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OpenAlex MCP Server

Name: OpenAlex
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

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Access 250M+ scholarly works with open bibliometric data — search papers, authors, institutions, and trending research topics. The open-source alternative to Scopus and Web of Science.

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What is the OpenAlex MCP Server?

The OpenAlex MCP Server gives AI agents like Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor direct access to OpenAlex via 5 tools. Access 250M+ scholarly works with open bibliometric data — search papers, authors, institutions, and trending research topics. The open-source alternative to Scopus and Web of Science. Powered by the Vinkius - no API keys, no infrastructure, connect in under 2 minutes.

Built-in capabilities (5)

get_openalex_trending_topicsget_openalex_worksearch_openalex_authorssearch_openalex_institutionssearch_openalex_works

Tools for your AI Agents to operate OpenAlex

Ask your AI agent "Which institutions publish the most research on quantum computing worldwide?" and get the answer without opening a single dashboard. With 5 tools connected to real OpenAlex data, your agents reason over live information, cross-reference it with other MCP servers, and deliver insights you would spend hours assembling manually.

Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client. Powered by the Vinkius - your credentials never touch the AI model, every request is auditable. Connect in under two minutes.

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One subscription gives you access to thousands of MCP servers - and you can deploy your own to the Vinkius Edge. Your AI agents only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure and security, zero maintenance.

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OpenAlex MCP Server capabilities

5 tools

get_openalex_trending_topics

Essential for understanding global research trends. Discover the most researched scientific topics and concepts globally

get_openalex_work

Accepts OpenAlex ID (e.g. W2741809809 or full URL) or DOI (e.g. 10.1038/nature12373). Get full details of an academic work by OpenAlex ID or DOI

search_openalex_authors

Returns works count, total citations, h-index, current institution, and top research concepts. Find researchers with publication metrics, h-index, and institutional affiliations

search_openalex_institutions

Returns publication counts, citation metrics, country, and top research areas. Covers universities, research labs, hospitals, and government agencies globally. Find research institutions, universities, and organizations worldwide

search_openalex_works

Returns title, authors with institutional affiliations, journal, year, citation count, open access status, concepts, and reconstructed abstracts. CC0 licensed data. Search 250M+ academic works in the world's largest open scholarly database

What the OpenAlex MCP Server unlocks

Connect your AI agent to the world's largest fully open catalog of scholarly works — a free, CC0-licensed replacement for enterprise platforms like Scopus and Web of Science.

What you can do

Works Search — Search 250M+ works with complete metadata including authors, institutional affiliations, citation counts, open access status, and reconstructed abstracts
Author Profiles — Find researchers worldwide with publication counts, total citations, h-index metrics, and current institutional affiliation
Institution Discovery — Explore the research output of universities, labs, hospitals, and government agencies globally with full bibliometric data
Research Trends — Discover the most researched scientific topics ranked by total number of published works to understand where the scientific community is focusing
Open Access Detection — Every work indicates its open access status (green, gold, hybrid, bronze) for instant full-text availability assessment

How it works

1. Subscribe to this server
2. Enter your OpenAlex API key (free — create an account at openalex.org)
3. Start exploring 250M+ scholarly works from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client

Who is this for?

Academic Researchers — run comprehensive bibliometric analyses without expensive Scopus or Web of Science subscriptions
University Librarians — monitor institutional research output, track citation metrics, and identify collaboration opportunities
Science Policy Analysts — analyze global research trends, funding impacts, and institutional performance across countries and disciplines

Frequently asked questions about the OpenAlex MCP Server

Is the OpenAlex API key free and how do I get one?

Yes, the API key is completely free. OpenAlex provides 100,000 credits per day at no cost. Create your free account at openalex.org, then navigate to Settings → API to generate your key. The key is required since February 2026 when OpenAlex retired the 'polite pool' system.

How does OpenAlex compare to Scopus and Web of Science?

OpenAlex is a fully open, CC0-licensed alternative covering 250M+ works — comparable in scope to Scopus (90M+) and far exceeding Web of Science (90M+). It provides citation metrics, h-indexes, institutional data, and open access detection. The key difference: OpenAlex is completely free with no institutional subscription required, while Scopus and WoS cost thousands of dollars per year.

What data is available for each scholarly work?

Each work includes: title, authors with institutional affiliations, publication year, journal/source, DOI, work type, citation count, open access status and URL, research topics/concepts, and a reconstructed abstract. Author profiles add h-index, total publications, and career affiliations. Institutions include country, type, and research area specializations.

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