Find Research Citations
Retrieve the full citation list and reference graph for any academic paper.
Search Papers by Topic
Find relevant academic papers on any research topic across millions of scholarly publications.
Quick answer: Use the Academic Research tool through ToolRouter to search papers by topic directly from Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw — connect once, then drive it with plain-language prompts. No code required.
ToolAcademic research starts with finding what has already been published. Searching through millions of papers across disciplines, journals, and preprint servers is overwhelming when done manually. You need targeted results, not thousands of loosely related hits.
The search_papers skill queries academic databases and returns relevant papers ranked by relevance, recency, and citation count. You get titles, authors, abstracts, publication dates, and citation metrics -- enough to quickly evaluate whether a paper is worth reading in full.
Researchers starting a new project, students writing literature reviews, journalists fact-checking claims, and professionals staying current in their field all need efficient paper discovery. Programmatic search means you can explore a topic systematically rather than clicking through web interfaces.
How to search papers by topic with Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw
Claude turns academic search into a research conversation. Start with a broad query, then progressively narrow by asking about citation counts, specific methodologies, or time periods. Combine multiple searches across related subtopics to build comprehensive coverage. The iterative approach mimics how an experienced researcher navigates the literature.
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 search papers by topic with Claude
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask Claude: "Search for papers on transformer architectures using academic-research"
- Claude returns relevant papers with titles, authors, and abstracts
- Ask: "Which of these are the most cited?"
- Narrow your search with follow-up queries
Example prompt for Claude
Try this with Claude using the Academic Research tool
Find recent academic papers on CRISPR gene therapy for sickle cell disease. Show the most cited ones first.
Tips for Claude
- Use specific technical terms for more targeted results
- Ask Claude to summarize the abstracts of top results
- Combine multiple searches to cover different angles of a topic
ChatGPT makes academic paper discovery accessible by synthesizing search results into narrative summaries. It explains key findings across multiple papers, identifies consensus and disagreement in the field, and helps you understand which papers are essential reading. Research becomes a guided tour rather than a data dump.
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 search papers by topic with ChatGPT
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask: "Search for papers on large language model alignment"
- ChatGPT returns relevant papers with summaries
- Request: "Summarize the key findings across these papers"
- Explore related subtopics
Example prompt for ChatGPT
Try this with ChatGPT using the Academic Research tool
Find academic papers about the effects of microplastics on human health. Focus on studies from the last three years.
Tips for ChatGPT
- ChatGPT can synthesize findings across multiple papers
- Ask for papers that cite or are cited by a key paper to trace research lineage
- Useful for getting up to speed on an unfamiliar field quickly
Copilot searches academic databases and returns results in your IDE, making it easy to find the original papers behind algorithms you are implementing. Get references for your code comments, find benchmark papers to compare against, and locate implementation details mentioned in paper appendices without switching contexts.
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 search papers by topic with Copilot
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- In Copilot Chat: "Search for papers on federated learning"
- Copilot returns relevant academic papers
- Use the results to inform your implementation
- Query for more specific subtopics as needed
Example prompt for Copilot
Try this with Copilot using the Academic Research tool
Find papers on efficient attention mechanisms for transformers. I need implementation references.
Tips for Copilot
- Great for finding the original paper behind an algorithm you are implementing
- Search for benchmark papers to compare your results against
- Find reference implementations mentioned in paper appendices
OpenClaw processes academic searches systematically, returning structured paper metadata suitable for automated literature analysis. Run queries across multiple subtopics in one session, extract citation graphs from results, and build research databases that can be filtered and sorted programmatically.
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 search papers by topic with OpenClaw
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask OpenClaw: "Search for papers on quantum error correction"
- OpenClaw returns relevant papers with metadata
- Review the results and refine your search
- Explore cited references for deeper research
Example prompt for OpenClaw
Try this with OpenClaw using the Academic Research tool
Find recent papers on reinforcement learning from human feedback. Show the most influential ones.
Tips for OpenClaw
- Start broad then narrow with more specific terms
- Citation count helps identify foundational papers in a field
- Use paper IDs to fetch full details with the paper_details skill
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search papers by topic with an AI assistant?
Find relevant academic papers on any research topic across millions of scholarly publications. 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: "Search for papers on transformer architectures using academic-research" Claude returns relevant papers with titles, authors, and abstracts
Which AI assistants can search papers by topic?
Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenClaw can all search papers by topic 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.
Related Use Cases
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Systematically survey the research landscape on a topic by searching papers and tracing citation networks.