ResearchMCP

ResearchMCP is a Deno-based MCP server that blends Model Context Protocol capabilities with Brave Search, Tavily Search, and related tools to provide research-focused insights similar to advanced chat assistants. The server exposes web search and knowledge gathering features via the MCP interface, with results cached to improve performance and reduce API calls. You can run the MCP server via Docker (as documented) and then connect Claude Desktop or other MCP clients to interact with the research-oriented tooling.

Once running, you can leverage the integrated search capabilities by issuing MCP queries that trigger Brave Search and Tavily-backed results, with context-aware synthesis and structured responses. The server adheres to the MCP specification, allowing standard MCP messages and payloads to be exchanged through the configured transport. For local development, you can run the HTTP server and the MCP server separately, or use the Docker-based container for a complete environment.

Prerequisites:

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Git installed
• Ensured you have an internet connection to fetch dependencies
• Optional: Deno (for local development) if you choose to run without Docker

1. Clone the repository

• git clone https://github.com/your-org/ResearchMCP.git
• cd ResearchMCP

2. Install prerequisites (local development)

• Install Deno: https://deno.land/#installation
• Ensure you have Make installed (on Linux/macOS, use a package manager)

3. Environment setup

• Create a .env file or export environment variables in your shell: BRAVE_API_KEY=<your_brave_api_key> TAVILY_API_KEY=<your_tavily_api_key> # Optional

4. Run the server (Docker approach)

• Build and run the container (recommended for MCP): make d-build make d-up

5. Local development alternative (without Docker)

• Start the HTTP server: make dev
• Start the MCP server for Claude Desktop: make mcp

6. Optional maintenance commands

• Run tests: make test
• Lint: make lint
• Format: make format
• Type check: make check

• The MCP integration exposes a ResearchMCP endpoint that can be registered with Claude Desktop or any MCP-compatible client.
• Environment variables BRAVE_API_KEY and TAVILY_API_KEY are required (Tavily is optional). Ensure they are kept secret and not committed to version control.
• If you encounter encoding issues with non-Latin scripts, consider using English queries or verify your Brave Search API response handling.
• The Docker deployment uses the image researchmcp:latest; replace with a specific version tag if needed. Ensure network access to external APIs (Brave/Tavily) from within the container.
• The MCP server follows the Model Context Protocol; clients should send and receive MCP messages according to the standard, including appropriate transports (stdio, http, etc.).