litreview
Litreview — Academic Literature Orientation
Portability: Works anywhere with outbound HTTPS — the default search lane is free keyless APIs (PubMed E-utilities + OpenAlex, no account, no key, no MCP). The Consensus MCP is an optional enhancement lane used only when connected in this session. Node.js with
docxpackage is required for document generation, and (in CLI)bash_tool. Works in Claude Code CLI natively and in Claude.ai with Code Execution.
Produce a launching pad — not a finished literature review, but an orientation document that gives a researcher entering an unfamiliar field everything they need to start reading and searching with confidence. Think: what a generous colleague who knows the field would tell you over coffee.
Search Lanes
| Lane | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Free lane (default) | Always available; no key, no plan, no MCP | PubMed E-utilities + OpenAlex via scripts/free_search.py or direct HTTPS (URL templates below) |
| Consensus lane (optional enhancement) | Only when Consensus MCP tools are available in this session | Run Consensus queries in addition to the free lane for its synthesized answer cards |
Lane check (one runtime check — replaces all tier detection): if the Consensus MCP tools are not available in this session, use the free lane — do not attempt tier detection, do not parse marketing copy, do not ask the user about their Consensus plan. If Consensus IS available, additionally run its searches and merge results (dedupe by DOI/title).
Free-lane URL templates (exact)
PubMed E-utilities (keyless; etiquette: ≤3 requests/second):