// SCAN REPORT

Paper Search MCP

63 tools. 5 can modify or destroy data without limits.

5 write tools that can modify data. Rate limits recommended.

Last updated:

5 can modify or destroy data
58 read-only
63 tools total

Community server · catalogue entry verified 10/06/2026

How to control Paper Search MCP ↓

TOOL MAP

Read (58) Write / Execute (5) Destructive / Financial (0)

MOST DANGEROUS TOOLS

High Risk
Write · Low download_biorxiv This tool fetches a remote PDF and writes it to the local filesystem. Write · Low download_citeseerx This tool downloads a PDF from CiteSeerX and writes it to the local filesystem. Write · Low download_iacr This tool fetches a PDF from IACR and writes it to the local filesystem. Write · Low download_openaire The tool downloads a remote file and writes it to the local filesystem.

5 of Paper Search MCP's 63 tools can modify, destroy, or commit something on every call — and an agent calls them with no built-in limits.

HOW TO CONTROL PAPER SEARCH MCP

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

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

Prevents bulk unintended modifications from agents caught in loops.

Cap read operations
{
  "download_acm": {
    "limits": [
      {
        "counter": "download_acm_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 Paper Search MCP — 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 PAPER SEARCH →

Free to start. No card required.

ALL 63 PAPER SEARCH MCP TOOLS

WRITE 5 tools
Write download_biorxiv Download PDF of a bioRxiv paper. Args: paper_id: bioRxiv DOI. save_path: Directory to sav Write download_citeseerx Download PDF for a paper from CiteSeerX. Args: paper_id: CiteSeerX paper identifier. save Write download_iacr Download PDF of an IACR ePrint paper. Args: paper_id: IACR paper ID (e.g., '2009/101'). s Write download_openaire Download PDF for a paper from OpenAIRE. Args: paper_id: OpenAIRE paper identifier. save_p Write download_openalex Download PDF for a paper from OpenAlex. Args: paper_id: OpenAlex paper ID. save_path: Dir
READ 58 tools
Read download_acm Download a PDF from ACM Digital Library. Requires PAPER_SEARCH_MCP_ACM_API_KEY (or ACM_API_KEY) and instituti Read download_arxiv Download PDF of an arXiv paper. Args: paper_id: arXiv paper ID (e.g., '2106.12345'). save Read download_base Download PDF for a paper from BASE. Args: paper_id: BASE paper identifier. save_path: Dir Read download_crossref Attempt to download PDF of a CrossRef paper. Args: paper_id: CrossRef DOI (e.g., '10.1038/nature1 Read download_dblp Download PDF for a paper from dblp. Note: dblp doesn't provide direct PDF access. This function retur Read download_doaj Download PDF for a paper from DOAJ. Args: paper_id: DOAJ paper identifier. save_path: Dir Read download_hal Download PDF for a paper from HAL. Args: paper_id: HAL paper identifier. save_path: Direc Read download_ieee Download a PDF from IEEE Xplore. Requires PAPER_SEARCH_MCP_IEEE_API_KEY (or IEEE_API_KEY) and institutional a Read download_medrxiv Download PDF of a medRxiv paper. Args: paper_id: medRxiv DOI. save_path: Directory to sav Read download_pubmed Attempt to download PDF of a PubMed paper. Args: paper_id: PubMed ID (PMID). save_path: D Read download_scihub Download paper PDF via Sci-Hub (optional fallback connector). Args: identifier: DOI, title, PMID, Read download_semantic download_semantic Read download_ssrn Download PDF for a paper from SSRN. Note: SSRN connector is metadata-only and download is not supported. Read download_with_fallback Try source-native download, OA repositories, Unpaywall, then optional Sci-Hub. Args: source: Sour Read download_zenodo Download PDF for a paper from Zenodo. Args: paper_id: Zenodo paper identifier. save_path: Read get_crossref_paper_by_doi get_crossref_paper_by_doi Read read_acm_paper Download and read an ACM Digital Library paper. Requires PAPER_SEARCH_MCP_ACM_API_KEY (or ACM_API_KEY). Read read_arxiv_paper Read and extract text content from an arXiv paper PDF. Args: paper_id: arXiv paper ID (e.g., '210 Read read_base_paper Read and extract text content from a BASE paper. Args: paper_id: BASE paper identifier. s Read read_biorxiv_paper Read and extract text content from a bioRxiv paper PDF. Args: paper_id: bioRxiv DOI. save Read read_citeseerx_paper Read and extract text content from a CiteSeerX paper. Args: paper_id: CiteSeerX paper identifier. Read read_crossref_paper Attempt to read and extract text content from a CrossRef paper. Args: paper_id: CrossRef DOI (e.g Read read_dblp_paper Attempt to read and extract text content from a dblp paper. Note: dblp doesn't provide direct paper conte Read read_doaj_paper Read and extract text content from a DOAJ paper. Args: paper_id: DOAJ paper identifier. s Read read_hal_paper Read and extract text content from a HAL paper. Args: paper_id: HAL paper identifier. sav Read read_iacr_paper Read and extract text content from an IACR ePrint paper PDF. Args: paper_id: IACR paper ID (e.g., Read read_ieee_paper Download and read an IEEE Xplore paper. Requires PAPER_SEARCH_MCP_IEEE_API_KEY (or IEEE_API_KEY). Ar Read read_medrxiv_paper Read and extract text content from a medRxiv paper PDF. Args: paper_id: medRxiv DOI. save Read read_openaire_paper Attempt to read and extract text content from an OpenAIRE paper. Args: paper_id: OpenAIRE paper i Read read_openalex_paper Attempt to read and extract text content from an OpenAlex paper. Args: paper_id: OpenAlex paper I Read read_pubmed_paper Read and extract text content from a PubMed paper. Args: paper_id: PubMed ID (PMID). save Read read_semantic_paper read_semantic_paper Read read_ssrn_paper Read paper content from SSRN. Note: SSRN connector is metadata-only and read is not supported. Args: Read read_zenodo_paper Read and extract text content from a Zenodo paper. Args: paper_id: Zenodo paper identifier. Read search_acm Search ACM Digital Library for papers. Requires PAPER_SEARCH_MCP_ACM_API_KEY (or ACM_API_KEY). Args: Read search_arxiv Search academic papers from arXiv. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). Read search_base Search academic papers from BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine). Args: query: Search query st Read search_biorxiv Search academic papers from bioRxiv. Note: bioRxiv API filters by category name within the last 30 days, Read search_citeseerx Search academic papers from CiteSeerX digital library. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'm Read search_core Search academic papers from CORE. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). Read search_crossref Search academic papers from CrossRef database. CrossRef is a scholarly infrastructure organization th Read search_dblp Search academic papers from dblp computer science bibliography. Args: query: Search query string Read search_doaj Search academic papers from DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals). Args: query: Search query s Read search_europepmc Search academic papers from Europe PMC. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning Read search_google_scholar Search academic papers from Google Scholar. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine lear Read search_hal Search academic papers from HAL open archive. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine le Read search_iacr Search academic papers from IACR ePrint Archive. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'cryptog Read search_ieee Search IEEE Xplore for papers. Requires PAPER_SEARCH_MCP_IEEE_API_KEY (or IEEE_API_KEY). Args: Read search_medrxiv Search academic papers from medRxiv. Note: medRxiv API filters by category name within the last 30 days, Read search_openaire Search academic papers from OpenAIRE European Open Access infrastructure. Args: query: Search que Read search_openalex Search academic papers from OpenAlex. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning') Read search_papers Unified top-level search across all configured academic platforms. Args: query: Search query stri Read search_pmc Search academic papers from PubMed Central (PMC). Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machin Read search_pubmed Search academic papers from PubMed. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine learning'). Read search_semantic Search academic papers from Semantic Scholar. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'machine le Read search_ssrn Search metadata records from SSRN. Note: SSRN connector is metadata-only and does not support direct PDF Read search_unpaywall Lookup a DOI via Unpaywall and return OA metadata. Unpaywall is DOI-centric and does not support generic Read search_zenodo Search academic papers from Zenodo open repository. Args: query: Search query string (e.g., 'mach

FAQ

How do I prevent bulk modifications through Paper Search MCP? +

The Paper Search MCP server has 5 write tools including download_biorxiv, download_citeseerx, download_iacr. 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 Paper Search MCP.

How many tools does the Paper Search MCP server expose? +

63 tools across 1 categories: Read. 58 are read-only. 5 can modify, create, or delete data.

How do I enforce a policy on Paper Search MCP? +

Register the Paper Search 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 Paper Search MCP tool call.

Deterministic rules across all 63 Paper Search MCP tools. Per-identity grants. Full audit log. Live in minutes. Nothing to install.

ENFORCE POLICY ON PAPER SEARCH →

Free to start. No card required.

63 Paper Search MCP tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 42,500+ MCP servers.

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