# Scholar Sidekick MCP server > Verify citations against their identifiers, check retraction and open-access status, and format or export references in 10,000+ styles. - Listing: https://mcp.tc/i/scholar-sidekick - Connect: use the server's own URL `https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp` (no sign-in); clients connect to it directly. The listing link is a page, not an MCP endpoint. - Type: remote (Streamable HTTP) - Auth: none - Category: [Docs & Knowledge](https://mcp.tc/c/docs-knowledge) - Vendor: Scholar Sidekick - Homepage: - Docs: - Repository: - Package: npm `scholar-sidekick-mcp` ## About Scholar Sidekick checks scholarly citations. It compares a claimed title with the record a DOI, PMID, PMCID, ISBN, ISSN, arXiv ID, ADS bibcode or WHO IRIS URL actually resolves to, which catches fabricated citations that pair a real identifier with an invented title. It can audit a whole bibliography, check retraction status (Crossref, Retraction Watch) and open-access status (Unpaywall), and format or export references. It runs as a hosted Streamable HTTP endpoint, with an npm package (scholar-sidekick-mcp) as a local alternative. No sign-in or API key is needed. An optional free ssk\_ key raises rate limits. All tools are read-only. ## What it can do - Check whether a citation's title matches the record at its identifier - Audit a BibTeX, RIS or CSL-JSON bibliography in one call - Check retraction, correction and expression-of-concern status - Find the best legal open-access copy of a paper - Resolve identifiers to structured CSL JSON metadata - Format citations in Vancouver, APA, IEEE and 10,000+ CSL styles - Export to BibTeX, RIS, EndNote, Zotero RDF, CSV and more ## Tools (7) - `verifyCitation`: Check a claimed title against the record its identifier resolves to, to detect fabricated citations. (read-only) - `auditBibliography`: Verify a whole bibliography and look up retractions, returning per-entry verdicts and a summary. (read-only) - `checkRetraction`: Check whether one work was retracted, corrected, or has an expression of concern. (read-only) - `checkOpenAccess`: Check if one work is open access and find the best legal copy. (read-only) - `resolveIdentifier`: Resolve scholarly identifiers to structured CSL JSON metadata. (read-only) - `formatCitation`: Format identifiers into a finished citation in a chosen style. (read-only) - `exportCitation`: Export identifiers to BibTeX, RIS, EndNote, CSV and other bibliography formats. (read-only) ## Example prompts - "Is this citation real? Title and DOI: 10.1000/example" - "Audit the references in this BibTeX file for fake or retracted papers" - "Has the paper with PMID 12345678 been retracted?" - "Format this DOI in APA and export it as RIS" ## Install ### Claude Code 1. Run this in a terminal, in your project folder: ```bash claude mcp add --transport http scholar-sidekick https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp ``` 2. Start Claude Code and type `/mcp`. **scholar-sidekick** should show as connected. Add `--scope user` to make it available in every project, not just this one. ### Claude Desktop 1. Open **Settings → Connectors** and click **Add custom connector**. 2. Name it **Scholar Sidekick** and paste this URL: ```url https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp ``` 3. Click **Add**. Its tools appear in the chat’s tools menu. Claude Desktop’s JSON config file only starts local servers. Remote servers go through Connectors, and connectors you add on claude.ai show up here too. ### claude.ai 1. Open the connector form on claude.ai. This button fills in the name and URL for you: [Add to claude.ai]() (opens connector settings) 2. Check that the URL reads `https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp` and click **Add**. 3. Turn it on in a chat from the tools menu. Free plans allow one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under **Organization settings → Connectors**. ### ChatGPT 1. On chatgpt.com, open **Settings → Security and login** and turn on **Developer mode**. 2. Go to `chatgpt.com/plugins` and click **+** to create an app for a remote MCP server. 3. Paste `https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp` as the server URL and choose **No authentication**. Developer mode is available on the web for Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education accounts. ### Cursor [Add to Cursor]() (opens Cursor) Or add it by hand to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (all projects) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (this project): `mcp.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "scholar-sidekick": { "url": "https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp" } } } ``` ### VS Code [Install in VS Code]() (opens VS Code) Or from a terminal: ```bash code --add-mcp '{"name":"scholar-sidekick","type":"http","url":"https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp"}' ``` Or commit it to the repo in `.vscode/mcp.json`: `.vscode/mcp.json`: ```json { "servers": { "scholar-sidekick": { "type": "http", "url": "https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp" } } } ``` ### Devin Desktop 1. Add it to `~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json` (macOS and Linux) or `%APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json` (Windows): `mcp_config.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "scholar-sidekick": { "serverUrl": "https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp" } } } ``` 2. Refresh the MCP server list in Cascade. Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. It reads `serverUrl` (or `url`) for remote servers. ### Codex ```bash codex mcp add scholar-sidekick --url https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp ``` Or edit `~/.codex/config.toml` directly: `config.toml`: ```toml [mcp_servers.scholar-sidekick] url = "https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp" ``` ### Gemini CLI ```bash gemini mcp add --transport http scholar-sidekick https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp ``` This adds it to the current project. Add `-s user` to use it everywhere. ### Any client Most clients accept this shape. Some name the URL field differently: `serverUrl` in Devin Desktop, `httpUrl` in Gemini CLI’s settings file. ```json { "mcpServers": { "scholar-sidekick": { "type": "http", "url": "https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp" } } } ``` Zed puts servers under `context_servers` in its settings. Cline needs `"type": "streamableHttp"`, or it assumes SSE. Client only starts local servers? Bridge it with `npx -y mcp-remote https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/mcp`. ## Details - Server version: 0.8.11 - MCP protocol version: 2025-11-25 - Last checked: 2026-10-04 (reachable) - Listed: 2026-10-04 - Updated: 2026-10-04 --- Source: https://mcp.tc/i/scholar-sidekick (mcp.tc is an independent directory, not affiliated with this server's publisher). Corrections: https://mcp.tc/report