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Scientific research · MCP server

Scholar Feed: MCP server, setup and security

Scholar Feed is an open-source MCP server published on GitHub that lets an AI agent semantically search CS and AI papers and traverse citation graphs. Its repository has 13 stars and its last commit is from October 20, 2026 and it is licensed under MIT.

Actively maintainedNeeds secretsRemote server

What Scholar Feed does

According to its repository: “Semantic search over CS and AI papers with citation-graph traversal, full-text extraction, embeddings and BibTeX export.”

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a standard plug between an AI agent and an outside service: once the server is connected, its tools show up in the agent, which decides when to call them. Scholar Feed is listed under Scientific research, a category of 35 servers in the directory, where it ranks #22 by stars.

Topics declared by the repository: arxiv, claude, cursor, literature-review, machine-learning, papers.

Installing and connecting Scholar Feed

Distribution modes declared in the official MCP registry:

  • npm package (Node.js, usually started with npx)
  • remote server (streamable-http): you connect to it by URL, with nothing to install locally

It works with any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and most recent agents). You add one entry to the client's MCP configuration: server name, start command or URL, environment variables. Project language: TypeScript.

The registry lists one secret variable to provide (API key, access token). Keep them in the client's environment variables, never in a shared file or a repository.

Security: what to check

Connecting an MCP server means installing software that talks straight to your agent: it runs with your rights and the model trusts its tool descriptions. The risk therefore depends on what it can touch and how far its code can be trusted.

Points found for Scholar Feed:

  • Secrets: the server acts with your credentials. Create a dedicated key with minimum rights and an expiry date.

Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.

Project activity and maintenance

Created on April 14, 2026, the YGao2005/scholar-feed-mcp repository has 13 stars and 4 forks, with 0 open issues. It has more stars than 31% of the servers in the directory. It received changes this month. Version published in the registry: 3.20.0 (September 8, 2026).

Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.

Zotero MCP (54yyyu)Zotero MCP (54yyyu) : 5.5K5.5KToolUniverseToolUniverse : 1.8K1.8KIdea reality MCPIdea reality MCP : 828828Research toolkitResearch toolkit : 299299TinySearchTinySearch : 233233Deep research MCPDeep research MCP : 115115Paper preflightPaper preflight : 100100OmniSeekOmniSeek : 9595Scholar FeedScholar Feed : 1313
GitHub stars of the most followed servers in the category (log scale); Scholar Feed in orange. Checked October 25, 2026.

Verdict

Scholar Feed is a reasonable choice; check the points below before connecting it.

Strengths

  • Active project: recent commit
  • Listed in the official MCP registry
  • Usable remotely, without installation
  • Permissive licence (MIT)

Limitations

  • Requires an API key or token

Avoid if…

  • You do not want to give credentials to an agent

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Scholar Feed?

Scholar Feed is distributed as npm package (Node.js, usually started with npx) and a remote server. Add it to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code…) following the README of YGao2005/scholar-feed-mcp.

Is Scholar Feed free?

The code is published under the MIT licence and can be used free of charge. It needs an API key: the service it connects to may be paid.

Is Scholar Feed safe?

Points to watch: secrets. Give it minimum rights and approve sensitive actions.

Is it an official server?

Nothing says so: it is a project published by YGao2005 on GitHub. Check who maintains it before giving it access.

What are the alternatives to Scholar Feed?

In the same category: Zotero MCP (54yyyu), ToolUniverse, Idea reality MCP, and Research toolkit. Zotero MCP (54yyyu) and ToolUniverse score higher on our grid.

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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score