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u9401066

pubmed-search-mcp

by u9401066
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
Python
Remote

find_citing_articles

Read-onlyIdempotent

Find articles that cite a given PubMed article to track research impact and discover follow-up studies.

Instructions

Find articles that cite a given PubMed article. Uses PubMed Central's citation data to find papers that reference this article.

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ 📈 FORWARD CITATION SEARCH (Impact Tracking) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Direction: Source Paper → Papers that cite it (FORWARD in time)

USE CASES: ──────────

  • 🔬 Track research impact: Who built on this work?

  • 📊 Find follow-up studies: What happened after this discovery?

  • 🔄 Identify controversies: Papers that challenge or refute findings

  • 📚 Literature review: Ensure you have the latest developments

COMPLEMENTARY TOOLS: ────────────────────

  • get_article_references(): BACKWARD search (what this paper cited)

  • find_related_articles(): Similar papers (topic-based, not citation-based)

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ EXAMPLE: ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Find papers that cite a landmark CRISPR paper

find_citing_articles(pmid="23287718", limit=20) → Returns papers published AFTER 2012 that reference this work

Then analyze citation metrics

get_citation_metrics(pmids="last") → See which citing papers are most influential

Args: pmid: PubMed ID of the source article ("12345678" or "PMID:12345678"). limit: Maximum number of citing articles to return (1-100, default: 10).

Returns: List of citing articles with details.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pmidYesComplete identifier string; optional identifier prefix, official article URL, or inline backticks. No numbers, foreign hosts, URL queries/fragments or partial identifiers.
limitNo

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed8 schema fields changedv0.7.7
    • addedInput schema / properties / limit / anyOf
      Added value: +[
+  {
+    "default": 10,
+    "maximum": 100,
+    "minimum": 1,
+    "title": "Limit",
+    "type": "integer"
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "ASCII decimal integer; the integer branch's bounds apply after conversion.",
+    "maxLength": 32,
+    "pattern": "^[ \\t\\r\\n]*-?(?:0|[1-9][0-9]*)[ \\t\\r\\n]*$",
+    "type": "string"
+  }
+]
    • removedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
      Removed value: -100
    • removedInput schema / properties / limit / minimum
      Removed value: -1
    • removedInput schema / properties / limit / type
      Removed value: -"integer"
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / description
      Added value: +"Complete identifier string; optional identifier prefix, official article URL, or inline backticks. No numbers, foreign hosts, URL queries/fragments or partial identifiers."
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / examples
      Added value: +[
+  "33053718",
+  "PMID:33053718",
+  "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33053718/"
+]
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / format
      Added value: +"pubmed-pmid"
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / x-pubmed-input
      Added value: +"pmid"
  2. Changed8 schema fields changedv0.7.2
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • addedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
      Added value: +100
    • addedInput schema / properties / limit / minimum
      Added value: +1
    • removedInput schema / properties / pmid / anyOf
      Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "integer"
-  }
-]
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / maxLength
      Added value: +512
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / minLength
      Added value: +1
    • addedInput schema / properties / pmid / type
      Added value: +"string"
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -{
-  "properties": {
-    "result": {
-      "title": "Result",
-      "type": "string"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "result"
-  ],
-  "title": "find_citing_articlesOutput",
-  "type": "object"
-}New value: +null
  3. First observedv0.5.16

TDQS

A4/5.0
Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint, so the safety profile is fully covered by structured data. The description reinforces the forward-in-time direction and notes the PubMed Central data source, which is mild added context. It does not add behavioral detail beyond annotations (no coverage notes, ordering, or pagination), so a 3 is appropriate.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads the core purpose well, but the heavy ASCII-banner formatting, emoji, and an EXAMPLE block that largely restates the usage section consume substantial space beyond the essential two-sentence purpose. Helpful but not tight; every line does not earn its place.

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?

For a two-parameter read-only lookup with no output schema, the description covers when to use it, the direction of the search, the data source, and both parameters. It lacks detail on result ordering/return fields, but annotations and the schema carry most remaining burden. Nearly complete.

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 50%. The description documents pmid (accepting '12345678' or 'PMID:12345678') and the limit range/default (1-100, default 10), which matches the schema even though the schema actually supports more formats (URLs, backticks). The description adds no syntax beyond the schema's own pmid description, so baseline 3 is right.

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?

States a specific verb and resource ('Find articles that cite a given PubMed article') and explains the data source. It explicitly distinguishes itself from citation-based backward search (get_article_references) and topic-based search (find_related_articles), so an agent can route correctly among the many 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?

Provides explicit use cases (impact tracking, follow-up studies, controversies, literature review) and a COMPLEMENTARY TOOLS section naming both alternatives with the condition that selects each. 'Direction: Source Paper → Papers that cite it (FORWARD in time)' unambiguously frames when to use this versus backward search.

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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