paper-preflight — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
Validates academic references in LaTeX, Word, and Markdown against scholarly databases like Crossref and PubMed. Catches retracted papers and bogus DOIs without LLM guesswork.
claude mcp add paper-preflight -- uvx paper-preflightWhat paper-preflight does
The server cross-checks citations against scholarly registries such as Crossref, dblp, PubMed, DataCite, arXiv, and OpenAlex. It parses LaTeX projects, Word manuscripts, Markdown drafts, Typst files, and PDF reference lists. No language model handles the evaluation. When records stay silent, the tool reports that it cannot verify the item instead of inventing confirmation.
It flags missing citation keys, mismatched publication years, retracted studies, and preprints that journal issues have superseded. You also get alerts for duplicated entries or escaped characters inside DOI strings. Python 3.11 or uvx is required. Non-Latin paper titles are currently unsupported.
What it helps with
- detect retracted publications and formal corrections in bibliographies
- spot mismatched or broken DOIs in BibTeX files
- check whether cited preprints have formal journal releases
- verify manuscript citations against registries without LLM hallucinations
Example prompts for the agent
- Check refs.bib for retracted papers and invalid DOIs with paper-preflight
- Audit citations in main.tex against scholarly databases
- Inspect the reference list in paper.docx for publication year mismatches
How to install paper-preflight
Platform CLI
claude mcp add paper-preflight -- uvx paper-preflightuvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from paper-preflight <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add paper-preflight -- uvx paper-preflightuvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from paper-preflight <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"paper-preflight": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"paper-preflight"
]
}
}
}uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from paper-preflight <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"paper-preflight": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"paper-preflight"
]
}
}
}uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from paper-preflight <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add paper-preflight uvx paper-preflightuvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from paper-preflight <command>
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about paper-preflight
How do I install paper-preflight in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add paper-preflight -- uvx paper-preflight. You need either uv or an environment running Python 3.11 or newer.
What does paper-preflight do?
It validates citations in academic manuscripts against registries including Crossref, PubMed, and arXiv without generative models. The server reports retracted papers, wrong DOIs, and preprints that appeared in peer-reviewed venues.
Which file formats can paper-preflight inspect?
The tool supports LaTeX trees, BibTeX files, Word documents, Markdown, Quarto, and Typst. It can also inspect PDF reference lists if installed with the pdf extra package.
