• METADATA
  • DISCOVERY
  • CITATION
  • HUMAN

How to search scholarly records with your AI

Connect CrossRef to your AI client to pull data from 140 million academic records. Your agent handles the registry lookups so you can focus on your research.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I find specific papers or datasets using my AI?

Your AI uses the CrossRef registry to find metadata for papers, books, and datasets based on your text queries. You get direct access to DOIs and bibliographic details through your chat interface.

Research outcomes

What you get from a search

The specific data points your agent pulls from the registry.

METADATA

Direct record access

The AI pulls DOIs, titles, and publication dates. You get the exact identifiers needed for citations.

DISCOVERY

Find related works

Search by topic or author to find papers and datasets. Your agent filters the 140 million records for you.

CITATION

Ready-to-use references

The AI extracts the metadata required to build bibliographies. This saves you from manual data entry.

HUMAN

Critical evaluation

The AI finds the records, but you must read the content to verify the findings. You decide which papers are actually useful.

The workflow

What your AI does when a search arrives.

The AI acts as the bridge between your chat and the CrossRef database.

  1. Parse request

    Your agent reads your natural language query to identify the specific research intent.

    search_crossref

  2. Query registry

    The AI sends the search terms to the CrossRef database to scan the massive record set.

    search_crossref

  3. Filter results

    The agent narrows down the results to the most relevant papers, books, or datasets.

    search_crossref

  4. Deliver data

    The AI presents the DOIs and bibliographic details directly in your chat window.

    search_crossref

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to trigger a search immediately.

Starting points

Swap the bracketed text for your actual research topics or author names.

CrossRef Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_tB5OKe9b8ptvjN39Svca4u5g8tQNgsRExGVMuy2H/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — CrossRef capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crossref-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_tB5OKe9b8ptvjN39Svca4u5g8tQNgsRExGVMuy2H/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Find recent papers on CRISPR gene editing published in the last three years.

  • Search CrossRef for datasets related to ocean acidification in the Pacific.

  • List the most cited books by author Jane Doe in the field of linguistics.

  • Find the DOI for the paper titled 'Climate Change Impacts on Alpine Flora'.

  • Claude
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  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect CrossRef once, then ask.

One click connects the MCP to your client. Your credentials stay encrypted on our side and the setup is handled automatically.

Connect CrossRef to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI download the full PDF of a paper?

    No. The AI finds the DOI and metadata, but it cannot bypass paywalls or download files.

  • 02

    Does the AI update my personal bibliography?

    No. The AI only retrieves data from CrossRef. You must move that data into your citation manager yourself.

  • 03

    Can I search for specific datasets?

    Yes. The tool searches the registry for papers, books, and datasets.

  • 04

    Will the AI change any records in CrossRef?

    No. This tool is read-only. It can only query the registry, not edit or delete records.

  • 05

    How many records can it search?

    The AI can query the registry containing 140 million records.

  • More questions about CrossRef? See everything the CrossRef Connector can do

Connect CrossRef to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more