paper_search
[SUPPORT] Search academic papers — a REAL external lookup. 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. Sources via the 'source' param: 'arxiv' (default; prepr...
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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 source to search (default 'arxiv'). 'openalex' for broad published-work discovery; 'crossref' for DOI/venue metadata; 'core' needs CORE_API_KEY. |
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
Even though paper_search only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.
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. 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. Sources via the 'source' param: 'arxiv' (default; preprints, physics/CS/math), 'openalex' (broadest journal/conference coverage across every discipline), 'semantic_scholar' (citation counts + TL;DRs), 'pubmed' (biomedical/agricultural), 'crossref' (the DOI registry: best for DOI resolution and venue metadata — journal name, ISSN, publisher — weaker for topical discovery), and 'core' (open-access full-text aggregator; needs CORE_API_KEY on the server and returns an explicit error without it). All keyless except 'core'. Every source returns the same base shape: {query, count, results:[{title, authors, summary, published, url, pdf_url, ...}]} plus a per-source id — arxiv_id, openalex_id (+doi), s2_id (+doi, citation_count, tldr), pmid (+doi), doi (crossref: +venue, issn, publisher, type, citation_count), or core_id (+doi, venue, has_full_text). An unknown source returns {error}. 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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