// SCAN REPORT

OpenAlex Research MCP Server

31 tools. 1 can modify or destroy data without limits.

1 write tool that can modify data. Rate limits recommended.

Last updated:

1 can modify or destroy data
30 read-only
31 tools total

Community server · catalogue entry verified 11/06/2026

How to control OpenAlex Research MCP Server ↓

TOOL MAP

Read (30) Write / Execute (1) Destructive / Financial (0)

MOST DANGEROUS TOOLS

High Risk
Write · Medium batch_resolve_references Resolve a list of DOIs or work IDs to full work metadata in one call. Useful for checking reference lists: validate that a set of citations

1 of OpenAlex Research MCP Server's 31 tools can modify, destroy, or commit something on every call — and an agent calls them with no built-in limits.

HOW TO CONTROL OPENALEX RESEARCH MCP SERVER

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and OpenAlex Research MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. These are the rules we recommend:

Rate limit write operations
{
  "batch_resolve_references": {
    "limits": [
      {
        "counter": "batch_resolve_references_per_hour",
        "window": "hour",
        "max": 30,
        "scope": "grant"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Prevents bulk unintended modifications from agents caught in loops.

Cap read operations
{
  "analyze_geographic_distribution": {
    "limits": [
      {
        "counter": "analyze_geographic_distribution_per_minute",
        "window": "minute",
        "max": 60,
        "scope": "grant"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Controls API costs and prevents retry loops from exhausting upstream rate limits.

  1. Create a free account and register OpenAlex Research MCP Server — nothing to install.
  2. Add these rules — paste them, or build them visually. Tune the limits to your setup.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
ENFORCE POLICY ON OPENALEX RESEARCH →

Free to start. No card required.

ALL 31 OPENALEX RESEARCH MCP SERVER TOOLS

WRITE 1 tools
Write batch_resolve_references Resolve a list of DOIs or work IDs to full work metadata in one call. Useful for checking reference lists: val
READ 30 tools
Read analyze_geographic_distribution Analyze the geographical distribution of research activity for a topic or query. Shows which countries and ins Read analyze_topic_trends Analyze publication trends over time for specific topics or queries. Returns works grouped by year to show res Read autocomplete_search Fast autocomplete/typeahead search for works, authors, institutions, or other entities. Returns quick suggesti Read check_venue_quality Check the quality and prestige metrics of a journal or conference. Returns h-index, citation impact, and index Read compare_research_areas Compare publication volume and citation metrics across different research topics or queries. Useful for unders Read find_open_access_version Find freely available (open access) versions of papers, including preprints on arXiv, bioRxiv, and institution Read find_review_articles Find review articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses on a topic. Reviews summarize the state-of-the-art Read find_seminal_papers Find seminal/foundational papers in a research area — those published more than 5 years ago with very high cit Read get_author_collaborators Analyze an author\ Read get_author_profile Get a comprehensive research profile for an author: h-index, i10-index, total citations, top-cited works, rece Read get_author_works Get all publications by a specific author over time. Useful for analyzing an author Read get_citation_network Get a citation network for a work including both citing works (forward) and referenced works (backward). Retur Read get_entity Get detailed information about any OpenAlex entity by ID. Supports works, authors, sources, institutions, topi Read get_related_works Find works related to a given work based on shared topics, citations, and references. Useful for discovering s Read get_top_cited_works Find the most highly cited works in a research area or matching specific criteria. Identifies influential and Read get_top_venues_for_field Get the top journals and conferences for a specific research field ranked by h-index. Essential first step bef Read get_trending_topics Discover emerging and trending research topics based on recent publication activity. Identifies fast-growing r Read get_work Get COMPLETE details about a specific work by OpenAlex ID or DOI. Unlike search results which are summarized, Read get_work_citations Get all works that cite a given work. Essential for forward citation analysis and understanding research impac Read get_work_references Get all works referenced/cited by a given work. Essential for backward citation analysis and finding foundatio Read health_check Check the health status of the OpenAlex MCP server and API connectivity. Returns cache status and configuratio Read list_journal_presets List all available named journal/conference presets and institution group presets. Call this first to discover Read search_authors Search for authors/researchers. Returns h-index, citation count, and affiliation data. Best for finding expert Read search_authors_by_expertise Find leading researchers/experts in a specific topic or research area, ranked by h-index or citation count. Mo Read search_by_topic Search for works within specific research topics or domains. Use this to explore literature in a particular fi Read search_in_journal_list Search for papers in a named list of top journals or conferences (preset) rather than specifying individual ve Read search_institutions Search for academic institutions with filters for research output, citations, and geographical location. Find Read search_sources Search for journals, conferences, and other publication sources. Results are sorted by h-index descending by d Read search_works Search scholarly works with advanced filtering. Supports Boolean operators, year ranges, citation thresholds, Read search_works_in_venue Search for papers published in a specific journal or conference. This is the primary tool for restricting cita

FAQ

How do I prevent bulk modifications through OpenAlex Research MCP Server? +

The OpenAlex Research MCP Server server has 1 write tools including batch_resolve_references. Set a rate limit in your policy -- for example, 10 calls per hour prevents an agent from making more than 10 modifications per hour. PolicyLayer enforces this at the gateway, before calls reach OpenAlex Research MCP Server.

How many tools does the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP server expose? +

31 tools across 2 categories: Read, Write. 30 are read-only. 1 can modify, create, or delete data.

How do I enforce a policy on OpenAlex Research MCP Server? +

Register the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer, apply the suggested rules above (adjust the limits to your use case), and point your AI client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL instead of the server directly. Your agents keep the same tools; PolicyLayer evaluates every call against policy before it executes. Nothing to install, live in minutes.

Enforce policy on every OpenAlex Research MCP Server tool call.

Deterministic rules across all 31 OpenAlex Research MCP Server tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.

ENFORCE POLICY ON OPENALEX RESEARCH →

Free to start. No card required.

31 OpenAlex Research MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.

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