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Standalone OpenAlex MCP server for scholarly search and citation workflows
OpenAlex MCP has well-structured schemas for the first 4 tools (search_works, get_work, get_citing_works, get_references) with detailed parameter descriptions and type definitions. However, tools 5-9 (search_authors, get_author, search_venues, get_venue, search_topics) lack visible schema definitions in the provided source code, only names and minimal descriptions are shown. Tool descriptions are generally adequate (50-150 chars) but lack actionable guidance on when to use each tool vs. alternatives. Error handling returns user-readable Chinese messages but lacks recovery guidance. Output schemas are not documented. The server uses FastMCP with proper parameter validation but does not expose tool annotations (readOnlyHint, idempotentHint).
Get detailed information about a specific author
列出引用某篇论文的工作（前向雪球）。
批量 hydrate 一篇论文的参考文献，默认按被引数排序。
Get detailed information about a specific venue
取得单篇详情；支持 W-id、DOI、arXiv ID/URL 和标题，歧义标题不会静默取 top1。
Search for authors by name or other criteria
Search for research topics
Tools 5-9 (search_authors, get_author, search_venues, get_venue, search_topics) have no visible input schemas in source code. Only tool names and generic descriptions provided. Cannot verify parameter types, constraints, or defaults.
Descriptions for tools 5-9 are generic placeholders (e.g., 'Search for authors by name or other criteria'). They do not explain when to use each tool, what parameters are required, or what the output contains. LLMs cannot distinguish between search_authors and get_author without better guidance.
No output schemas documented for any tool. LLMs cannot plan downstream calls or extract required fields (e.g., author_id, venue_id) without knowing the response structure. Responses are rendered as formatted text strings, not structured objects.
Inferred effective spec: <=2025-11-25.
| Scored | Grade | Overall | Spec posture | Rubric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-23 | F | 46 | <=2025-11-25 | v2 |
Search for publication venues (journals, conferences)
检索论文；主题默认只搜 title+abstract，venue 名称应先 resolve 成 S-id。
Tool annotations (readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint) are not declared. All 9 tools are read-only, but this is not signaled to the client. Clients cannot optimize caching or retry strategies without explicit hints.
Error messages are returned as plain text strings without structured error codes or recovery guidance. LLMs receive 'Invalid status: must be relevance, date or citations' but no hint on which tool to call next or whether the error is retryable.