Paper Search MCP

Instructions

Implementation Reference

• src/mcp/handleToolCall.ts:223-238 (handler)

  Main handler logic for download_paper tool: parses args, selects platform searcher, validates capabilities, calls downloadPdf, and returns file path.
  case 'download_paper': { const { paperId, platform, savePath } = args; const resolvedSavePath = savePath || './downloads'; const searcher = (searchers as any)[platform]; if (!searcher) { throw new Error(`Unsupported platform for download: ${platform}`); } if (!searcher.getCapabilities().download) { throw new Error(`Platform ${platform} does not support PDF download`); } const filePath = await searcher.downloadPdf(paperId, { savePath: resolvedSavePath }); return jsonTextResponse(`PDF downloaded successfully to: ${filePath}`); }
• src/mcp/schemas.ts:109-115 (schema)

  Zod schema definition for validating inputs to download_paper: paperId (required), platform (enum), savePath (optional). Used in parseToolArgs.
  export const DownloadPaperSchema = z .object({ paperId: z.string().min(1), platform: z.enum(['arxiv', 'biorxiv', 'medrxiv', 'semantic', 'iacr', 'scihub', 'springer', 'wiley']), savePath: z.string().optional() }) .strip();
• src/mcp/tools.ts:249-268 (registration)

  MCP tool registration in TOOLS array: defines name, description, and inputSchema matching the Zod schema.
  { name: 'download_paper', description: 'Download PDF file of an academic paper', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { paperId: { type: 'string', description: 'Paper ID (e.g., arXiv ID, DOI for Sci-Hub)' }, platform: { type: 'string', enum: ['arxiv', 'biorxiv', 'medrxiv', 'semantic', 'iacr', 'scihub', 'springer', 'wiley'], description: 'Platform where the paper is from' }, savePath: { type: 'string', description: 'Directory to save the PDF file' } }, required: ['paperId', 'platform'] } },
• src/mcp/schemas.ts:248-249 (schema)

  Schema parsing logic in parseToolArgs function for download_paper tool.
  case 'download_paper': return DownloadPaperSchema.parse(args);
• src/mcp/tools.ts:3-494 (registration)

  The full TOOLS array export where download_paper is registered among other tools for the MCP server.
  export const TOOLS: Tool[] = [ { name: 'search_papers', description: 'Search academic papers from multiple sources including arXiv, Web of Science, etc.', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, platform: { type: 'string', enum: [ 'arxiv', 'webofscience', 'pubmed', 'wos', 'biorxiv', 'medrxiv', 'semantic', 'iacr', 'googlescholar', 'scholar', 'scihub', 'sciencedirect', 'springer', 'scopus', 'crossref', 'all' ], description: 'Platform to search (default: crossref). Options: arxiv, webofscience/wos, pubmed, biorxiv, medrxiv, semantic, iacr, googlescholar/scholar, scihub, sciencedirect, springer, scopus, crossref, or all. Note: Wiley only supports PDF download by DOI, use download_paper instead.' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023", "2020-")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, journal: { type: 'string', description: 'Journal name filter' }, category: { type: 'string', description: 'Category filter (e.g., cs.AI for arXiv)' }, days: { type: 'number', description: 'Number of days to search back (bioRxiv/medRxiv only)' }, fetchDetails: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Fetch detailed information (IACR only)' }, fieldsOfStudy: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' }, description: 'Fields of study filter (Semantic Scholar only)' }, sortBy: { type: 'string', enum: ['relevance', 'date', 'citations'], description: 'Sort results by relevance, date, or citations' }, sortOrder: { type: 'string', enum: ['asc', 'desc'], description: 'Sort order: ascending or descending' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_arxiv', description: 'Search academic papers specifically from arXiv preprint server', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 50, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, category: { type: 'string', description: 'arXiv category filter (e.g., cs.AI, physics.gen-ph)' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, sortBy: { type: 'string', enum: ['relevance', 'date', 'citations'], description: 'Sort results by field' }, sortOrder: { type: 'string', enum: ['asc', 'desc'], description: 'Sort order: ascending or descending' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_webofscience', description: 'Search academic papers from Web of Science database', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 50, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Publication year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, journal: { type: 'string', description: 'Journal name filter' }, sortBy: { type: 'string', enum: ['relevance', 'date', 'citations', 'title', 'author', 'journal'], description: 'Sort results by field' }, sortOrder: { type: 'string', enum: ['asc', 'desc'], description: 'Sort order: ascending or descending' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_pubmed', description: 'Search biomedical literature from PubMed/MEDLINE database using NCBI E-utilities API', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Publication year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, journal: { type: 'string', description: 'Journal name filter' }, publicationType: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' }, description: 'Publication type filter (e.g., ["Journal Article", "Review"])' }, sortBy: { type: 'string', enum: ['relevance', 'date'], description: 'Sort results by relevance or date' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_biorxiv', description: 'Search bioRxiv preprint server for biology papers', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, days: { type: 'number', description: 'Number of days to search back (default: 30)' }, category: { type: 'string', description: 'Category filter (e.g., neuroscience, genomics)' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_medrxiv', description: 'Search medRxiv preprint server for medical papers', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, days: { type: 'number', description: 'Number of days to search back (default: 30)' }, category: { type: 'string', description: 'Category filter (e.g., infectious_diseases, epidemiology)' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_semantic_scholar', description: 'Search Semantic Scholar for academic papers with citation data', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, fieldsOfStudy: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' }, description: 'Fields of study filter (e.g., ["Computer Science", "Biology"])' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_iacr', description: 'Search IACR ePrint Archive for cryptography papers', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 50, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, fetchDetails: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Fetch detailed information for each paper (slower)' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'download_paper', description: 'Download PDF file of an academic paper', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { paperId: { type: 'string', description: 'Paper ID (e.g., arXiv ID, DOI for Sci-Hub)' }, platform: { type: 'string', enum: ['arxiv', 'biorxiv', 'medrxiv', 'semantic', 'iacr', 'scihub', 'springer', 'wiley'], description: 'Platform where the paper is from' }, savePath: { type: 'string', description: 'Directory to save the PDF file' } }, required: ['paperId', 'platform'] } }, { name: 'search_google_scholar', description: 'Search Google Scholar for academic papers using web scraping', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 20, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, yearLow: { type: 'number', description: 'Earliest publication year' }, yearHigh: { type: 'number', description: 'Latest publication year' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'get_paper_by_doi', description: 'Retrieve paper information using DOI from available platforms', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { doi: { type: 'string', description: 'DOI (Digital Object Identifier)' }, platform: { type: 'string', enum: ['arxiv', 'webofscience', 'all'], description: 'Platform to search' } }, required: ['doi'] } }, { name: 'search_scihub', description: 'Search and download papers from Sci-Hub using DOI or paper URL. Automatically detects and uses the fastest available mirror.', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { doiOrUrl: { type: 'string', description: 'DOI (e.g., "10.1038/nature12373") or full paper URL' }, downloadPdf: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Whether to download the PDF file', default: false }, savePath: { type: 'string', description: 'Directory to save the PDF file (if downloadPdf is true)' } }, required: ['doiOrUrl'] } }, { name: 'check_scihub_mirrors', description: 'Check the health status of all Sci-Hub mirror sites', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { forceCheck: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Force a fresh health check even if recent data exists', default: false } } } }, { name: 'get_platform_status', description: 'Check the status and capabilities of available academic platforms', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { validate: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Whether to validate configured API keys by making a real request (may trigger rate limits). Default: false.' } } } }, { name: 'search_sciencedirect', description: 'Search academic papers from Elsevier ScienceDirect database (requires API key)', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, journal: { type: 'string', description: 'Journal name filter' }, openAccess: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Filter for open access articles only' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_springer', description: 'Search academic papers from Springer Nature database. Uses Metadata API by default (all content) or OpenAccess API when openAccess=true (full text available). Same API key works for both.', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, journal: { type: 'string', description: 'Journal name filter' }, subject: { type: 'string', description: 'Subject area filter' }, openAccess: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Search only open access content' }, type: { type: 'string', enum: ['Journal', 'Book', 'Chapter'], description: 'Publication type filter' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_wiley', description: 'DEPRECATED: Wiley TDM API does not support keyword search. Use search_crossref to find Wiley articles, then use download_paper with platform="wiley" to download PDFs by DOI.', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'This tool is deprecated. Use search_crossref instead.' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_scopus', description: 'Search the Scopus abstract and citation database (requires Elsevier API key)', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 25, description: 'Maximum number of results (max 25 per request)' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, journal: { type: 'string', description: 'Journal name filter' }, affiliation: { type: 'string', description: 'Institution/affiliation filter' }, subject: { type: 'string', description: 'Subject area filter' }, openAccess: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Filter for open access articles only' }, documentType: { type: 'string', enum: ['ar', 'cp', 're', 'bk', 'ch'], description: 'Document type: ar=article, cp=conference paper, re=review, bk=book, ch=chapter' } }, required: ['query'] } }, { name: 'search_crossref', description: 'Search academic papers from Crossref database. Free API with extensive scholarly metadata coverage across publishers.', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string', description: 'Search query string' }, maxResults: { type: 'number', minimum: 1, maximum: 100, description: 'Maximum number of results to return' }, year: { type: 'string', description: 'Year filter (e.g., "2023", "2020-2023")' }, author: { type: 'string', description: 'Author name filter' }, sortBy: { type: 'string', enum: ['relevance', 'date', 'citations'], description: 'Sort results by relevance, date, or citations' }, sortOrder: { type: 'string', enum: ['asc', 'desc'], description: 'Sort order: ascending or descending' } }, required: ['query'] } } ];