About scopus-mcp
scopus-mcp is an MCP server for the Elsevier Scopus API that lets AI assistants search academic papers, retrieve abstracts and look up author profiles. It suits researchers with Scopus access, which requires an Elsevier API key.
Key features
- 01Search Scopus with standard query syntax
- 02Sort search results by a chosen field
- 03Retrieve detailed abstract information for documents
- 04Look up author profile information
Use cases
- 01Searching academic papers on a research topic
- 02Reviewing abstract details of a specific document
- 03Checking the profile of a given author
MCP support
This project is an MCP server that exposes search_scopus, get_abstract_details and get_author_profile tools to MCP clients.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEScopus MCP Server
中文 | English
💡 Check out the Interaction Guide & Prompt Examples to see how to chat with this tool!
This is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to the Elsevier Scopus API. It allows AI assistants to search for academic papers, retrieve abstracts, and look up author profiles.
Please note that requesting an Elsevier Scopus API key generally requires that your organization or institution has a subscription to Elsevier database services. Additionally, to run this tool without manual setup, your device must have the uv package manager installed.
Configuration
Setup Steps
- Go to Elsevier Developer Portal to apply for an API key.
- Create a
config.jsonfile in the project root (or copy fromconfig.json.example) and fill in your key:{ "api_key": "YOUR_KEY_HERE" } - Edit
MCP_tool_config.json, modifying the folder path (pay attention to the slash direction). - Finally, import the configuration into your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) by copying the content of
MCP_tool_config.json.
🚀 Quick Start (Zero Setup)
Prerequisite: You must have uv installed.
- Windows:
powershell -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex" - macOS/Linux:
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
If you use Claude Desktop, you can skip downloading the code and just configure it directly:
- Get Key: Get a free API Key from Elsevier Developer Portal. (⚠️ Note: Educational/Institutional email is recommended; public email domains may be rejected).
- Configure: Edit
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json(Windows) or~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json(macOS). - Add:
{
"mcpServers": {
"scopus-assistant": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"scopus-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SCOPUS_API_KEY": "PUT_YOUR_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
(If you don't have uv, see Installation for manual setup)
Using with Trae
In Trae Settings -> MCP Servers -> Click Add -> Select Manual Configuration (JSON), then paste:
{
"mcpServers": {
"scopus-assistant": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"scopus-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SCOPUS_API_KEY": "PUT_YOUR_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Using with Cursor
- Open Cursor Settings -> Features -> MCP Servers.
- Click + Add New MCP Server.
- Fill in the details:
- Name:
scopus-mcp - Type:
command(stdio) - Command:
uvx scopus-mcp
- Name:
- Important: You need to set
SCOPUS_API_KEYin your system environment variables.
Installation
- Ensure you have Python 3.10+ installed.
- Install dependencies:
pip install .
Usage
Running the Server
You can run the server using uvx (recommended) or directly with python.
# Using uvx
uvx --from . scopus-mcp
# Or directly
python -m scopus_mcp.server
Available Tools
-
search_scopus- Searches the Scopus database using the standard query syntax.
- Arguments:
query(string): The search query (e.g.,TITLE("Artificial Intelligence")).count(integer): Number of results to return (default: 5).sort(string): Sort order (e.g.,coverDate).
-
get_abstract_details- Retrieves detailed information for a specific document.
- Arguments:
scopus_id(string): The Scopus ID of the document.
-
get_author_profile- Retrieves an author's profile information.
- Arguments:
author_id(string): The Scopus Author ID.
Development
Run tests with:
pytest
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Acknowledgments & Contributors
- thinktraveller - Initial Work & Core Development
- qwe4559999 - Maintainer
Comments
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From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.