Search Papers by Topic
Find relevant academic papers on any research topic across millions of scholarly publications.
Find Open Access Papers
Locate freely available versions of academic papers that can be read without a journal subscription.
Quick answer: Use the Academic Research tool through ToolRouter to find open access papers directly from Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw — connect once, then drive it with plain-language prompts. No code required.
ToolMost academic papers sit behind expensive journal paywalls. But many of those same papers have open access versions -- preprints on arXiv, author manuscripts on institutional repositories, or gold open access publications. Finding the free version saves money and time.
The search_papers skill returns metadata that includes open access status and links to freely available versions when they exist. Instead of hitting a paywall and giving up, you can find the same paper hosted somewhere accessible.
Students without institutional access, independent researchers, journalists, developers building on academic work, and professionals in developing countries all benefit from knowing which papers are freely available. Open access discovery removes the financial barrier to knowledge.
How to find open access papers with Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw
Claude helps you navigate the open access landscape through iterative searching. Find papers on your topic, identify which are freely available, and explore alternative access routes for paywalled papers such as preprints on arXiv or author manuscripts. The conversation adapts to help you access the research you need.
Connect ToolRouter to Claude
1Open connector settings Open Settings
2Add a custom connector with these details
Name
ToolRouterURL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Let Claude set you up Open Claude
How to find open access papers with Claude
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask Claude: "Find open access papers on deep reinforcement learning using academic-research"
- Claude returns papers with open access availability noted
- Ask: "Which of these are freely available?"
- Access the open versions directly
Example prompt for Claude
Try this with Claude using the Academic Research tool
Find freely available papers on graph neural networks. I do not have journal access so I need open access versions only.
Tips for Claude
- Many paywalled papers have free preprint versions on arXiv
- Ask Claude to check for open access versions of specific papers
- Author manuscripts on university repositories are usually legal open versions
ChatGPT explains the open access ecosystem alongside search results. It describes the difference between gold and green open access, suggests the best preprint servers for your field, and helps you understand which papers are likely to have free versions available even when the primary source is paywalled.
Connect ToolRouter to ChatGPT
1Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced settings and enable Developer mode
2Click Create app and enter these details
Name
ToolRouterIcon
Download
DownloadDescription
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.MCP Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Check the box and click Create
How to find open access papers with ChatGPT
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask: "Find open access papers on computational biology"
- ChatGPT returns papers noting which are freely available
- Request: "Show me only the ones I can read for free"
- Access the open versions
Example prompt for ChatGPT
Try this with ChatGPT using the Academic Research tool
Search for open access papers about drug resistance in cancer treatment. I need papers I can read without a subscription.
Tips for ChatGPT
- ChatGPT can explain the different types of open access
- Ask about preprint servers for your specific field
- Many funders now mandate open access -- recent papers are more likely to be free
Copilot finds freely available papers relevant to your implementation work. CS and ML papers are frequently on arXiv with full open access, and Copilot identifies these so you can reference and cite them in your open source documentation and code comments without paywall barriers.
Connect ToolRouter to Copilot
1In your agent, go to Tools → Add a tool → New tool
2Choose Model Context Protocol and enter these details
Server name
ToolRouterServer description
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Set Authentication to None and click Create
How to find open access papers with Copilot
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- In Copilot Chat: "Find open access papers on program synthesis"
- Copilot returns papers with access status
- Filter for freely available papers
- Read the full text of open papers
Example prompt for Copilot
Try this with Copilot using the Academic Research tool
Find freely available papers on zero-shot learning with code examples or implementations.
Tips for Copilot
- CS papers are often on arXiv with full open access
- Many ML papers include code repositories in the paper metadata
- Open access papers are easier to reference in open source documentation
OpenClaw filters search results by access status at scale, processing large topic queries and returning only freely available papers with their download links. Build curated open access collections, generate reading lists restricted to free papers, and populate research databases with content that can be legally distributed.
Connect ToolRouter to OpenClaw
1Install the CLI
npm install -g toolrouter-mcp2Call tools directly from OpenClaw
toolrouter-mcp call web-search search --query "AI tools"
toolrouter-mcp toolsHow to find open access papers with OpenClaw
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask OpenClaw: "Find open access papers on renewable energy storage"
- OpenClaw returns papers with access information
- Filter for freely available versions
- Read and cite the open papers
Example prompt for OpenClaw
Try this with OpenClaw using the Academic Research tool
Search for freely available research on soil carbon sequestration methods.
Tips for OpenClaw
- Check for both gold open access and green open access versions
- Recent mandates mean more papers are open access than you might expect
- Preprints may differ slightly from the final published version
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find open access papers with an AI assistant?
Locate freely available versions of academic papers that can be read without a journal subscription. Connect the Academic Research tool to Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw through ToolRouter, then ask the assistant in plain language. For example: Ask Claude: "Find open access papers on deep reinforcement learning using academic-research" Claude returns papers with open access availability noted
Which AI assistants can find open access papers?
Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw can all find open access papers using the Academic Research tool through ToolRouter, with no API keys or coding required.
What does the Academic Research tool do?
Search academic papers, retrieve citations, and explore scholarly literature across disciplines.
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