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AMIRA — Africa Multiple Research Data

by io.github.AM-Digital-Research-Environment
OverviewDiscussionsAdmin

List locations

list_locations
Read-onlyIdempotent

Research places with coordinates and ancestor rollups. One item can count under both city and country. Feed a name into search_research_items.location.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
bboxNo[west, south, east, north]
nearNoPlaces within km of a point
limitNoDefault 50, max 300
offsetNo
countryNoOne country, exact name or alias, plus its cities
filtersNoResearch-item filters applied before place counts
keywordNoSubstring filter on the place name

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed6 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / bbox
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "[west, south, east, north]",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "maxItems": 4,
+  "minItems": 4,
+  "type": "array"
+}
    • changedInput schema / properties / country / description
      Previous value: -"Narrow to one country: the country itself plus its cities/regions"New value: +"One country, exact name or alias, plus its cities"
    • addedInput schema / properties / country / maxLength
      Added value: +1000
    • addedInput schema / properties / filters
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Research-item filters applied before place counts",
+  "properties": {
+    "added_since": {
+      "maxLength": 40,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "collection": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "contributor": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "country": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "genre": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "has_media": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "keyword": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "language": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "location": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "location_id": {
+      "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "modified_since": {
+      "maxLength": 40,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "project_id": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "maxLength": 256,
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+          "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+          "type": "integer"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "research_section": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "resource_type": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "subject": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "university": {
+      "maxLength": 1000,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "year_from": {
+      "maximum": 2200,
+      "minimum": 0,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "year_to": {
+      "maximum": 2200,
+      "minimum": 0,
+      "type": "integer"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}
    • addedInput schema / properties / keyword / maxLength
      Added value: +1000
    • addedInput schema / properties / near
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Places within km of a point",
+  "properties": {
+    "km": {
+      "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "latitude": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "longitude": {
+      "type": "number"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "latitude",
+    "longitude",
+    "km"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
  2. First observed

TDQS

B3.3/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already establish read-only, idempotent, non-destructive, closed-world behavior, so the bar is lower. The description adds a genuine non-obvious trait: ancestor rollups and non-mutually-exclusive counts ("One item can count under both city and country"), which warns the agent that counts can double. It still omits pagination/return-shape behavior, but that addition is real value beyond the annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the entity type, no filler. It is efficient, though the middle sentence about city/country counts is telegraphic and would benefit from slightly more framing.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 7-parameter tool with nested objects and no output schema, the description should say more about the return shape (coordinates are mentioned, but not how counts or rollups are returned). Annotations cover the safety profile, so the gap is not severe, but the description is only minimally complete for a result-bearing discovery tool.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 86%, so the schema already documents bbox, near, country, keyword, limit and offset. The description adds only an implicit link between the emitted place names and search_research_items.location, contributing little parameter meaning beyond the schema; the baseline of 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose3/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description conveys that the tool surfaces places ("Research places with coordinates and ancestor rollups"), which tells the agent the resource is geographic entities, but there is no explicit verb and it never says plainly that it lists/discover locations. It is understandable but vague, and it does not distinguish itself from siblings like list_subjects or list_years beyond the geographic nature of the output.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

"Feed a name into search_research_items.location" gives a downstream handoff, which implies this tool is for discovering location names, but the description never states when to use this tool versus the other list_* or search_* siblings. Usage is implied rather than specified, and no exclusions are given.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All AMIRA — Africa Multiple Research Data toolsInspect
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