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academic_search

Read-onlyIdempotent

Search peer-reviewed papers from arXiv, PubMed, IEEE, Nature, Springer, and 12+ databases. Use technical terms to find relevant scholarly articles.

Instructions

Search peer-reviewed papers across arXiv, PubMed, IEEE, Nature, Springer, and 12+ scholarly databases via site-restricted web search. Returns JSON with fields: papers (array of {title, url, source, abstract}), query, totalResults, resultCount, source. No special query syntax needed — use technical terms directly. year_from/year_to combine with source filter to narrow scope. On no matches returns resultCount: 0 with empty array; on failure returns isError with message. Subject to per-tenant rate limit (default 30 req/min) with automatic provider fallback. Use this for scientific research, literature reviews, or citations — not for general content. Use web_search for non-academic technical content, or news_search for recent scientific announcements. Set pdf_only=true when you plan to pass URLs to scrape_page for full-text extraction. Results cached 24 hours.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
queryYesResearch topic or paper title to search for. Use technical terms and specific concepts for best results.,required
num_resultsNoNumber of papers to return (1-10, default: 5).
year_fromNoOnly include papers published in or after this year (e.g. 2020).
year_toNoOnly include papers published in or before this year (e.g. 2024).
sourceNoRestrict to an academic source: all (default), arxiv, pubmed, ieee, nature, springer.
pdf_onlyNoOnly return papers with direct PDF links (default: false). Useful when you plan to scrape the full paper.
sort_byNoSort order: relevance (default) or date (newest first).

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
papersNo
queryNo
resultCountNo
sourceNo
totalResultsNo
Behavior5/5

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

Discloses rate limits (30 req/min), automatic provider fallback, 24-hour caching, and behavior on no matches (resultCount:0) or failure (isError). This goes beyond annotations which already indicate read-only, idempotent, and open-world hints.

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?

Concise at 8 sentences, front-loaded with purpose and scope. Every sentence provides essential information without redundancy. Efficiently structured for quick parsing.

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?

Given 100% schema coverage, output schema presence, and rich annotations, the description completes the picture by covering rate limits, fallback, caching, error handling, and usage guidance. No gaps remain.

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

Parameters5/5

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

Adds context beyond schema descriptions: explains that year_from/year_to combine with source for narrowing, and that pdf_only is useful when later scraping with scrape_page. Clarifies that no special query syntax is needed.

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 clearly states the tool's purpose: searching peer-reviewed papers across multiple scholarly databases. It lists specific sources (arXiv, PubMed, etc.) and distinguishes from sibling tools like web_search and news_search.

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?

Explicitly states when to use this tool (scientific research, literature reviews) and when not to (general content). Provides specific alternatives: web_search for non-academic content, news_search for recent scientific announcements. Also instructs on pdf_only usage.

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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