https://github.com/mlava/scholar-sidekick-cursor-plugin
https://github.com/mlava/scholar-sidekick-cursor-plugin
Last synced: 5 days ago
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- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/mlava/scholar-sidekick-cursor-plugin
- Owner: mlava
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-05-26T10:50:01.000Z (22 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-05T11:04:14.000Z (12 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-05T13:04:51.443Z (12 days ago)
- Language: Shell
- Size: 109 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Scholar Sidekick — Cursor Plugin
Resolve, format, export, and **verify** academic citations directly inside Cursor —
plus retraction and open-access checks. Works from a scholarly identifier: DOI, PMID,
PMCID, ISBN, ISSN, arXiv ID, ADS bibcode, or WHO IRIS URL.
Backed by [Scholar Sidekick](https://scholar-sidekick.com) — the same engine behind the
REST API, the MCP server, and the Obsidian plugin.
## What's in the bundle
| Component | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| **MCP server** (`mcp.json`) | The `scholar-sidekick` server with six native tools: `resolveIdentifier`, `formatCitation`, `exportCitation`, `checkRetraction`, `checkOpenAccess`, `verifyCitation`. |
| **7 skills** (`skills/`) | Per-capability guidance so the agent knows *when* and *how* to use each tool — including a keyless `scholar-sidekick-api` REST skill that works with no API key. |
| **1 rule** (`rules/scholar-sidekick.mdc`) | On-demand tool-selection guidance: which tool for which question, and the rule that "is this citation real?" needs `verifyCitation`, not a plain resolve. |
## Install
Install from the [Cursor Marketplace](https://cursor.com/marketplace) (search "Scholar
Sidekick"), or test locally by symlinking this repo into Cursor's local plugins dir:
```bash
ln -s "$(pwd)" ~/.cursor/plugins/local/scholar-sidekick
```
## Two ways to run — pick based on whether you have a key
- **MCP server (preferred):** native tool calls. Requires a `RAPIDAPI_KEY` in your
environment. The `mcp.json` reads it via `${RAPIDAPI_KEY}`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"scholar-sidekick": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "scholar-sidekick-mcp@latest"],
"env": { "RAPIDAPI_KEY": "${RAPIDAPI_KEY}" }
}
}
}
```
Get a free-tier key at
[rapidapi.com/scholar-sidekick…](https://rapidapi.com/scholar-sidekick-scholar-sidekick-api/api/scholar-sidekick),
then set `RAPIDAPI_KEY` in your shell or Cursor environment.
- **Keyless REST (no setup):** if you don't have a key, the bundled `scholar-sidekick-api`
skill drives the public REST API at `https://scholar-sidekick.com/api/*` over `curl` —
anonymous, free, rate-limited. No install, no key.
## Try it
Once installed, ask Cursor's agent things like:
- *Format `10.1056/NEJMoa2033700` in Vancouver style.*
- *Resolve `PMID:30049270` and export it as BibTeX.*
- *Is this citation real? "A Unified Theory of Everything", `10.1038/nphys1170`.*
- *Has `10.1016/S0140-6736(97)11096-0` been retracted?*
- *Is there a free open-access copy of `10.1371/journal.pone.0173664`?*
## Links
- Website: https://scholar-sidekick.com
- Agent guide (REST + MCP): https://scholar-sidekick.com/AGENTS.md
- MCP server source: https://github.com/mlava/scholar-sidekick-mcp
- OpenAPI 3.1 spec: https://scholar-sidekick.com/openapi/openapi.yml
- Citation-integrity / verifier explainer: https://scholar-sidekick.com/citation-integrity
## License
MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE).