
Pick the integration depth that matches your pipeline
Twelve focused guides, grouped by what they do: live APIs, encoding specs, PID and registry deposits, drop-in installables, and reference recipes. Each is a self-contained end-to-end guide with worked examples, not a stub.
APIs
GraphQL: typed access to every dictionary type
Pin a release, query with field-mask precision, batch up to 50 documents, cache on the client.
Read the guide →APIs
REST: /wp-json/casrai/v1/ namespace
Slug lookup, stats, picklists, upsert helpers — the legacy-friendly entry point for simpler integrations.
Read the guide →APIs
MCP: the dictionary as an AI-agent tool
Beta Model Context Protocol server. Claude, GPT-5, and Gemini agents can ground answers against CASRAI.
Read the guide →Encodings
JATS XML: the <role> + vocab-term-identifier pattern
JATS4R Recommendation, canonical NISO URIs, full worked deposit example.
Read the guide →Encodings
JSON-LD: Schema.org DefinedTerm for headless stacks
Drop-in patterns for repositories, JSON-first CRIS systems, and static sites.
Read the guide →Encodings
JATS → Crossref end-to-end recipe
Concrete transformation from your typesetter's JATS to a CRediT-bearing Crossref deposit.
Read the guide →PIDs & registries
ORCID Member API push for CRediT works
Direct works-API setup; comparison with the auto-propagation route via Crossref.
Read the guide →PIDs & registries
Crossref schema 5.5 deposit with contributor roles
The schema-mapping checklist your deposit pipeline needs to pass.
Read the guide →PIDs & registries
DataCite contributorType cross-walk
Mapping CRediT roles to DataCite contributorType for datasets, software, and instruments.
Read the guide →Drop-in
WordPress + OJS plugins
Composer-installable, GPL-compatible plugins for sites that prefer a turnkey integration.
Read the guide →Drop-in
JavaScript / Python / R SDKs
Typed clients with batched queries, caching helpers, and per-release pinning. Coming in Phase 5.
Read the guide →Reference
End-to-end code examples
Not toy snippets — full ingestion recipes for a CRIS, a repository, and an analytics pipeline.
Read the guide →Vocabulary you will encode
Key dictionary terms for developers
The terms a developer ends up reading from or writing into during any CASRAI integration. Each links into the dictionary entry with relationships, examples, and the canonical URI you should put on the wire.
Dictionary term
ORCID iD
The 16-digit persistent identifier for an individual researcher.
Dictionary term
DOI
Digital Object Identifier — the persistent identifier for scholarly works, registered via Crossref or DataCite.
Dictionary term
RAiD
Research Activity Identifier (ISO 23527:2022) — the project-level PID for research activities; ARDC is the registration authority.
Dictionary term
JATS XML
Journal Article Tag Suite — the de-facto standard XML schema for scholarly articles.
Dictionary term
JSON-LD
JSON for Linked Data — the W3C standard JSON serialisation of RDF; the dictionary ships native JSON-LD.
Dictionary term
Persistent identifier
A long-lived identifier that resolves to a stable URL or record; the umbrella term covering DOIs, ORCID, ROR, RAiD, IGSN.
Dictionary term
Identifier cross-walk
A documented mapping between two identifier or vocabulary systems — what CASRAI maintains between CRediT, DataCite, CERIF, and Schema.org.
Dictionary term
OAI-PMH
Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting — the long-running harvesting protocol still in repository pipelines.
Dictionary term
SPARQL endpoint
A queryable URL that accepts SPARQL queries against an RDF graph; the linked-data counterpart to a SQL or GraphQL endpoint.
Dictionary term
OpenAIRE Graph
The European scholarly knowledge graph that ingests records from publishers, repositories, and CRIS systems.
Dictionary term
Crossref
The DOI registration agency for scholarly publications and the canonical downstream sink for CRediT in deposit metadata.
Dictionary term
DataCite
The DOI registration agency for research data, software, and instruments; the contributorType field cross-walks to CRediT.
Related domains: persistent identifiers, research-info systems, data infrastructure. Bulk dumps and per-format exports: /dictionary/download.
Frequently asked
Developer hub FAQ
Where is the machine-readable CRediT vocabulary?+
The canonical CRediT vocabulary is published by NISO at casrai.org/credit and mirrored in machine-readable form on CASRAI under /credit/roles for each role. The full vocabulary is available as JSON-LD, RDF Turtle, CSV, and OWL via /dictionary/download. See our JSON-LD page for the Schema.org DefinedTerm pattern.
Which API endpoints are available?+
Two stable live endpoints: the GraphQL API at /api/graphql (the canonical programmatic entry point) and a REST namespace at /wp-json/casrai/v1/ for upserts, stats, slug lookup, and picklists. A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server is in beta. SDKs and webhooks are planned.
Can I import the CASRAI Dictionary into my CRIS?+
Yes. CASRAI publishes bulk dumps in six open formats (JSON-LD, CSV, OWL, RDF Turtle, BibTeX, XLSX) at /dictionary/download, suitable for CRIS ingestion or local vocabulary servers. The dictionary is versioned with semver-style release tags so you can pin a release. See /implement/examples for end-to-end ingestion recipes.
What's the canonical URI for each CRediT role?+
Each role has a canonical NISO URI of the form https://casrai.org/credit/roles/<role> — for example https://casrai.org/credit/roles/investigation. These are the URIs you put in the JATS <role> vocab-term-identifier attribute and in Crossref/ORCID deposits. CASRAI mirrors the role definitions at /credit/roles; the NISO URI remains canonical.
Is CASRAI metadata licensed for commercial use?+
Yes. The CASRAI Dictionary and all associated metadata are released under CC-BY 4.0, which permits commercial reuse provided you give appropriate credit. There is no separate commercial licence, no fee, and no API spend for read access. Unauthenticated reads are rate-limited at 100 req/min/IP; authenticated reads at 1000 req/min.
Do you support content negotiation (Accept: text/turtle)?+
Not yet on the live endpoints. Today, format selection is via URL path: /dictionary/download offers Turtle, OWL, JSON-LD, CSV, BibTeX and XLSX as separate downloads, and the GraphQL endpoint returns JSON only. HTTP Accept-header content negotiation per-entry is on the implementation roadmap; subscribe to /implement/webhooks for release notifications.
Keep exploring
Related hubs
For publishers
The editorial workflow side: submission systems, JATS encoding, Crossref deposit pipelines.
Open hub →For institutions
CRIS, library, research office, compliance — institutional consumers of the same APIs.
Open hub →For authors
The end-user view of what these integrations produce in a published article.
Open hub →Standards
The citable versions you should pin against in production: CRediT, the Dictionary, sibling vocabularies.
Open hub →Federation
NISO, euroCRIS, CODATA, ORCID, Crossref, DataCite, RDA, ARDC — the upstream stewardship.
Open hub →Tools
Browser playgrounds, citation generators, JATS validators — quick utilities for verifying an integration.
Open hub →
