semantic-scholar-mcp

MCP stdio server for the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph API.

Data via Semantic Scholar, Allen Institute for AI.

Install

Flat layout, matching how the server is deployed: server.py and ledger.py side by side, run by path.

python -m venv .venv && .venv/bin/pip install -e .

Then point Claude Desktop at python server.py (see below).

Tools

Configuration

SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=your_semantic_scholar_api_key

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "semantic-scholar": {
      "command": "C:\\path\\to\\.venv\\Scripts\\python.exe",
      "args": ["C:\\path\\to\\semantic_scholar_mcp\\server.py"],
      "env": {
        "SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "your_semantic_scholar_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Query receipts

Every query can be deposited to an append-only, hash-chained JSONL log by semantic_scholar_mcp.ledger. It is off unless MCP_RECEIPT_LOG is set, and a logging failure is swallowed rather than raised — a search matters more than the record of it. Secrets are redacted before a line is composed.

MCP_RECEIPT_LOG=C:\path\to\receipts.jsonl
MCP_RECEIPT_SESSION=project-or-article-slug
MCP_RECEIPT_STRICT=1        # optional: make logging failure raise

Verify a deposited log's hash chain:

python ledger.py verify receipts.jsonl

MCP SDK compatibility

Runs on both mcp 1.x and 2.x. Version 2.0.0 of the SDK removed mcp.server.fastmcp; this server imports FastMCP where it exists and falls back to MCPServer where it does not.

License

MIT © 2026 Christopher Gerteis. Covers the server code only; it grants no rights over Semantic Scholar, Allen Institute for AI data, which remains governed by that provider's terms.

Author

Dr Christopher Gerteis, SOAS University of London.