scopus-mcp — Claude Code MCP server: search Scopus papers
An MCP server that plugs the Elsevier Scopus API into your assistant, so it can search papers, pull abstracts and look up authors.
claude mcp add scopus-mcp -e SCOPUS_API_KEY=<SCOPUS_API_KEY> -- uvx scopus-mcpWhat scopus-mcp does
Three tools come with it. search_scopus runs a Scopus query such as TITLE("Artificial Intelligence") and takes a result count plus a sort order. get_abstract_details returns document details for a given scopus_id, and get_author_profile does the same for an author_id.
The server starts with uvx scopus-mcp, so uv has to be on the machine. No uv? Install manually with Python 3.10+ and pip install .. Your key goes into SCOPUS_API_KEY.
Getting that key is the real hurdle. Elsevier hands them out through its Developer Portal, and an institutional subscription is usually what makes an application go through. A public email domain can get rejected, so use a university or work address. In Cursor you add the server by hand: type command (stdio), command uvx scopus-mcp, with SCOPUS_API_KEY set among your system environment variables. Claude, Codex and Gemini CLI each have a one-line add command.
What it helps with
- search Scopus for papers on a topic without leaving the chat
- pull the abstract and metadata for a document by
scopus_id - check an author's profile from an
author_id - sort Scopus results by cover date
- gather a reading list from a Scopus query
Example prompts for the agent
- Search Scopus for
TITLE("Artificial Intelligence")and show me 10 results - Get the abstract for document
scopus_id2-s2.0-85123456789 - Look up the author profile for
author_id7001234567
How to install scopus-mcp
Platform CLI
claude mcp add scopus-mcp -e SCOPUS_API_KEY=<SCOPUS_API_KEY> -- uvx scopus-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from scopus-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add scopus-mcp --env SCOPUS_API_KEY=<SCOPUS_API_KEY> -- uvx scopus-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from scopus-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"scopus-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"scopus-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SCOPUS_API_KEY": "<SCOPUS_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from scopus-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"scopus-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"scopus-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SCOPUS_API_KEY": "<SCOPUS_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from scopus-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e SCOPUS_API_KEY=<SCOPUS_API_KEY> scopus-mcp uvx scopus-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from scopus-mcp <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 scopus-mcp
How do I install scopus-mcp in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add scopus-mcp -e SCOPUS_API_KEY=<SCOPUS_API_KEY> -- uvx scopus-mcp, replacing the placeholder with the key from the Elsevier Developer Portal.
What does scopus-mcp do?
It exposes three Scopus tools to your assistant: paper search, document details, and author profiles.
What do I need before running scopus-mcp?
A Scopus API key in SCOPUS_API_KEY, plus uv if you want the uvx route. Without uv, install manually with Python 3.10+ and pip install ..
