Skip to main content
Glama

Plos

by io.github.pipeworx-io

Discover Tools

discover_tools
Read-onlyIdempotent

Find tools by describing the data or task. Use when you need to browse, search, look up, or discover what tools exist for: SEC filings, financials, revenue, profit, FDA drugs, adverse events, FRED economic data, Census demographics, BLS jobs/unemployment/inflation, ATTOM real estate, ClinicalTrials, USPTO patents, weather, news, crypto, stocks. Returns the top-N most relevant tools with names, descriptions, and full input schemas (with curated examples) — each result is ready to call directly, no second schema lookup needed. Call this FIRST when you have many tools available and want to see the option set (not just one answer).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
qNoAlias for query.
taskNoAlias for query.
limitNoMaximum number of tools to return (default 20, max 50)
queryYesNatural language description of what you want to do (e.g., "analyze housing market trends", "look up FDA drug approvals", "find trade data between countries"). Accepts task, q, description, search as aliases.
searchNoAlias for query.
descriptionNoAlias for query.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. Changed5 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / description
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Alias for query.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • addedInput schema / properties / q
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Alias for query.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • changedInput schema / properties / query / description
      Previous value: -"Natural language description of what you want to do (e.g., \"analyze housing market trends\", \"look up FDA drug approvals\", \"find trade data between countries\")"New value: +"Natural language description of what you want to do (e.g., \"analyze housing market trends\", \"look up FDA drug approvals\", \"find trade data between countries\"). Accepts task, q, description, search as aliases."
    • addedInput schema / properties / search
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Alias for query.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • addedInput schema / properties / task
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Alias for query.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
  2. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedInput schema / examples
      Added value: +[
+  {
+    "query": "look up FDA drug approvals"
+  },
+  {
+    "query": "analyze housing market trends"
+  }
+]
  3. First observed

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Beyond the annotations (read-only, idempotent), the description discloses return behavior: returns top-N most relevant tools with names, descriptions, and full input schemas, ready to call directly without a second lookup. This adds useful context about output format and reusability, though it could mention pagination limits explicitly.

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?

Three sentences, efficiently structured: purpose, use-case, and return behavior. No fluff, front-loaded with the primary action, and every sentence earns its place.

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

Completeness5/5

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

For a discovery tool with no output schema, the description is complete: it explains what it returns, how results are structured, and when to invoke it. It also covers domain areas and the 'Call this FIRST' guidance, making it self-sufficient for an agent to use correctly.

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 100%, so baseline is 3. The description does not add meaning beyond the schema; it mentions 'describing the data or task' which maps to 'query', and 'top-N' hints at 'limit', but these are already fully documented in the input schema. No additional value.

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?

The description clearly states the tool's function: 'Find tools by describing the data or task.' It uses a specific verb ('Find') and resource ('tools'), and explicitly lists the domains it covers, distinguishing it from sibling tools like search or deep_research.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Provides explicit guidance on when to use: 'Use when you need to browse, search, look up, or discover what tools exist' and 'Call this FIRST when you have many tools available and want to see the option set (not just one answer).' This gives a clear condition and a prioritization heuristic, effectively differentiating from direct-answer tools.

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

All Plos toolsInspect
Try in Browser
RayrunBuild, deploy, and operate MCP servers without becoming an infrastructure team.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.

TDQS

B3.2/5.0
Disambiguation2/5

Several tools have overlapping purposes: ask_pipeworx, ask_pipeworx_beta, and ask_pipeworx_grounded are near-identical in function, while compare_entities and entity_profile both fan out across data sources. The PLOS-specific tools (article, search, recent) are distinct, but the broader set creates confusion about which entry point to use for general data questions.

Naming Consistency2/5

The naming is a mix of single-word nouns (article, recent), verb phrases (search_authored_by, validate_claim), and adjective_noun constructions (recent_changes, recent_alerts). While most multi-word names use snake_case, the lack of a consistent prefix or verb_pattern (e.g., some start with action verbs, others with data categories like polymarket_ or pipeworx_) makes the set feel inconsistent.

Tool Count2/5

At 35 tools, the server is heavily over-scoped for a PLOS journal interface—only 4 tools (article, search, search_authored_by, recent) actually relate to PLOS. The remaining 31 tools form a broad Pipeworx/Polymarket data platform, which suggests the server is trying to do far more than its name implies.

Completeness2/5

For the stated domain (PLOS), the surface is thin: basic search, fetch, recent, and author search lack advanced features like citation metrics, journal browsing, or full-text download links. Conversely, the Pipeworx tools are extensive but unrelated to PLOS, so the set is simultaneously over-complete in unrelated areas and incomplete for its apparent purpose.

Resources