Academic Paper Search MCP Server
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| CROSSREF_API_KEY | No | Your Crossref API key (optional but recommended) | |
| SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY | No | Your Semantic Scholar API key (not currently implemented) |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Server capabilities have not been inspected yet.
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| search_papersC | Search for papers across multiple sources. |
| fetch_paper_detailsB | Get detailed information about a specific paper. |
| search_by_topicB | Search for papers by topic with optional date range. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 3 tools
The tools 'search_by_topic' and 'search_papers' have significant overlap in purpose—both search for papers, with only minor differences in parameters. This creates ambiguity, as an agent might struggle to choose between them. The 'fetch_paper_details' tool is distinct, but the two search tools are not clearly differentiated.
The naming is mixed: 'fetch_paper_details' uses a verb_noun pattern, while 'search_by_topic' and 'search_papers' use verb_preposition_noun and verb_noun styles, respectively. This inconsistency makes the set less predictable, though the names are still readable and descriptive.
With only 3 tools, the server feels thin for an academic paper search domain. It lacks essential operations like filtering by author, journal, or citation count, and there's no update or delete functionality, which limits its utility for comprehensive paper management.
The tool surface is incomplete for academic paper search. It covers basic fetch and search operations but misses key features such as author-based searches, citation tracking, paper categorization, or integration with reference managers. This will likely cause agent failures in complex workflows.