Find Research Papers vs Scholar MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Find Research Papers and Scholar MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Find Research Papers for research work as a local process; choose Scholar MCP Server for research as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Find Research Papers when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
search_papers, get_paper, get_research_method.
Choose Scholar MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
search_papers, get_paper, get_author.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Research | Research |
| Quality signal | 59/100 · Good | 53/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 6 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 7 | 27 |
| Full listing | View Find Research Papers | View Scholar MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Find Research Papers tools 7
search_papersSearch scholarly literature across multiple sources (arXiv, OpenAlex, Crossref, Semantic Scholar, PubMed)get_paperResolve one paper by identifier and return its metadata plus references (papers it cites) and citations (papers citing it) — works even for paywalled papersget_research_methodHouse method for using this server: tiers, rules, source quirks, and verification stepslist_sourcesList every scholarly source the server can search, with coverage, key requirements, and rate limitsskills_listList this server's skills (playbooks): guidance for interpreting results and recovering from errors. Fetch one with skill_readskill_readFetch the full content of one skill by name (see skills_list). Read 'interpreting-errors' whenever a tool returns an error or skipped sourcescheck_for_updatesCheck PyPI for newer versions of find-research-papers-mcp and get upgrade instructions.
Scholar MCP Server tools 27
search_papersFull-text search with year, venue, field-of-study, and citation-count filters. Returns up to 100 results with pagination.get_paperFetch full metadata for a single paper by DOI, S2 ID, arXiv ID, ACM ID, or PubMed ID.get_authorFetch author profile with publications, or search by name.get_citationsForward citations (papers that cite a given paper) with optional filters.get_referencesBackward references (papers cited by a given paper).get_citation_graphBFS traversal from seed papers, returning nodes + edges up to configurable depth.find_bridge_papersShortest citation path between two papers.recommend_papersPaper recommendations from 1 to 5 positive examples and optional negative examples.generate_citationsGenerate BibTeX, CSL-JSON, or RIS citations for up to 100 papers, with automatic entry type inference and optional OpenAlex venue enrichment.enrich_paperAugment Semantic Scholar metadata with OpenAlex fields (affiliations, funders, OA status, concepts).search_patentsSearch patents across 100+ patent offices via EPO OPS with CPC / applicant / inventor / jurisdiction / date filters.get_patentFetch bibliographic / claims / description / family / legal / citations sections for a single patent by publication number. Citations include NPL-to-paper resolution via Semantic Scholar.- +15 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Find Research Papers
{
"mcpServers": {
"find-research-papers": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"find-research-papers-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Scholar MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"scholar-mcp-server": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"pvliesdonk-scholar-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Find Research Papers is categorized under Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. Scholar MCP Server belongs to Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Find Research Papers for research work and Scholar MCP Server for research.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Find Research Papers has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Scholar MCP Server has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add find-research-papers and scholar-mcp-server as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Find Research Papers has a quality signal of 59/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 6 GitHub stars. Scholar MCP Server has 53/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.