elsevier-mcp

serial_title_search

Search Scopus for academic journals and serial publications by title, ISSN, publisher, subject area, or open access status. Retrieve detailed records with pagination.

Instructions

Search for academic journals and serial publications in Scopus by title, ISSN, publisher, subject area, or open access status.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "serial_title_search"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`oa`	No	Open access status filter.
`pub`	No	Publisher name to filter by.
`date`	No	Date filter.
`issn`	No	ISSN to search for.
`subj`	No	Subject area code (e.g. 'COMP', 'MATH', 'MEDI', 'PHYS').
`view`	No	Response detail level.
`count`	No	Number of results per page. Max 200.
`start`	No	Offset for pagination.
`title`	No	Journal title to search for (partial match supported).
`content`	No	Content type: 'journal', 'tradejournal', 'conferenceproceeding', 'bookseries'.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv1.0.0Aug 2, 2026

TDQS

A3.6/5.0

Behavior2/5

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

With no annotations provided, the description must disclose behavioral traits. It only states the searchable fields and does not mention pagination behavior, result format, default filters, OR/AND logic, or limitations. This is a significant gap for a search tool with no output schema.

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?

A single, front-loaded sentence that communicates the tool's core function efficiently. No redundant words or filler.

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

Completeness2/5

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

Despite 10 parameters and no annotations or output schema, the description gives only a high-level search statement. It omits critical operational details such as response fields, pagination defaults, and filter combination semantics, leaving the agent under-informed for effective use.

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?

The input schema provides descriptions for all 10 parameters (100% coverage), so per guidelines the baseline is 3. The description merely restates a subset of these filters without adding semantic value about parameter interactions or defaults.

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 uses the specific verb 'Search' and identifies the resource as 'academic journals and serial publications in Scopus,' listing the filter criteria (title, ISSN, publisher, subject area, open access status). This clearly distinguishes it from siblings like scopus_search (documents) and serial_title_retrieval (specific record retrieval).

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 description implies a clear use case: when you need to search for serials by bibliographic properties. It does not explicitly name alternatives or exclusions, but the context is clear enough to differentiate from nearby tools focused on article retrieval or single-title lookup.

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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