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Scholar Sidekick

by mlava
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TypeScript
Remote

Resolve Identifier

resolveIdentifier
Read-onlyIdempotent

Resolve scholarly identifiers (DOI, PMID, PMCID, ISBN, arXiv, ADS, WHO IRIS) to CSL JSON metadata with title, authors, journal, year. Use for raw bibliographic data in transformations.

Instructions

Resolve scholarly identifiers to structured CSL JSON metadata (title, authors, journal, year, identifiers). Use when the user wants raw bibliographic data to inspect, transform, or feed into another tool — not a formatted citation. Common single-shot conversions: PMID → PMCID, arXiv → DOI, ISBN → CSL JSON, WHO IRIS URL → structured metadata. Accepts DOI, PMID, PMCID, ISBN, arXiv ID, ISSN, NASA ADS bibcode, or WHO IRIS URL, with or without prefixes (PMID:, arXiv:, ISBN hyphens, https://doi.org/...). Pass a single identifier or a comma/newline-separated batch — one round trip per call. Returns: a JSON array of CSL items, each with id, type, title, author[], issued.date-parts, container-title, DOI/PMID/PMCID/ISBN/ISSN/URL when available. Use formatCitation instead when the user wants a finished citation string in a specific style; use exportCitation when they want a downloadable bibliography file. Read-only and idempotent — safe to retry. Works anonymously against the public Scholar Sidekick API (rate-limited free tier); set SCHOLAR_API_KEY (a free ssk_ key from https://scholar-sidekick.com/account) for higher limits, or RAPIDAPI_KEY for paid RapidAPI tiers. Rate limits follow your tier; the underlying REST API caches repeated identical requests and surfaces cache state in the x-scholar-cache response header.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
textYesOne or more scholarly identifiers to process — DOI (with or without https://doi.org/; a shortDOI alias such as 10/aabbe is also accepted and expanded to the full DOI), PMID (with or without 'PMID:' prefix), PMCID (e.g. PMC7793608), ISBN (10 or 13 digit, hyphens tolerated), arXiv ID (with or without 'arXiv:' prefix; old-style hep-ph/0501023 also accepted), ISSN, NASA ADS bibcode (19 chars), or WHO IRIS URL. Pass identifiers verbatim — do not strip prefixes. Multiple identifiers may be separated by newlines or commas; mixed types in one batch are supported and resolved in a single round trip.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv0.8.11
    • changedInput schema / properties / text / description
      Previous value: -"One or more scholarly identifiers to process — DOI (with or without https://doi.org/), PMID (with or without 'PMID:' prefix), PMCID (e.g. PMC7793608), ISBN (10 or 13 digit, hyphens tolerated), arXiv ID (with or without 'arXiv:' prefix; old-style hep-ph/0501023 also accepted), ISSN, NASA ADS bibcode (19 chars), or WHO IRIS URL. Pass identifiers verbatim — do not strip prefixes. Multiple identifiers may be separated by newlines or commas; mixed types in one batch are supported and resolved in a single round trip."New value: +"One or more scholarly identifiers to process — DOI (with or without https://doi.org/; a shortDOI alias such as 10/aabbe is also accepted and expanded to the full DOI), PMID (with or without 'PMID:' prefix), PMCID (e.g. PMC7793608), ISBN (10 or 13 digit, hyphens tolerated), arXiv ID (with or without 'arXiv:' prefix; old-style hep-ph/0501023 also accepted), ISSN, NASA ADS bibcode (19 chars), or WHO IRIS URL. Pass identifiers verbatim — do not strip prefixes. Multiple identifiers may be separated by newlines or commas; mixed types in one batch are supported and resolved in a single round trip."
  2. Changed1 schema field changedv0.8.3
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
  3. Addedv0.7.3
  4. Removedv0.7.1
  5. Addedv0.7.0
  6. Removedv0.6.1
  7. First observedv0.3.4

TDQS

A4.9/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and idempotentHint, and the description reinforces them with 'Read-only and idempotent — safe to retry.' It then goes beyond the annotations by disclosing authentication options (anonymous free tier, SCHOLAR_API_KEY, RAPIDAPI_KEY), rate-limit behavior, and server-side caching surfaced via x-scholar-cache header. This is rich behavioral context the agent would not otherwise know.

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?

The description is long but tightly packed: every sentence carries distinct information—purpose, usage triggers, accepted formats, output shape, alternatives, safety, auth, and rate limits. It is front-loaded with the most decision-relevant facts and avoids filler or tautology.

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?

Despite having no output schema, the description fully specifies the return format (JSON array of CSL items with listed fields). It also covers identifier variants, prefixes, batch handling, auth, rate limiting, and sibling routing. Nothing an agent needs to invoke this tool correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents the text parameter thoroughly. The description adds value with concrete conversion examples (PMID → PMCID, arXiv → DOI, ISBN → CSL JSON) and clarifies that a batch resolves in one round trip, which aids interpretation beyond the schema's formal listing.

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 opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Resolve scholarly identifiers to structured CSL JSON metadata.' It enumerates accepted identifier types and names the two most relevant sibling alternatives (formatCitation, exportCitation) to disambiguate. An agent can immediately understand what the tool does and how it differs from the other rendering-oriented siblings.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicit when-to-use guidance is front-loaded: 'Use when the user wants raw bibliographic data to inspect, transform, or feed into another tool — not a formatted citation.' It also states when not to use it, naming formatCitation and exportCitation as alternatives. The batch behavior and single-round-trip claim give operational clarity.

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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