Islam West Africa Collection (IWAC)

List periodicals

list_periodicals

Read-onlyIdempotent

List the Islamic periodical/series titles in the publications subset, with issue counts and year ranges. Use the returned newspaper value as the newspaper filter on search_publications.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`country`	No	Exact country name: Benin \| Burkina Faso \| Côte d'Ivoire \| Niger \| Togo (accents optional)

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`view`	Yes
`periodicals`	Yes
`country_filter`	No
`total_periodicals`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedOct 29, 2026
- addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

Changed2 schema fields changedJul 29, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

Changed2 schema fields changedJul 28, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / view
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "total_periodicals",
-  "periodicals"
-]New value: +[
+  "view",
+  "total_periodicals",
+  "periodicals"
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedJul 6, 2026

removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "country_filter": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "periodicals": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": {},
+        "properties": {},
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "total_periodicals": {
+      "type": "number"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "total_periodicals",
+    "periodicals"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedJul 5, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnly/idempotent/non-destructive, so the safety bar is lower; the description adds real value by disclosing the return payload shape (issue counts, year ranges) and the intended use of a specific returned field. It does not state what happens when `country` is omitted or whether results are paginated/ordered.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Two sentences, zero waste, with the resource scope front-loaded and the mechanical follow-up instruction second. Nothing is repeated from the title.

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

Completeness4/5

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

With an output schema present, return-value detail is not required, yet the description still summarizes it helpfully. The only meaningful gap is the optional-parameter behavior: `country` is not required, and the description never says the tool returns titles across all countries when it is omitted.

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 coverage is 100% with a single parameter whose enum-like values and accent handling are fully documented in the schema. The description adds no extra meaning about `country` (e.g., default behavior when unset), so it merely matches the schema baseline.

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

Purpose5/5

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

Specific verb ("List") plus a narrowly scoped resource ("Islamic periodical/series titles in the publications subset"), and it names what comes back (issue counts, year ranges). This is clearly distinguishable from search_publications, which it explicitly designates as the downstream consumer of the returned value.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

The second sentence gives a concrete chaining instruction — feed the returned `newspaper` value into search_publications — which effectively tells the agent the situation this tool is for. It stops short of stating exclusions (e.g., when to use explore_corpus or get_newspaper_stats instead) or what the unfiltered call returns.

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

All Islam West Africa Collection (IWAC) tools Inspect

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