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Search academic authors

search_authors

Read-onlyIdempotent

Find researchers by name and retrieve profiles, affiliations, and publication metrics; compare affiliations to distinguish people with the same name.

Instructions

Find researchers and their profiles, affiliations and publication metrics.

Compare returned affiliations to distinguish people with the same name.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No	Maximum results (1-1000, default 5)
`query`	Yes	Author name to search for

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed4 schema fields changedv0.8.3Sep 5, 2026
- addedOutput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +true
```
- removedOutput schema / properties
```
Removed value: -{
-  "result": {
-    "type": "string"
-  }
-}
```
- removedOutput schema / required
```
Removed value: -[
-  "result"
-]
```
- removedOutput schema / x-fastmcp-wrap-result
```
Removed value: -true
```
First observedv0.6.0May 30, 2026

TDQS

A3.5/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, openWorldHint and destructiveHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds useful context about what each result contains and how to resolve name collisions, but says nothing about result volume, pagination, or limits behavior.

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?

Two tight sentences with no filler, and the core purpose is front-loaded ahead of the disambiguation advice. Sizing is appropriate for a simple two-parameter read tool.

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?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be spelled out, and the description still sketches the result shape. For a two-parameter search tool with complete annotations the definition is essentially complete, missing only matching-behavior detail on the query parameter.

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 both 'query' and 'limit' fully documented including the 1-1000 range and default. The description adds no query syntax or matching-rule detail (e.g. exact vs fuzzy name matching), so baseline 3 applies.

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

Purpose4/5

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

States a specific verb and resource ('Find researchers') and enumerates the payload the resource carries (profiles, affiliations, publication metrics), which distinguishes it from sibling search_papers. It does not explicitly name a sibling tool, so it stops short of a 5.

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?

Usage is only implied by the noun 'researchers'; there is no explicit when-to-use, when-not-to-use, or named alternative among the siblings. The one genuine guidance element is the disambiguation tip about comparing affiliations for identical names.

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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