search_papersLABSCO SUMMARY
Two literature APIs, reachable with nothing to sign up for.
It covers the narrow thing a model actually needs mid-conversation: find papers on a subject, optionally within a date range, then fetch the full record for one you already have a DOI for. Because the key variables in the config example are not wired up yet, it runs against the public endpoints as-is.
What it is
A Python MCP server, built on FastMCP and httpx, that searches academic papers across Semantic Scholar and Crossref and returns metadata, abstracts and full-text links where they exist. The README notes the software is under active development and that features and functionality are subject to change.
What you get
- Paper search across the sources by free-text query, with an optional result limit that defaults to 10 —
search_papers - Topic search with an optional start and end year, the query capped at 300 characters, returning titles, authors, years, abstracts, TL;DR summaries where available, venue and open access information —
search_by_topic - A full record for one paper by DOI or Semantic Scholar ID, choosing
crossreforsemantic_scholaras the source (crossrefby default) —fetch_paper_details - Detail responses carrying title, authors, year, DOI, venue, open access status and PDF URL (Semantic Scholar only), plus abstract and TL;DR when available
Requirements
Python with uv: uv add "mcp[cli]" httpx, then run the server with uv run server.py and point the client's command at that path. The data sources are the Semantic Scholar API and the Crossref API. The README's env block shows SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY and CROSSREF_API_KEY and marks them "These are not actually implemented" — so leave them out and use the standalone instructions. The package declares itself academic-search (0.1.0). AGPL-3.0, which means network use of a modified copy obliges you to publish the source.
Setup effort
Build from source — git clone https://github.com/afrise/academic-search-mcp-server
USE CASES
01
Finding papers on a subject mid-conversation
Search by free text and read the formatted results; raise the limit past the default 10 when you want a wider sweep.
02
Restricting a literature search to a period
Search by topic with a start and end year, and read titles, authors, abstracts and TL;DR summaries in one pass.
03
Expanding a DOI you already have
Fetch the record for that identifier, switching the source to Semantic Scholar when you want the open access status and PDF URL.
04
Checking whether a paper is readable before you cite it
Read the open access flag and PDF URL from the Semantic Scholar detail response rather than opening each publisher page.
3 tools
Listed in project docs. Your client may show a different list.
fetch_paper_detailssearch_by_topicBEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
3 tools named in the project's documentation.
Requires
- uv on PATH
- Python 3.10+
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
You clone this one yourself.
Server setup
TERMINAL
git clone https://github.com/afrise/academic-search-mcp-server
cd academic-search-mcp-server
uv add "mcp[cli]" httpxMCP Clients
Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"academic-search": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"run",
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_ACADEMIC_SEARCH_MCP_SERVER>/server.py"
]
}
}
}
