Search Papers by Topic
Find relevant academic papers on any research topic across millions of scholarly publications.
Find Research Citations
Retrieve the full citation list and reference graph for any academic paper.
Quick answer: Use the Academic Research tool through ToolRouter to find research citations directly from Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw — connect once, then drive it with plain-language prompts. No code required.
ToolA paper does not exist in isolation. Its references reveal its intellectual foundations, and its citations show its influence on subsequent work. Tracing these connections builds a comprehensive picture of a research area.
The paper_details skill returns detailed metadata for any paper including its full reference list and citation count. You can follow the citation chain forward (who cited this paper) and backward (what this paper cites) to map the intellectual lineage of an idea.
This is essential for literature reviews, where you need to demonstrate awareness of the field. It is also valuable for identifying seminal papers, finding related work you might have missed, and understanding how ideas evolved over time. Citation analysis by hand is tedious -- programmatic access makes it systematic.
How to find research citations with Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw
Claude follows citation chains through multi-step investigation. Get the references for a seminal paper, identify the most-cited sources, then trace those backward to find the foundational work. The conversation naturally builds a citation map that reveals the intellectual lineage of ideas in any field.
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 research citations with Claude
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask Claude: "Get the details and citations for this paper using academic-research" and provide the paper ID or title
- Claude returns the paper metadata and reference list
- Ask: "Which of its references are most cited?"
- Follow the citation chain to related papers
Example prompt for Claude
Try this with Claude using the Academic Research tool
Get the full citation list for the "Attention Is All You Need" paper. Which of its references are the most influential?
Tips for Claude
- Use citation chains to discover seminal papers you might have missed
- Ask Claude to identify the most-cited references to find foundational work
- Build a citation map by following references recursively
ChatGPT organizes citation data into meaningful groups and explains the connections between papers. It categorizes references by methodology or subtopic, identifies which cited works are foundational versus supporting, and helps you build a structured reading list from the citation network. Citation data becomes a roadmap for learning.
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 research citations with ChatGPT
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask: "Get the citations for this paper" and provide the paper ID
- ChatGPT returns the reference list with details
- Request: "Group these references by topic"
- Explore the most relevant citation clusters
Example prompt for ChatGPT
Try this with ChatGPT using the Academic Research tool
Pull the references from this paper and tell me which ones are foundational to the field of diffusion models.
Tips for ChatGPT
- ChatGPT can categorize references by subtopic or methodology
- Ask for the most-cited papers in the reference list to find key readings
- Use citations to build a reading list for a new research area
Copilot retrieves citation data in structured formats useful for research documentation. Follow citation chains to find the original paper behind each technique in your codebase, generate bibliography entries for your own publications, and trace the academic lineage of algorithms you implement.
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 research citations with Copilot
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- In Copilot Chat: "Get paper details and citations for this paper ID"
- Copilot returns structured citation data
- Use the references to find related implementations
- Query additional papers in the citation chain
Example prompt for Copilot
Try this with Copilot using the Academic Research tool
Pull the references from the original ResNet paper so I can find the papers behind each architectural decision.
Tips for Copilot
- Follow citation chains to find the original paper for each technique you use
- Useful for writing the related work section of your own papers
- Combine with search_papers to find papers that cite a specific work
OpenClaw traverses citation networks programmatically, extracting reference data across multiple papers in a single session. Build citation graph databases, map research clusters through co-citation analysis, and generate comprehensive bibliographies for literature reviews by automating the citation chain traversal.
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 research citations with OpenClaw
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask OpenClaw: "Get the details and references for this paper"
- OpenClaw returns full paper metadata and citations
- Review the reference list
- Follow chains to related work
Example prompt for OpenClaw
Try this with OpenClaw using the Academic Research tool
Get the full citation details for this paper. I need the reference list for my literature review.
Tips for OpenClaw
- Start with a well-known paper and trace its references backward
- High citation counts indicate foundational or controversial work
- Use paper IDs from search results for precise lookups
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find research citations with an AI assistant?
Retrieve the full citation list and reference graph for any academic paper. 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: "Get the details and citations for this paper using academic-research" and provide the paper ID or title Claude returns the paper metadata and reference list
Which AI assistants can find research citations?
Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw can all find research citations 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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