How to Build Literature Reviews with Claude
Build literature reviews with Claude and ToolRouter. Systematic research surveys.
Tool
Claude builds literature reviews through the same iterative process a researcher would follow. Start with keyword searches, trace citations from the most relevant results, identify clusters of related work, and progressively fill gaps. The conversation maintains context across dozens of papers, organizing them into a coherent structure as you go.
Connect ToolRouter to Claude
1Go to Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector
2Enter the details below and click Add
Name
ToolRouterURL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Done — works on Claude chat, desktop, and mobile
Steps
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask Claude: "Search for papers on federated learning privacy using academic-research"
- Claude returns an initial set of relevant papers
- Ask: "Get the details and references for the top-cited paper"
- Build outward from the citation network to find related work
Example Prompt
Try this with Claude using the Academic Research tool
Help me build a literature review on explainable AI. Start with a broad search, then trace citations from the most influential papers.
Tips
- Start broad then narrow -- let citation chains guide your exploration
- Ask Claude to organize papers by subtopic or methodology
- Track which papers cite each other to identify research clusters