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Search scholarly papers, find open access copies and related work through OpenAlex. No key needed.
About
Search scholarly papers, find open access copies and related work through OpenAlex. No key needed.
Security Report
Paper Finder is a small, read-only MCP server that queries the public OpenAlex API with no authentication, no stored secrets, and no shell or filesystem access. The only notable items are minor input-handling and review-coverage gaps, none of which affect the score materially. Its network use matches its stated purpose of searching scholarly papers. Supply chain analysis found 3 known vulnerabilities in dependencies (2 critical, 0 high severity). Package verification found 1 issue.
7 files analyzed · 8 issues found
Security scores are indicators to help you make informed decisions, not guarantees. Always review permissions before connecting any MCP server.
How to Install
Add this to your MCP configuration file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-github-anonymousonyx22-paper-finder-student-mcp": {
"args": [
"-y",
"paper-finder-student-mcp"
],
"command": "npx"
}
}
}Documentation
View on GitHubFrom the project's GitHub README.
Paper Finder MCP
Ask your AI to find real scholarly papers for an essay or research project, with authors, year, citation counts, DOIs and a free to read link when one exists. Results come straight from OpenAlex, a free open catalog of more than 250 million works, so the papers are real, not invented.
This is a free, open source MCP server. It works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code Copilot and any other app that supports MCP. Searches go to the free public OpenAlex service and nothing else. There is no account or key, and nothing is stored.
Free forever. No account and no subscription.
Quick start
Add this to your AI app's MCP config. For Claude Desktop that is claude_desktop_config.json.
{
"mcpServers": {
"paper-finder": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "paper-finder-student-mcp"]
}
}
}
Restart your AI app, then try one of the questions below. You need Node.js 20 or newer.
For Claude Code, run claude mcp add paper-finder -- npx -y paper-finder-student-mcp.
What you can ask
- "Find recent open access papers on spaced repetition and exam performance."
- "Give me the abstract and a free link for 10.1038/nature14539."
- "What papers are related to that one?"
- "Who has cited that paper the most recently?"
Tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
search_papers | Search scholarly works by keywords, with optional year and open access filters |
get_paper | Details for one paper from its DOI or OpenAlex id, including the abstract |
related_papers | Papers OpenAlex marks as related to a paper |
cited_by | Newer papers that cite a paper |
Good to know
- Citation counts and open access links come from OpenAlex and can be a little behind the publisher.
- If you want faster, more reliable service for heavy use, set
OPENALEX_EMAILto your own email. OpenAlex asks for it so they can reach you, and it is sent only to OpenAlex. OPENALEX_BASE_URLpoints the server somewhere else, which the tests use.- Always read the paper yourself before you cite it. A catalog entry is not the paper.
Development
npm install
npm run build
npm test
Tests run against a fake OpenAlex server, so they need no network.
More free student MCP servers
All free, open source and read only where they touch your accounts. Browse the full list at brightspacemcp.com/more-mcps.
| Server | What it does |
|---|---|
| Brightspace MCP | D2L Brightspace for AI. Due dates with real submission status, grades, a target grade calculator and course files. |
| Canvas MCP | Read-only Canvas LMS for AI. Due dates, missing work, grades and announcements. |
| Moodle MCP | Read-only Moodle for AI. Due dates, overdue work, grades and announcements. |
| Google Classroom MCP | Read-only Google Classroom for AI. To-do, due dates, missing work and grades. |
| GPA Calculator MCP | GPA, grade conversion and what-do-I-need-on-the-final math for AI. Works offline, no account. |
| Citations MCP | APA, MLA and Chicago citations from a DOI, an ISBN or typed details. No account. |
| Study Planner MCP | Exam study schedules, spaced repetition dates, pomodoro plans and assignment milestones. Works offline. |
License
MIT
Reviews
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