About
Paper Search is an MCP server that enables comprehensive academic literature discovery by searching and downloading papers from multiple scholarly platforms. It aggregates results from arXiv, PubMed, bioRxiv, medRxiv, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, IACR ePrint Archive, and optional Sci-Hub access. Key features of Paper Search: - Unified search interface across 7+ major academic repositories - PDF download and full-text extraction capabilities - Standardized metadata format for consistent citation and analysis - Asynchronous network requests for efficient performance - Deep Research compatibility with standardized `search` and `fetch` tools for OpenAI and ChatGPT connectors - Extensible architecture to add new academic platforms - Direct integration with Claude Desktop and other MCP-compatible LLM clients
Tools 25
searchDeep Research compatible search tool aggregating across sources.
fetchFetch full document content for a search result.
search_arxivSearch academic papers from arXiv. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
search_pubmedSearch academic papers from PubMed. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
search_biorxivSearch academic papers from bioRxiv. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
search_medrxivSearch academic papers from medRxiv. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
search_google_scholarSearch academic papers from Google Scholar. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
search_iacrSearch academic papers from IACR ePrint Archive. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'cryptography', 'secret sharing'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). fetch_details: Whether to fetch detailed information for each paper (default: True). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
download_arxivDownload PDF of an arXiv paper. Args: paper_id: arXiv paper ID (e.g., '2106.12345'). save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: Path to the downloaded PDF file.
download_pubmedAttempt to download PDF of a PubMed paper. Args: paper_id: PubMed ID (PMID). save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: Message indicating that direct PDF download is not supported.
download_biorxivDownload PDF of a bioRxiv paper. Args: paper_id: bioRxiv DOI. save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: Path to the downloaded PDF file.
download_medrxivDownload PDF of a medRxiv paper. Args: paper_id: medRxiv DOI. save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: Path to the downloaded PDF file.
download_iacrDownload PDF of an IACR ePrint paper. Args: paper_id: IACR paper ID (e.g., '2009/101'). save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: Path to the downloaded PDF file.
read_arxiv_paperRead and extract text content from an arXiv paper PDF. Args: paper_id: arXiv paper ID (e.g., '2106.12345'). save_path: Directory where the PDF is/will be saved (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: The extracted text content of the paper.
read_pubmed_paperRead and extract text content from a PubMed paper. Args: paper_id: PubMed ID (PMID). save_path: Directory where the PDF would be saved (unused). Returns: str: Message indicating that direct paper reading is not supported.
read_biorxiv_paperRead and extract text content from a bioRxiv paper PDF. Args: paper_id: bioRxiv DOI. save_path: Directory where the PDF is/will be saved (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: The extracted text content of the paper.
read_medrxiv_paperRead and extract text content from a medRxiv paper PDF. Args: paper_id: medRxiv DOI. save_path: Directory where the PDF is/will be saved (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: The extracted text content of the paper.
read_iacr_paperRead and extract text content from an IACR ePrint paper PDF. Args: paper_id: IACR paper ID (e.g., '2009/101'). save_path: Directory where the PDF is/will be saved (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: The extracted text content of the paper.
search_semanticSearch academic papers from Semantic Scholar. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). year: Optional year filter (e.g., '2019', '2016-2020', '2010-', '-2015'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10). Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format.
download_semanticDownload PDF of a Semantic Scholar paper. Args: paper_id: Semantic Scholar paper ID, Paper identifier in one of the following formats: - Semantic Scholar ID (e.g., "649def34f8be52c8b66281af98ae884c09aef38b") - DOI:<doi> (e.g., "DOI:10.18653/v1/N18-3011") - ARXIV:<id> (e.g., "ARXIV:2106.15928") - MAG:<id> (e.g., "MAG:112218234") - ACL:<id> (e.g., "ACL:W12-3903") - PMID:<id> (e.g., "PMID:19872477") - PMCID:<id> (e.g., "PMCID:2323736") - URL:<url> (e.g., "URL:https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.15928v1") save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: Path to the downloaded PDF file.
read_semantic_paperRead and extract text content from a Semantic Scholar paper. Args: paper_id: Semantic Scholar paper ID, Paper identifier in one of the following formats: - Semantic Scholar ID (e.g., "649def34f8be52c8b66281af98ae884c09aef38b") - DOI:<doi> (e.g., "DOI:10.18653/v1/N18-3011") - ARXIV:<id> (e.g., "ARXIV:2106.15928") - MAG:<id> (e.g., "MAG:112218234") - ACL:<id> (e.g., "ACL:W12-3903") - PMID:<id> (e.g., "PMID:19872477") - PMCID:<id> (e.g., "PMCID:2323736") - URL:<url> (e.g., "URL:https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.15928v1") save_path: Directory where the PDF is/will be saved (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: The extracted text content of the paper.
search_crossrefSearch academic papers from CrossRef database. CrossRef is a scholarly infrastructure organization that provides persistent identifiers (DOIs) for scholarly content and metadata. It's one of the largest citation databases covering millions of academic papers, journals, books, and other scholarly content. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning', 'climate change'). max_results: Maximum number of papers to return (default: 10, max: 1000). **kwargs: Additional search parameters: - filter: CrossRef filter string (e.g., 'has-full-text:true,from-pub-date:2020') - sort: Sort field ('relevance', 'published', 'updated', 'deposited', etc.) - order: Sort order ('asc' or 'desc') Returns: List of paper metadata in dictionary format. Examples: # Basic search search_crossref("deep learning", 20) # Search with filters search_crossref("climate change", 10, filter="from-pub-date:2020,has-full-text:true") # Search sorted by publication date search_crossref("neural networks", 15, sort="published", order="desc")
get_crossref_paper_by_doiGet a specific paper from CrossRef by its DOI. Args: doi: Digital Object Identifier (e.g., '10.1038/nature12373'). Returns: Paper metadata in dictionary format, or empty dict if not found. Example: get_crossref_paper_by_doi("10.1038/nature12373")
download_crossrefAttempt to download PDF of a CrossRef paper. Args: paper_id: CrossRef DOI (e.g., '10.1038/nature12373'). save_path: Directory to save the PDF (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: Message indicating that direct PDF download is not supported. Note: CrossRef is a citation database and doesn't provide direct PDF downloads. Use the DOI to access the paper through the publisher's website.
read_crossref_paperAttempt to read and extract text content from a CrossRef paper. Args: paper_id: CrossRef DOI (e.g., '10.1038/nature12373'). save_path: Directory where the PDF is/will be saved (default: './downloads'). Returns: str: Message indicating that direct paper reading is not supported. Note: CrossRef is a citation database and doesn't provide direct paper content. Use the DOI to access the paper through the publisher's website.
README
Paper Search MCP
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for searching and downloading academic papers from multiple sources, including arXiv, PubMed, bioRxiv, and Sci-Hub (optional). Designed for seamless integration with large language models like Claude Desktop.
[](https://smithery.ai/server/@openags/paper-search-mcp)
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Table of Contents
---
Overview
paper-search-mcp is a Python-based MCP server that enables users to search and download academic papers from various platforms. It provides tools for searching papers (e.g., search_arxiv) and downloading PDFs (e.g., download_arxiv), making it ideal for researchers and AI-driven workflows. Built with the MCP Python SDK, it integrates seamlessly with LLM clients like Claude Desktop.
---
Features
search and fetch tools required by OpenAI Deep Research and ChatGPT connectors.Paper class.httpx.academic_platforms module.---
Installation
paper-search-mcp can be installed using uv or pip. Below are two approaches: a quick start for immediate use and a detailed setup for development.
Installing via Smithery
To install paper-search-mcp for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @openags/paper-search-mcp --client claude
Quick Start
For users who want to quickly run the server:
1. Install Package:
uv add paper-search-mcp
2. Configure Claude Desktop:
Add this configuration to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Mac) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"paper_search_server": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"run",
"--directory",
"/path/to/your/paper-search-mcp",
"-m",
"paper_search_mcp.server"
],
"env": {
"SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "" // Optional: For enhanced Semantic Scholar features
}
}
}
}
/path/to/your/paper-search-mcp with your actual installation path.For Development
For developers who want to modify the code or contribute:
1. Setup Environment:
# Install uv if not installed
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh # Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/openags/paper-search-mcp.git
cd paper-search-mcp
# Create and activate virtual environment
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
2. Install Dependencies:
# Install project in editable mode
uv add -e . # Add development dependencies (optional)
uv add pytest flake8
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Contributing
We welcome contributions! Here's how to get started:
1. Fork the Repository: Click "Fork" on GitHub.
2. Clone and Set Up:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/paper-search-mcp.git
cd paper-search-mcp
pip install -e ".[dev]" # Install dev dependencies (if added to pyproject.toml)
3. Make Changes:
- Add new platforms in academic_platforms/.
- Update tests in tests/.
4. Submit a Pull Request: Push changes and create a PR on GitHub.
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Demo
TODO
Planned Academic Platforms
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License
This proj
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