Model Context Protocol · free · no sign-in

Smart Scholars connector for Claude and ChatGPT

Journal and DOI checks inside your AI assistant, read from the public records of Crossref, DOAJ, OpenAlex and doi.org — and a direct line to Smart Scholars when you want help fixing what they show.

The connector's address

https://mcp.smartscholars.in/mcp

Streamable HTTP, no sign-in. Any AI assistant that accepts a remote MCP server can use this address.

What it gives you

check_journal

By ISSN or website: the journal's Crossref record (publisher, member, DOI prefix, number of DOIs, how many carry references, abstracts, ORCID iDs, licences, funders), whether DOAJ lists it, its OpenAlex works count, the ISSN Portal link — and a short list of gaps to fix for indexing. Every figure names its source.

check_doi

Whether a DOI resolves at doi.org and where it sends readers; its Crossref record — title, journal, type, dates — and which optional parts are present or missing: abstract, references, ORCID iDs, affiliations and ROR IDs, licence, funding, full-text links, Crossmark; with plain suggestions.

ask_smart_scholars

Sends your name, e-mail address, journal and message to Smart Scholars, so that a person can answer you by e-mail. Used only when you ask for it.

Add it to Claude

In Claude, open Customize → Connectors.
Press + Add, then Add custom connector.
Name: Smart Scholars. Remote MCP server URL: https://mcp.smartscholars.in/mcp. Press Continue.
Authentication: No sign in. Press Add.
In a chat, press +, then Connectors, and switch on Smart Scholars.

On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds it under Organization settings → Connectors. Claude's Free plan allows one custom connector.

Add it to ChatGPT

Open chatgpt.com/plugins, press the plus button, then Add custom MCP server.
Name: Smart Scholars. Connection: the URL https://mcp.smartscholars.in/mcp. Authentication: none.
Read the notice, press I understand and want to continue, then Create as a plugin.
In a new chat, type @ and choose Smart Scholars.

Your ChatGPT account's or workspace's own rules decide whether custom MCP servers can be added.

Things to ask

“Check the journal with ISSN 2456-5660 — what should it fix before applying to indexes?”
“Check DOI 10.17140/PHOJ.11.S1.47: does it resolve, and what metadata is missing?”
“Is the journal at https://journal.example.org in DOAJ, and how complete are its Crossref records?”
“Please ask Smart Scholars to contact me about registering DOIs for my journal.”

If something does not work

The assistant cannot connect: open mcp.smartscholars.in/health. It should say "status":"ok"; if it does not, the service is down — please tell us.
An answer says a register "did not answer": Crossref, DOAJ, OpenAlex or doi.org was slow or busy at that moment. Ask again in a minute; what the others gave is still shown.
"Too many checks just now": the connector paces its use, to stay fair to the public registers. Wait the time it names.
A journal's website "could not be read", or no ISSN was found on it: give the journal's ISSN instead.
Anything else: mou@smartscholars.in.

Your data

The checks send the ISSN, website address or DOI you give to the public registers and keep nothing about who asked. A help request is written down on our server and mailed to Smart Scholars, nothing more. No cookies, no tracking, no advertising. The whole story: Privacy.

Help and questions: mou@smartscholars.in · smartscholars.in/contact.php