Search scholarly works with advanced filtering. Supports Boolean operators, year ranges, citation thresholds, venue/journal filtering (source_name, source_issn, source_id), and institution filtering (author_institution, institution_group). The most flexible search tool. Use search_in_journal_list...
AI agents call search_works 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.
Even though search_works 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 search_works 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 search_works:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_works": {}
}
}search_works is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
Free to start. No card required.
Search scholarly works with advanced filtering. Supports Boolean operators, year ranges, citation thresholds, venue/journal filtering (source_name, source_issn, source_id), and institution filtering (author_institution, institution_group). The most flexible search tool. Use search_in_journal_list for preset journal lists like UTD24 or FT50. It is categorised as a Read tool in the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the OpenAlex Research MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_works: 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.
search_works 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 search_works 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 search_works. 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.
search_works 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.
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.