MCP Simple PubMed
by andybrandt
MCP Simple PubMed is an MCP server that provides access to PubMed articles through the Entrez API. It allows searching the PubMed database and accessing article abstracts, and downloading full text when available.
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What is MCP Simple PubMed?
MCP Simple PubMed is an MCP (Modular Computation Platform) server designed to provide access to PubMed articles through the Entrez API. It allows users to search and retrieve scientific literature information directly within applications that support MCP servers, such as Claude Desktop.
How to use MCP Simple PubMed?
The server can be installed either via Smithery or manually using pip. It requires setting the PUBMED_EMAIL environment variable (your email address) and optionally PUBMED_API_KEY for higher rate limits. Once installed, it can be configured in Claude Desktop by adding a configuration block to the claude_desktop_config.json file, specifying the command, arguments, and environment variables.
Key features of MCP Simple PubMed
Search PubMed database using keywords
Access article abstracts
Download full text when available (for open access articles)
Returns XML-ized version of full text
Use cases of MCP Simple PubMed
Researching scientific literature
Integrating PubMed search into AI assistants
Automated literature review
Accessing scientific information within Claude Desktop
FAQ from MCP Simple PubMed
What is the standard rate limit?
What is the standard rate limit?
The standard rate limit is 3 requests / second.
How can I increase the rate limit?
How can I increase the rate limit?
You can register for an API key with NCBI to get 10 requests / second.
Why can't I always get the full text of a paper?
Why can't I always get the full text of a paper?
The full text may not be available on PubMed, or there might be access restrictions. Try accessing the publication URL with a regular web browser.
Can I access paywalled papers with this tool?
Can I access paywalled papers with this tool?
No, this tool cannot give you access to paywalled papers. You may be able to access them through your library access or other means.
What format is the full text returned in?
What format is the full text returned in?
The full text is returned in XML format.