paper_search
[SUPPORT] Search academic papers — a REAL external lookup (keyless). Per the research-routing protocol, use this FIRST for academic/paper questions (cite the paper itself, not a secondary write-up), then capture_research_finding to save what you cite. Two keyless sources via the 'source' param: '...
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What paper_search does on Meridian
AI agents call paper_search to retrieve information from Meridian without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
limit | integer | — | Max papers to return (default 10, max 50). |
query | string | Yes | Search terms (matches title / abstract / authors). |
source | string | — | Which keyless source to search (default 'arxiv'). 'openalex' covers published cross-discipline works. |
sort_by | string | — | Sort order (default relevance; 'date' = most recent first). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why paper_search is rated Low
paper_search retrieves and queries academic paper metadata from external sources (arxiv, openalex) without creating, modifying, deleting, or executing any side effects. It is a read-only information retrieval tool. The mention of 'capture_research_finding to save what you cite' is a separate downstream action, not part of this tool's function.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Search academic papers' and 'returns' structured results with titles, authors, summaries, and URLs.
Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs paper_search safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Meridian, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For paper_search, this is the rule to start with:
paper_search is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Meridian, apply this rule, and every paper_search call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about paper_search
[SUPPORT] Search academic papers — a REAL external lookup (keyless). Per the research-routing protocol, use this FIRST for academic/paper questions (cite the paper itself, not a secondary write-up), then capture_research_finding to save what you cite. Two keyless sources via the 'source' param: 'arxiv' (default; preprints, physics/CS/math) and 'openalex' (published journal/conference works across every discipline). Both return the same shape: {query, count, results:[{title, authors, summary, published, url, pdf_url, ...}]} — arxiv rows carry arxiv_id, openalex rows carry openalex_id + doi. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Meridian MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
paper_search accepts 4 parameters: limit, query, source, sort_by. Required: query. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Meridian MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for paper_search: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Meridian. Nothing to install.
paper_search is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the paper_search rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for paper_search. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
paper_search is provided by the Meridian MCP server (@meridianmcp/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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