Usage Guide
OpenDraft makes generating research papers simple. Here's everything you need to know.
Interactive Mode (Recommended)
The easiest way to use OpenDraft is interactive mode. Just run:
npx opendraftThis opens a guided wizard that asks you:
- Research topic - What your paper is about
- Research focus - Optional context or constraints (press Enter to skip)
- Academic level - Research paper, Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD
- Citation style - APA, MLA, Chicago, or IEEE
- Language - English, German, Spanish, French, or any language code
- Cover page - Optional author, institution, advisor details
Quick Mode
Generate a paper directly from the command line:
npx opendraft "Impact of AI on Modern Education"Examples
npx opendraft "AI in Healthcare" --level master
npx opendraft "Climate Change" --lang de --author "Max Müller"
npx opendraft "Machine Learning" --institution "MIT" --advisor "Dr. Smith"Options
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
--level, -l | research_paper, bachelor, master, phd | research_paper |
--style, -s | apa, mla, chicago, ieee | apa |
--lang | en, de, es, fr, it, pt, zh, ja, ko, ru... | en |
--blurb, -b | Research focus/context | - |
--output, -o | Output directory | ./opendraft_output |
Cover Page Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--author | Your name for the title page |
--institution | University or institution name |
--department | Department name |
--advisor | Supervisor or advisor name |
What Happens During Generation
OpenDraft uses 19 specialized AI agents working together:
Phase 1: Research (2-3 min)
- Searches academic databases (CrossRef, Semantic Scholar, arXiv)
- Collects 40-60 peer-reviewed citations
- Verifies each citation's authenticity
Phase 2: Structure (1-2 min)
- Designs paper outline based on academic level
- Allocates content to each section
- Plans argument flow and transitions
Phase 3: Compose (5-7 min)
- Writes each section with proper academic voice
- Integrates citations naturally
- Creates tables and figures where appropriate
Phase 4: Quality (1-2 min)
- Checks narrative consistency
- Unifies academic voice
- Verifies citation formatting
Phase 5: Export
- Generates PDF via LaTeX
- Creates Word document (.docx)
- Opens output folder automatically
Output Files
After generation, you'll find in the output folder:
Your_Topic.pdf- Formatted PDF documentYour_Topic.docx- Word document for editingYour_Topic.md- Markdown sourcereferences.bib- BibTeX citations
Tips for Best Results
Be Specific with Topics
Instead of:
opendraft "Climate change"Try:
opendraft "Impact of carbon pricing policies on industrial emissions in the EU"Match Level to Content
- Research paper: 15-25 pages, broad overview
- Bachelor's: 30-40 pages, focused analysis
- Master's: 50-70 pages, deep investigation
- PhD: 80-120 pages, original contribution
Next Steps
See Configuration to customize API keys and settings.