Biodiversity Heritage Library
API v3 Documentation
Overview
Methods
Data Elements
Release Notes

GetSubjectMetadata
Return metadata about a subject. You may choose to include a list of the subject's publications. The BHLType element identifies the type of each publication (Title or Part).
SYNTAX
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/api3?op=GetSubjectMetadata
&subject=<the subject for which to return metadata>
&pubs=<"t" or "true" to include the subject's publications in the response>
&format=<"xml" for an XML response or "json" for JSON (OPTIONAL; "xml" is the default)>
&apikey=<API key value>
EXAMPLE REQUEST (XML)
            
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/api3?op=GetSubjectMetadata&subject=coral&pubs=t&format=xml&apikey=12345678-BBBB-DDDD-FFFF-123456789012
            
        
EXAMPLE RESPONSE (XML)
            

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Response
  xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <Status>ok</Status>
  <ErrorMessage />
  <Result>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>coral</SubjectText>
      <CreationDate>2014/11/13 00:01:43</CreationDate>
      <Publications>
        <Publication>
          <BHLType>Title</BHLType>
          <FoundIn>Metadata</FoundIn>
          <TitleID>131838</TitleID>
          <TitleUrl>https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/131838</TitleUrl>
          <MaterialType>Published material</MaterialType>
          <PublicationDate>1958</PublicationDate>
          <Authors>
            <Author>
              <Name>Schmitt, Waldo L.</Name>
            </Author>
          </Authors>
          <Genre>Monograph/Item</Genre>
          <Title>Smithsonian-Bredin Caribbean Expedition, 1958  : station data</Title>
        </Publication>
        <Publication>
          <BHLType>Part</BHLType>
          <FoundIn>Metadata</FoundIn>
          <ExternalUrl>http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-560X2014000400010</ExternalUrl>
          <Authors>
            <Author>
              <Name>Wieters, Evie A.</Name>
            </Author>
            <Author>
              <Name>Medrano, Alba</Name>
            </Author>
            <Author>
              <Name>Pérez-Matus Alejandro</Name>
            </Author>
          </Authors>
          <PartUrl>https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/144599</PartUrl>
          <PartID>144599</PartID>
          <Genre>Article</Genre>
          <Title>Functional community structure of shallow hard bottom communities at Easter Island (Rapa Nui): Estructura funcional de comunidades que habitan sobre los fondos duros de Isla de Pascua (Rapa Nui)</Title>
          <ContainerTitle>Latin american journal of aquatic research</ContainerTitle>
          <Date>2014-10-01</Date>
        </Publication>
        <Publication>
          <BHLType>Part</BHLType>
          <FoundIn>Metadata</FoundIn>
          <ExternalUrl>http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-19572014000300004</ExternalUrl>
          <Authors>
            <Author>
              <Name>Delgadillo-Nuño, Manuel A</Name>
            </Author>
            <Author>
              <Name>Liñán-Cabello, Marco A</Name>
            </Author>
            <Author>
              <Name>Reyes-Gómez, Juan</Name>
            </Author>
            <Author>
              <Name>Soriano-Santiago, Olinda</Name>
            </Author>
          </Authors>
          <PartUrl>https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/145754</PartUrl>
          <PartID>145754</PartID>
          <Genre>Article</Genre>
          <Title>Response to pH stress in the reef-building coral Pocillopora capitata (Anthozoa: Scleractinia)</Title>
          <ContainerTitle>Revista de biología marina y oceanografía</ContainerTitle>
          <Date>2014-12-01</Date>
        </Publication>
      </Publications>
    </Subject>
  </Result>
</Response>

            
        
EXAMPLE REQUEST (JSON)
            
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/api3?op=GetSubjectMetadata&subject=coral&pubs=t&format=json&apikey=12345678-BBBB-DDDD-FFFF-123456789012
            
        
EXAMPLE RESPONSE (JSON)
            
{
  "Status": "ok",
  "ErrorMessage": "",
  "Result": [
    {
      "SubjectText": "coral",
      "CreationDate": "2014/11/13 00:01:43",
      "Publications": [
        {
          "BHLType": "Title",
          "FoundIn": "Metadata",
          "TitleID": "131838",
          "TitleUrl": "https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/131838",
          "MaterialType": "Published material",
          "PublicationDate": "1958",
          "Authors": [
            {
              "Name": "Schmitt, Waldo L."
            }
          ],
          "Genre": "Monograph/Item",
          "Title": "Smithsonian-Bredin Caribbean Expedition, 1958  : station data"
        },
        {
          "BHLType": "Part",
          "FoundIn": "Metadata",
          "ExternalUrl": "http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-560X2014000400010",
          "Authors": [
            {
              "Name": "Wieters, Evie A."
            },
            {
              "Name": "Medrano, Alba"
            },
            {
              "Name": "Pérez-Matus Alejandro"
            }
          ],
          "PartUrl": "https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/144599",
          "PartID": "144599",
          "Genre": "Article",
          "Title": "Functional community structure of shallow hard bottom communities at Easter Island (Rapa Nui): Estructura funcional de comunidades que habitan sobre los fondos duros de Isla de Pascua (Rapa Nui)",
          "ContainerTitle": "Latin american journal of aquatic research",
          "Date": "2014-10-01"
        },
        {
          "BHLType": "Part",
          "FoundIn": "Metadata",
          "ExternalUrl": "http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-19572014000300004",
          "Authors": [
            {
              "Name": "Delgadillo-Nuño, Manuel A"
            },
            {
              "Name": "Liñán-Cabello, Marco A"
            },
            {
              "Name": "Reyes-Gómez, Juan"
            },
            {
              "Name": "Soriano-Santiago, Olinda"
            }
          ],
          "PartUrl": "https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/145754",
          "PartID": "145754",
          "Genre": "Article",
          "Title": "Response to pH stress in the reef-building coral Pocillopora capitata (Anthozoa: Scleractinia)",
          "ContainerTitle": "Revista de biología marina y oceanografía",
          "Date": "2014-12-01"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}