Semanticscholar

Get Author

get_author

Read-onlyIdempotent

Search for academic authors by name on Semantic Scholar. Returns up to 5 matches with affiliations, paper count, total citation count, h-index, and profile URL. Keyless.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`name`	Yes	Author name to search for, e.g. "Yoshua Bengio".

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`count`	No
`authors`	No
`license`	No
`attribution`	No
`license_note`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed15 schema fields changedSep 17, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "name": "Yoshua Bengio"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "name": "Yoshua Bengio"
+  },
+  {
+    "name": "Geoffrey Hinton"
+  }
+]

removedOutput schema / properties / affiliations

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Author affiliations",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

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

removedOutput schema / properties / author_id

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Semantic Scholar author ID",
-  "type": [
-    "string",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / authors

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "properties": {
+      "affiliations": {
+        "items": {},
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "authorId": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "citationCount": {
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "hIndex": {
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "name": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "paperCount": {
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "url": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / citation_count

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Total number of citations",
-  "type": [
-    "number",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / count
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "number"
+}
```

removedOutput schema / properties / h_index

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "H-index of the author",
-  "type": [
-    "number",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / homepage

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Author homepage URL",
-  "type": [
-    "string",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / license

Added value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "attribution": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "id": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "kind": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "obligations": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "url": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

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

removedOutput schema / properties / name

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Author name",
-  "type": [
-    "string",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / paper_count

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Total number of papers published",
-  "type": [
-    "number",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / papers

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Recent publications (up to 20)",
-  "items": {
-    "properties": {
-      "citation_count": {
-        "description": "Number of citations for this paper",
-        "type": [
-          "number",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "paper_id": {
-        "description": "Paper ID",
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "title": {
-        "description": "Paper title",
-        "type": [
-          "string",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      },
-      "year": {
-        "description": "Publication year",
-        "type": [
-          "number",
-          "null"
-        ]
-      }
-    },
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / url

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "URL to author profile",
-  "type": [
-    "string",
-    "null"
-  ]
-}

Changed1 schema field changedJul 29, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "author_id": "2190855"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "name": "Yoshua Bengio"
+  }
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedJun 20, 2026

addedInput schema / examples

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "author_id": "2190855"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "affiliations": {
+      "description": "Author affiliations",
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "author_id": {
+      "description": "Semantic Scholar author ID",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "citation_count": {
+      "description": "Total number of citations",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "h_index": {
+      "description": "H-index of the author",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "homepage": {
+      "description": "Author homepage URL",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "name": {
+      "description": "Author name",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "paper_count": {
+      "description": "Total number of papers published",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "papers": {
+      "description": "Recent publications (up to 20)",
+      "items": {
+        "properties": {
+          "citation_count": {
+            "description": "Number of citations for this paper",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "paper_id": {
+            "description": "Paper ID",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "title": {
+            "description": "Paper title",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "year": {
+            "description": "Publication year",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "url": {
+      "description": "URL to author profile",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedJun 10, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already establish read-only, idempotent, and non-destructive behavior. The description adds value beyond this with the 'Returns up to 5 matches' cap, the listed return fields, and the 'Keyless' authentication note—useful operational context not present in 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.

Conciseness5/5

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

Two tightly packed sentences: the first states the primary action and target, the second lists return content and the keyless property. No filler, no repetition of schema details.

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 single-parameter, read-only search tool with an output schema and rich annotations, the description covers everything an agent needs: what to search, what it returns, and the auth constraint. Nothing essential is missing.

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%, and the 'name' parameter already has a clear description with an example. The tool description adds no further parameter-level detail, so the baseline 3 applies.

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?

States a specific verb ('Search'), a clear resource ('academic authors'), the search key ('by name'), and the data source ('Semantic Scholar'). It also enumerates the returned fields, making the tool's function unambiguous and distinguishing it from paper-focused siblings like get_paper and search_papers.

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 phrase 'Search for academic authors by name' gives clear context for when to use the tool, and the field list clarifies its output. It does not explicitly name alternatives or exclusions (e.g., 'use search_papers for papers'), so it stops short of a 5.

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

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