elsevier-mcp

MCP server for the Elsevier Developer APIs. Gives Claude Code access to Scopus, ScienceDirect, and other Elsevier academic databases.

Quick Start

Get a free API key at dev.elsevier.com, then pick an install method below.

Claude Code — plugin marketplace (recommended)

This repository is a Claude Code plugin marketplace. Add it, then install the plugin — no clone or npm install required:

/plugin marketplace add kemalabuteliyte/elsevier-mcp
/plugin install elsevier-mcp@elsevier-tools

The plugin ships a self-contained server bundle, so it just works once installed. Provide your API key through your environment before launching Claude Code:

export ELSEVIER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
# optional — institutional access unlocks all 14 tools:
# export ELSEVIER_INST_TOKEN=your_institutional_token
# export ELSEVIER_ENABLE_ALL_TOOLS=true

Restart Claude Code. The elsevier tools are now available. Done.

Claude Desktop — one-click install

Download the latest .mcpb file from Releases, then open it with Claude Desktop. You'll be prompted to enter your API key during setup.

Manual install (from source)

git clone https://github.com/kemalabuteliyte/elsevier-mcp.git
cd elsevier-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Then add to your Claude Code settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elsevier": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/elsevier-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ELSEVIER_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or via CLI:

claude mcp add elsevier -e ELSEVIER_API_KEY=your_key -- node /absolute/path/to/elsevier-mcp/dist/index.js

Available Tools

These 6 tools work with a free Elsevier API key:

Tool	Description
scopus_search	Search Scopus for scholarly documents by query
abstract_retrieval	Retrieve abstract/metadata by DOI, Scopus ID, EID, PII, or PubMed ID
article_retrieval	Retrieve ScienceDirect article by DOI, PII, or EID
serial_title_search	Search for journals by title, ISSN, publisher, or subject
serial_title_retrieval	Retrieve journal details by ISSN
subject_classifications	Look up Scopus/ScienceDirect subject area codes and descriptions

Enabling All Tools (Institutional Access)

8 additional tools require institutional network access, an institutional token, or additional API subscriptions. Enable with ELSEVIER_ENABLE_ALL_TOOLS=true:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elsevier": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/elsevier-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ELSEVIER_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here",
        "ELSEVIER_INST_TOKEN": "your_institutional_token",
        "ELSEVIER_ENABLE_ALL_TOOLS": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tool	Description	Requires
author_search	Search for authors in Scopus	Institutional access
affiliation_search	Search for institutions and affiliations	Institutional access
author_retrieval	Retrieve author profile by ID, EID, or ORCID	Institutional access
affiliation_retrieval	Retrieve institution details by ID or EID	Institutional access
citation_count	Get citation counts (supports batch lookup)	API subscription
citations_overview	Detailed citation overview with yearly breakdowns	API subscription
plumx_metrics	PlumX altmetrics (usage, captures, social media)	Institutional access
fulltext_retrieval	Retrieve full text of a ScienceDirect article as plain text	Institutional access

To get institutional access:

• Connect from a university/institutional network with a Scopus subscription
• Or request an institutional token from apisupport@elsevier.com
• The server automatically attempts IP-based authentication on 401 errors

Example Queries

Scopus search uses Boolean syntax with field codes:

• TITLE(machine learning) AND PUBYEAR > 2020
• AUTH(Einstein) AND TITLE(relativity)
• AFFIL(MIT) AND KEY(quantum computing) AND PUBYEAR = 2024
• DOI(10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121092)

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
ELSEVIER_API_KEY	Yes	API key from dev.elsevier.com
ELSEVIER_INST_TOKEN	No	Institutional token for expanded access
ELSEVIER_ENABLE_ALL_TOOLS	No	Set to true to enable all 13 tools

Troubleshooting

• 401 error: Your API key lacks entitlements for this endpoint. You may need institutional access or an institutional token.
• 403 error: Your API key doesn't have the required subscription for this resource.
• 429 error: Rate limit exceeded. Elsevier quotas reset weekly.
• No results: Try broadening your query or using different field codes.

License

MIT