Low Risk

list_journal_presets

List all available named journal/conference presets and institution group presets. Call this first to discover which preset keys to pass to search_in_journal_list or the institution_group parameter. Presets include: UTD24, FT50, AJG/ABS 4*/4/3 tiers, top AI conferences, Management Science group, ...

How to control list_journal_presets ↓

AI agents call list_journal_presets to retrieve information from OpenAlex Research MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

Even though list_journal_presets 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.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_journal_presets gives an agent:

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. This is the rule we recommend for list_journal_presets:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_journal_presets": {}
  }
}

list_journal_presets is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register OpenAlex Research MCP Server — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
CAP THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

Go deeper

What does the list_journal_presets tool do? +

List all available named journal/conference presets and institution group presets. Call this first to discover which preset keys to pass to search_in_journal_list or the institution_group parameter. Presets include: UTD24, FT50, AJG/ABS 4*/4/3 tiers, top AI conferences, Management Science group, Nature/Science family, and institution groups (Ivy League, Top US, INSEAD+London, etc.). It is categorised as a Read tool in the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_journal_presets? +

Register the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_journal_presets: 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 OpenAlex Research MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_journal_presets? +

list_journal_presets is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit list_journal_presets? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_journal_presets 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.

How do I block list_journal_presets completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list_journal_presets. 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.

What MCP server provides list_journal_presets? +

list_journal_presets is provided by the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP server (oksure/openalex-research-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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.

Free to start. No card required.

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

// GET IN TOUCH

Have a question or want to learn more? Send us a message.

Message sent.

We'll get back to you soon.