Paper Search MCP Server
Academic papers search and PDF download tools for AI-driven research workflows.
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Overview
Paper Search MCP Server provides a unified interface for locating and retrieving academic literature. By leveraging a two-layer architecture, it enables concurrent multi-source searches and automated PDF downloads, prioritizing open-access data to support research-focused AI tasks.
Our verdict
This server carries a high-risk level with a security score of 50/100. Key factors influencing this rating include that it is community-maintained rather than vendor-backed, and several critical areas such as authentication methods and read-only mode compliance have not yet been editorially reviewed. It is suitable for research environments where transparency is preferred, but users should be aware of the lack of formal security auditing.
- Supports zero direct dependencies to minimize supply-chain surface area.
- Features a clear project roadmap favoring public and open sources.
- Provides standardized, deduplicated search results for LLM integration.
- Security score of 50/100 reflects a high-risk profile.
- Authentication and read-only mode have not undergone security review.
- Lacks an official vendor maintainer for long-term reliability.
Tools
| Tool | Description | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| search_papers | High-level tool for multi-source concurrent search & deduplication. | low |
| download_with_fallback | Download tool relying on publisher open access links with sequential fallbacks. | low |
| search_ieee | Search IEEE Xplore. | low |
| search_acm | Search ACM Digital Library. | low |
| download_ieee | Download paper from IEEE Xplore. | low |
| download_acm | Download paper from ACM Digital Library. | low |
| read_ieee_paper | Read paper from IEEE Xplore. | low |
| read_acm_paper | Read paper from ACM Digital Library. | low |
| search_unpaywall | Standalone lookup for Unpaywall DOI-centric OA metadata. | low |
Compatibility
| Client | Local | Docker | Remote | Read-only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | ||||
| Claude Desktop | ||||
| Cursor | ||||
| VS Code | ||||
| Windsurf |
Frequently asked questions
›What are the Python version requirements for running this server?
This server requires Python 3.10 or higher.
›Are paid API keys required to use the paper search functionality?
No, the project follows a free-first strategy focusing on open and public data sources. While optional API keys can improve stability or coverage for certain sources like Semantic Scholar, the server is designed to be usable without them.
›Can I use this server with Claude Desktop?
Yes, it is compatible with MCP clients including Claude Desktop and can be installed via methods such as Smithery or standard package managers like pip and uv.
›Does the server support direct full-text reading for all academic platforms?
No, platform capabilities vary. While sources like arXiv and bioRxiv support search, download, and reading, others like PubMed currently only provide information, and Google Scholar is restricted by bot-detection.
›What is the role of the download_with_fallback tool?
This tool attempts to retrieve papers by following an open-access priority chain, starting with source-native downloads and falling back through various open repositories and Unpaywall resolution before reaching optional Sci-Hub workflows.
Alternatives
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