Scopus
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Elsevier Scopus. Allows AI assistants like Claude to search academic papers, retrieve abstracts, and analyze author profiles directly.
What is Scopus?
Scopus is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol (mcp) server for elsevier scopus. allows ai assistants like claude to search academic papers, retrieve abstracts, and analyze author profiles directly.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Elsevier Scopus. Allows AI assistants like Claude to search academic papers, retrieve abstracts, and analyze author profiles directly.
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Elsevier Scopus. A
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx scopusConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Scopus
The Scopus MCP Server connects AI assistants to Elsevier's Scopus academic database via the official Scopus API, enabling literature searches, abstract retrieval, and author profile lookups directly in conversation. It exposes three focused tools: search_scopus for querying the database with standard Scopus syntax, get_abstract_details for retrieving full document metadata by Scopus ID, and get_author_profile for exploring author publication records. Researchers and academics use it to conduct systematic literature reviews, explore citation landscapes, and gather bibliographic data without switching to a web browser.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10+ and the uv package manager (recommended) or pip
- A Scopus API key from the Elsevier Developer Portal (https://dev.elsevier.com) — requires institutional or educational email
- An active Scopus subscription or institutional access (API key alone does not grant access without a subscription)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
Obtain a Scopus API key
Register at the Elsevier Developer Portal (https://dev.elsevier.com) using an institutional or educational email address. Public email domains (Gmail, etc.) may be rejected. After registration, create a new API key for your application.
Clone the repository and install the package
Clone the Scopus MCP repository and install it. The uvx method allows running directly from the source without a manual activation step.
git clone https://github.com/qwe4559999/scopus-mcp.git
cd scopus-mcp
# Install with pip
pip install .
# Or verify it runs with uvx
uvx --from . scopus-mcpAdd the server to your MCP client configuration
Open claude_desktop_config.json and add the Scopus server entry. Pass your API key via the SCOPUS_API_KEY environment variable so it is never exposed in prompts or logs.
{
"mcpServers": {
"scopus-assistant": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["scopus-mcp"],
"env": {
"SCOPUS_API_KEY": "your_scopus_api_key_here"
}
}
}
}Restart your MCP client and run a test search
Fully restart Claude Desktop. Ask Claude to search Scopus for a topic to confirm the API key is working and the three tools are available.
Build literature reviews with combined tool calls
Use search_scopus to find papers, then get_abstract_details to retrieve full metadata for specific papers, and get_author_profile to explore the publication history of key researchers — all in a single conversation.
Scopus Examples
Client configuration
claude_desktop_config.json entry using uvx to run scopus-mcp with the API key injected via environment variable.
{
"mcpServers": {
"scopus-assistant": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["scopus-mcp"],
"env": {
"SCOPUS_API_KEY": "your_scopus_api_key_here"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Research-oriented prompts that exercise the three Scopus MCP tools.
- "Search Scopus for the 10 most cited papers on transformer neural networks published since 2020"
- "Find recent papers on CRISPR gene editing in the last 2 years, sorted by date"
- "Get the full abstract and metadata for Scopus document ID 85123456789"
- "Look up the author profile for Scopus author ID 57204231652 and summarize their research focus"
- "Search for papers combining climate change and machine learning, return the top 5 results"Troubleshooting Scopus
API key rejected with 401 Unauthorized
Confirm your Scopus API key is active in the Elsevier Developer Portal. Keys created with public email addresses (Gmail, Outlook) may not be approved. Use an institutional email and ensure the key has Scopus Search API access enabled.
Search returns no results even for broad queries
Your institution may not have a Scopus subscription even if your API key is valid. Contact your library to confirm subscription status. Also verify the query syntax — Scopus uses field codes like TITLE-ABS-KEY("machine learning") for targeted searches.
uvx command not found
Install uv via `curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh` (macOS/Linux) or the Windows PowerShell installer at https://astral.sh/uv. Restart your shell, then retry `uvx --version`.
Frequently Asked Questions about Scopus
What is Scopus?
Scopus is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol (mcp) server for elsevier scopus. allows ai assistants like claude to search academic papers, retrieve abstracts, and analyze author profiles directly. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Scopus?
Follow the installation instructions on the Scopus GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Scopus?
Scopus works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Scopus free to use?
Yes, Scopus is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Scopus in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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