Academic SearchSAFE
Academic Paper Search MCP Server for Claude Desktop integration. Allows Claude to access data from Semantic Scholar and Crossref.
Overview
From the repository's own README, as read at the audited commit. Badges and raw HTML are left out.
[](https://smithery.ai/server/@afrise/academic-search-mcp-server)
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables searching and retrieving academic paper information from multiple sources.
The server provides LLMs with:
- Real-time academic paper search functionality
- Access to paper metadata and abstracts
- Ability to retrieve full-text content when available
- Structured data responses following the MCP specification
While primarily designed for integration with Anthropic's Claude Desktop client, the MCP specification allows for potential compatibility with other AI models and clients that support tool/function calling capabilities (e.g. OpenAI's API).
Note: This software is under active development. Features and functionality are subject to change.
Features
This server exposes the following tools:
search_papers: Search for academic papers across multiple sources- Parameters:
query(str): Search query textlimit(int, optional): Maximum number of results to return (default: 10)- Returns: Formatted string containing paper details
fetch_paper_details: Retrieve detailed information for a specific paper- Parameters:
paper_id(str): Paper identifier (DOI or Semantic Scholar ID)source(str, optional): Data source ("crossref" or "semantic_scholar", default: "crossref")- Returns: Formatted string with comprehensive paper metadata including:
- Title, authors, year, DOI
- Venue, open access status, PDF URL (Semantic Scholar only)
- Abstract and TL;DR summary (when available)
search_by_topic: Search for papers by topic with optional
f80427e952f4OBSERVED · 2026-10-07Connect
Built from this server's own package name, version and transport as found in its source — not copied from anyone's documentation, so it cannot drift against a page we do not control.
claude mcp add academic-search -- uvx academic-search
{
"mcpServers": {
"academic-search": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"academic-search"
]
}
}
}Exposed tools (3)
3 read · 0 write · 0 destructive.
| Tool | Risk | Description |
|---|---|---|
fetch_paper_details | read | Get detailed information about a specific paper. |
search_by_topic | read | Search for papers by topic with optional date range. |
search_papers | read | Search for papers across multiple sources. |
Trust audit
SAFEgrade B · trust 89/100 Nothing in the source contradicts what it says it does. Grade A is reserved for packages that have also passed the behavioural sandbox.
| Layer | What it checks | Result |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | Provenance & inventory | PASS |
| L1 | Static analysis of the code | PASS |
| L2 | Instruction surface (what it tells the agent) | PASS |
| L3 | Class-specific surface | PASS |
| L4 | Behavioural (sandbox) | SKIPPED |
What the source does
- Filesystem
- none-observed
- Network
- declared (1 observation(s))
- Shell
- none-observed
- Dependencies
- pinned
- Secrets in source
- none-found
Findings (0)
No findings outside the package's declared scope.
Gates applied: no_behavioural_pass.
f80427e952f4full audit observations/trust-audit/mcp-server/afrise__academic-search.json · Report an issue / request a re-scanAudit history
Every audit this server has had. A grade with a past is a grade somebody is still checking.
| Date | Source | Verdict | Grade | Score | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-07 | f80427e952f4 | SAFE | B | 89 | first audit |
Questions
What is the Academic Search MCP server?
Academic Paper Search MCP Server for Claude Desktop integration. Allows Claude to access data from Semantic Scholar and Crossref.
What tools does Academic Search expose?
3 in total: 3 read-only, 0 that write, and 0 that can delete or overwrite. Every one is listed on this page with its risk.
Is Academic Search safe to connect to an agent?
The audit found nothing in the source that contradicts what it says it does, and graded it B (89/100). Grade A is held back for packages that have also passed a sandboxed behavioural run, which is why a clean server reads B.
What credentials does Academic Search need?
No credential environment variables were found in its source, so it appears to need none.
How does Academic Search run?
It speaks stdio, so it runs as a local process your client starts. It is published on PyPI as academic-search.
How current is this page?
The grade is for one exact copy of the source (f80427e952f4), read on 2026-10-07. The repository is watched and re-audited when it changes.