ScholarFetch MCP Server

Multi-engine scholarly research server for search, traversal, full text, and reading lists.

Tools

Last Updated

Jun 14, 2026

What is the ScholarFetch MCP Server?

The ScholarFetch MCP server gives AI agents structured, permission-aware access to ScholarFetch through the Model Context Protocol. With 12 pre-built actions, agents can read, create, and update ScholarFetch data on behalf of authorized users.

Willow ships the ScholarFetch MCP server as part of an enterprise control plane. Every call runs behind SSO (Okta, Azure AD), enforces RBAC and least-privilege at runtime, writes to a full audit trail, and integrates with Splunk and Loki for SIEM visibility. Connect from Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, VS Code, n8n, or any custom agent. Install once, distribute org-wide, and see exactly how ScholarFetch is being used by every AI agent in your stack.

Tools

scholarfetch_search

Start a research traversal from keywords, a DOI, or a person name. Returns deduplicated paper records that you can inspect, save, expand through references, or use as seeds for author exploration. If you pass `engines`, use a comma-separated subset of: elsevier, openalex, crossref, arxiv, europepmc, springer, semanticscholar.

scholarfetch_doi_lookup

Enrich one known DOI with metadata, reading links, and full-text availability signals. If you pass `engines`, use a comma-separated subset of: elsevier, openalex, crossref, arxiv, europepmc, springer, semanticscholar.

scholarfetch_author_candidates

Disambiguate a human author name into ranked identity candidates. Use this before `scholarfetch_author_papers` when the name is ambiguous and you need a stable `candidate_index`. If you pass `engines`, it must include `openalex`.

scholarfetch_author_papers

Expand one author into a deduplicated paper list. This is the main author->paper traversal tool and supports research filters. Use `author_id` when you already know the exact author, or `author_name` plus `candidate_index` after `scholarfetch_author_candidates`. Supported comma-separated `filters`: year>=YYYY, year<=YYYY, year=YYYY, has:abstract, has:doi, has:pdf, venue:<text>, title:<text>, doi:<text>. If you pass `engines`, it must include `openalex`.

scholarfetch_abstract

Read the best abstract available for a paper. Use with a DOI or with author_name + candidate_index + paper_index after author_papers. If you pass `engines`, use a comma-separated subset of: elsevier, openalex, crossref, arxiv, europepmc, springer, semanticscholar.

scholarfetch_article_text

Read full paper text when machine-readable content is recoverable. Use with a DOI or with author_name + candidate_index + paper_index. Uses Elsevier first, then open-access fallbacks such as Springer OA, Europe PMC, arXiv PDF, and generic PDF URLs when text is recoverable. If you pass `engines`, use a comma-separated subset of: elsevier, openalex, crossref, arxiv, europepmc, springer, semanticscholar.

scholarfetch_references

Expand a paper into its references. Use with a DOI or with author_name + candidate_index + paper_index. This is the main edge-expansion tool for traversing the literature graph. If you pass `engines`, use a comma-separated subset of: elsevier, openalex, crossref, arxiv, europepmc, springer, semanticscholar.

scholarfetch_saved_add

Add one paper to a named in-memory reading list on the MCP server. Best input is paper_json copied from another ScholarFetch tool result, but DOI, query+result_index, or author_name+candidate_index+paper_index also work. Reuse the same collection name across calls to keep one research session together.

scholarfetch_saved_list

List all papers currently saved in a named in-memory reading list. Use this to inspect the working set before exporting or removing items.

scholarfetch_saved_remove

Remove one paper from a named in-memory reading list by DOI or exact title.

1–10 of 12 tools

Customize Tools

Edit descriptions, modify arguments, select tools, or add new ones

Set Up Your ScholarFetch MCP Server in Minutes

Add the following configuration to your MCP client. Authentication is handled via OAuth. Compatible with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, VS Code, n8n, and any MCP-compatible agent.

Claude Desktop

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "willow-scholarfetch": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://<org>.mcp-s.com/mcp/mcp/scholarfetch"
    }
  }
}

Cursor

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "willow-scholarfetch": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://<org>.mcp-s.com/mcp/mcp/scholarfetch"
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

CLI

claude mcp add willow-scholarfetch --transport http https://<org>.mcp-s.com/mcp/mcp/scholarfetch

n8n

HTTP Request Node

{
  "url": "https://<org>.mcp-s.com/mcp/mcp/scholarfetch",
  "method": "POST"
}

Or click "Install with Willow" above to set up automatically with SSO and RBAC preconfigured.

Enterprise Governance for ScholarFetch

Willow adds the layer ScholarFetch and every other SaaS doesn't ship out of the box: every call runs behind SSO (Okta, Azure AD), enforces RBAC and least-privilege at runtime, writes to full audit logs, and detects shadow AI usage across your stack. One MCP gateway. Any agent. Every tool.

ScholarFetch MCP Server FAQ

What is the ScholarFetch MCP server?

The ScholarFetch MCP server is a Model Context Protocol implementation that lets AI agents like Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT read and write ScholarFetch data through a standardized interface. Willow hosts and governs this server so enterprises can roll it out without a security review backlog.

How is Willow's ScholarFetch MCP server different from the official one?

The official ScholarFetch MCP server is scoped to a single user's account and does not include enterprise governance. Willow's version adds SSO, RBAC, audit logging, shadow AI detection, and centralized control over which actions agents can take across the entire org.

Which AI clients work with the ScholarFetch MCP server?

Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, VS Code with MCP support, n8n, and any custom agent built with OpenAI Agents SDK, LangChain, Vercel AI SDK, or Anthropic SDK.

Is the ScholarFetch MCP server secure? How does Willow handle authentication?

Every call runs behind your existing SSO (Okta, Azure AD). Per-user OAuth scopes the agent to exactly what that user can do in ScholarFetch, nothing more. No credentials reach the LLM. Every action writes to an audit trail.

Can I limit which ScholarFetch actions agents can take?

Yes. Willow lets you scope agents to specific actions, specific projects, or specific environments. Toggle actions on or off in the dashboard, or enforce policy via infrastructure-as-code through GitHub.

How do I detect shadow ScholarFetch MCP servers in my org?

Willow's browser extension and discovery service surface unmanaged MCP servers, skills, and AI agents across the org. If a developer installed an unapproved ScholarFetch MCP locally, you'll see it.

What does the ScholarFetch MCP server cost?

Pricing depends on org size and deployment model (SaaS, dedicated cloud, self-host). See withwillow.ai/pricing or contact sales for a quote.

How do I install the ScholarFetch MCP server with Willow?

Install via the Willow Connect Panel in one click, or paste the JSON snippet above into your Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Claude Code config. SSO and RBAC inherit from your existing Willow setup.