dr-dumpling

dr-dumpling / paper-search-cli

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Agent-friendly CLI for academic paper search based on Paper Search MCP

13
1
69% credibility
Found May 19, 2026 at 16 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
TypeScript
AI Summary

Paper Search CLI is a command-line tool that helps researchers find academic papers by searching across 20 different scholarly sources simultaneously. Users can search by keyword, filter by year or author, and download PDFs when available. The tool prioritizes open-access (free) papers and tries multiple routes to find free versions before suggesting paid options. It outputs results as clean JSON data that can be used in scripts or by AI assistants. The tool supports searching sources like arXiv, PubMed, Crossref, Google Scholar, and others, with optional account connections for higher usage limits.

How It Works

1
🔬 You need research papers

You're working on a research project and need to find relevant academic papers from multiple sources.

2
💻 You install the tool

You download and install Paper Search CLI on your computer, ready to use from your terminal.

3
⚙️ You set up your preferences

You optionally connect your accounts for better access to papers and higher search limits.

4
🔍 You search for your topic

You type in your research topic, and the tool searches across 20 different academic databases at once.

5
You receive your results
✅
Free papers found

Papers with open access are highlighted, ready for immediate download.

🔒
Paywalled papers found

The tool tries multiple ways to find free versions before giving up.

6
📥 You download what you need

You download the papers you want as PDF files to read at your own pace.

📚 You have your research materials

All the papers you need are now on your computer, organized and ready for your research.

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Star Growth

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AI-Generated Review

What is paper-search-cli?

A TypeScript CLI tool that searches academic papers across 20 scholarly sources and returns machine-readable JSON. Instead of juggling separate APIs for Crossref, PubMed, arXiv, Semantic Scholar, and others, you get one command surface that handles search, status checks, and PDF downloads. It is designed for terminal use, automation scripts, and agent workflows that need predictable output without parsing terminal text.

Why is it gaining traction?

The breadth is unusual. Most tools pick one or two sources; this covers Crossref, OpenAlex, PubMed Central, Europe PMC, arXiv, bioRxiv, medRxiv, Semantic Scholar, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and more. The open-access-first download chain tries free sources before falling back to Unpaywall or optional Sci-Hub. The agent-friendly output contract means JSON on stdout and diagnostics on stderr, so scripts and AI agents can parse results reliably without scraping. A built-in skill file teaches agents how to call the CLI.

Who should use this?

Researchers doing literature reviews who need to query multiple databases without writing separate API integrations. Developers building AI agents or research automation pipelines that need a stable command surface with structured output. Teams that want Crossref, PubMed, and preprint server coverage without managing multiple API keys and response formats.

Verdict

The feature set is solid and the documentation is thorough, but the credibility score of 0.699% and 13 stars reflect a young project with limited community adoption. It works well for free sources out of the box and handles the multi-source deduplication intelligently. However, some platforms require institutional API access (Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Springer, Wiley), and the Sci-Hub integration carries legal and ethical considerations depending on your jurisdiction. Worth evaluating for research tooling if you need broad academic coverage without building integrations from scratch.

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