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io.github.penny4nonsense/mcp-scholaris

Official registry Search and web

Academic paper search and retrieval via arXiv, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Unpaywall.

Source code Documentation

Install

Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).

PYPI package mcp-scholaris
Claude Code 
claude mcp add mcp-scholaris -- uvx mcp-scholaris==0.1.3
JSON configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mcp-scholaris": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-scholaris==0.1.3"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Documentation

From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.

# mcp-scholaris

An MCP server for retrieving academic papers from open access sources. Provides search across arXiv, Semantic Scholar, and PubMed, with full text retrieval via arXiv PDFs, PubMed Central (BioC API), and Unpaywall. No paywalls, no grey area — legitimate open access only.

Installation

pip install mcp-scholaris
``````

## Tools

### ``search_papers``

Search for academic papers by topic, author, or keyword.

**Parameters:**
- ``query`` (required) — search terms
- ``sources`` (optional) — list of sources to search: ``arxiv``, ``semantic_scholar``, ``pubmed``. Defaults to all three.
- ``max_results`` (optional) — maximum results per source. Defaults to 5.

### ``fetch_paper``

Fetch the full text of a paper. Tries open access sources in order: arXiv → PubMed Central → Unpaywall. Provide at least one identifier.

**Parameters:**
- ``arxiv_id`` — e.g. ``2301.00001`` or ``arxiv:2301.00001``
- ``pubmed_id`` — PubMed ID (PMID), e.g. ``36383508``
- ``doi`` — e.g. ``10.1371/journal.pone.0276755``

## Configuration

Semantic Scholar works without an API key but is rate-limited. For higher limits, create a ``.env`` file in your working directory:

``````
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=your_key_here
``````

API keys are free at [semanticscholar.org](https://www.semanticscholar.org/product/api).

## Usage with an MCP client

Add to your MCP client configuration:

``````json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scholaris": {
      "command": "scholaris"
    }
  }
}
``````

Or run directly:

``````bash
scholaris
``````

The server communicates over stdio using the MCP protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0).

## Sources

| Source | Search | Full Text |
|---|---|---|
| arXiv | ✓ | ✓ PDF |
| Semantic Scholar | ✓ | ✓ when OA PDF available |
| PubMed | ✓ | ✓ via BioC API (PMC articles) |
| Unpaywall | — | ✓ for any DOI with OA version |

## License

MIT

Frequently asked questions

What is io.github.penny4nonsense/mcp-scholaris?

Academic paper search and retrieval via arXiv, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Unpaywall.

How do I install io.github.penny4nonsense/mcp-scholaris?

It runs on your machine. In Claude Code: claude mcp add mcp-scholaris -- uvx mcp-scholaris==0.1.3. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.

Does io.github.penny4nonsense/mcp-scholaris need an API key?

Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.

Is io.github.penny4nonsense/mcp-scholaris open source?

Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Who maintains io.github.penny4nonsense/mcp-scholaris?

It is published by penny4nonsense. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.

From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.