Springer announces winners of first API Challenge

Springer has chosen the first, second, and third place winners of its API (application programming interface) Challenge 1.0.  The challenge was a competition for original, non-commercial applications using Springer metadata and content APIs.  The goal was to offer users new ways to find, visualise, and/or manipulate relevant data drawn from Springer’s database.

The first prize was awarded to SpringerQuotes, which lets the user search and read the open-access articles from Springer in a web application. The second prize was given to KontentLinks, a way of exploring scientific content that allows researchers to create meaningful connections between various types of content, share, rate and comment on them, and explore the emerging content webs.

JournalSuggest, a website which provides suggested answers to some common questions that researchers have when preparing articles or grants, took third place.

Metadata for more than 4.8 million documents from Springer journals, books and protocols was made available to the participants. They also had access to full-text content, metadata and images for approximately 80,000 open-access articles from BioMed Central and SpringerOpen journals.  The winning applications are now freely available to end users for one year.