Research workflow with Claude Code

Claude Code with MCP servers handles literature search, Zotero notes, Gmail alert newsletters, and codebase questions for a hydrology researcher.

Resultrc_Y4ARS2HR

The author reports faster literature search, Zotero notes written automatically, and accurate answers about the ATS hydrology codebase through a custom ats-mcp server.

ClaimBlog · Oct 13 · Last checked Oct 13, 2026

Overview

How it was set up

Claude Code with Paper Search MCP, Zotero MCP with local API, Gmail connector in Claude Desktop, a custom ats-mcp built from the pywrdrb-mcp example, and a USGS Water Data MCP.

Worth knowing

Giving Claude access to Gmail feels risky; the author suggests a separate dummy account. The literature review writing feature is untested.

A prompt to start from

Find papers in my Zotero library related to [topic] in the last [N] years. Then summarize the key findings and knowledge gaps of [paper] based on my annotations and write it as a note in Zotero.

Written by Agentic Feats from the source. Not the author's exact prompt.

Sources 1

Originalgroundwater.usu.edu/blog/2026/Academic-Usecase-with-Claude

History

Added to Agentic Feats: 2026-10-13
Pick: No
Markdown copy: /c/research-workflow-with-claude-code.md

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