AI offers useful tools for research. Library Services does not subscribe to AI platforms, but you may wish to explore some of the tools listed below, which offer some free functionality. Check with your module leader before using any of these tools for an assignment.
A database is a searchable online resource. Databases are at the heart of the academic research process, and selecting a relevant set of keywords is the best way to get the most out of them. If you need help thinking of keywords for your search, GenAI tools such as Microsoft Copilot can be a useful starting point.
In your AI prompt, add some context to help the GenAI understand what you need. For example:
Be as specific as you can about your topic to help the AI tool generate its suggestions.
As most GenAI services operate in a conversational way, you can ask follow-up questions to get better results. The output you generate may need to be refined before you can use it.
Several Library Services databases are adding AI tools. Many of these will operate in the background, improving your search results without you noticing. Some are implementing standalone AI tools; we present some examples below, however as this is a fast-developing area please see individual databases for details. Contact your Subject Librarian if you have any queries.
The tools below can be helpful in identifying and evaluating academic research to support your work.
If you find articles or other sources that you would like to read, you may find they are behind a paywall. Search for the article title in Library Search to see if we have access, or use the LibKey Nomad browser extension.
Availability
Free registration is required to access most of the features. A premium version with additional features is available.
Good for
Discovering references, and displaying them in a variety of visual layouts.
Things to have in mind
To access full text, you will need to search for articles in Library Search or set up LibKey in Litmaps. The automated citations feature currently does not perform well.
How it works
See How to Use Litmaps.
Availability
You will need to set up a free account.
Good for
Researchers who like a visual approach.
Things to have in mind
To access full text, you will need to search for articles in Library Search.
How it works
Start by looking up an article title, DOI or keywords, find an article on your topic and add it to a collection.
Availability
Free to use. You can create an optional free account for additional features.
Good for
Things to have in mind
The Semantic Reader function is under development and is only available for a small number of papers.
How it works
See Semantic Scholar's Product Tutorials for an overview.
Availability
Registration is required. The free option includes all features and allows you to create up to five graphs. Unlimited graphs are available with a paid subscription, but no additional features are included in this option.
Good for
Identifying similar research and trends, useful for researchers who like a visual approach.
Things to have in mind
Each graph is created by analyzing thousands of papers from the Semantic Scholar database. While this database is extensive, it provide access to content from selected publishers and does not provide access to full-text papers behind paywalls. You would need to access those through Library Search.
Connected Papers is not a citation tree; instead, papers are arranged based on their similarity. This similarity metric relies on concepts such as co-citation and bibliographic coupling, where two papers with a high degree of overlapping citations and references are more likely to focus on the same topic.
How it works
To get started, enter your keywords or, if you have a specific paper in mind, you can input the title, DOI, or another identifier. Connected Papers will then generate a graph of similar documents in that field. You can explore these graphs and create additional ones for any interesting papers you find. This process can help you identify similar research, uncover trends, discover popular works, or even find potential collaborators.
It may be beneficial to consult citation databases such as Web of Science or Scopus initially to identify any papers that these resources may not have captured.
Availability
Free and paid options available. Create a free account for access to more features.
Good for
A variety of tools are on offer, including:
Things to have in mind
You will still need to follow up on any of the answers provided by SciSpace to ensure accuracy. Some tools, such as the citation generator, will require significant manual input to create correct output.
How it works
See SciSpace's Resources page for guidance.
AI tools can scan a number of publications within a short amount of time. This can potentially be helpful while working on literature reviews, etc. Below are a few examples of useful tools.
Availability
Registration is required. A free account grants basic access, which includes 10 pro-analyses, study snapshots, and "ask paper" messages per month. Additional features can be obtained through a paid subscription, but the free option should be sufficient for small projects.
Good for
Consensus is ideal for quickly grasping particular topics, serving as a sounding board when considering topics for a literature review, and aiding in initial exploration. However, for a comprehensive literature review, you should conduct your own research using the databases and resources available via Library Services.
Things to keep in mind
Consensus scans thousands of papers from the Semantic Scholar database. While extensive, this database provides access only to content from selected publishers and does not include full-text papers behind paywalls from non-partners. For those, you would need to access them through Library Search. The "ask the paper" option is available only if Consensus has access to the full text. Additionally, consider the volume of literature that has been published on a particular topic.
How it works
After you type your question (for example, "Is green tea healthy?"), the Consensus Meter gathers responses from papers within Semantic Scholar. It then provides a summary of the responses with percentages, along with a Pro-Analysis that summarizes the content of the papers (based on GPT-4). It also lists the papers with statements addressing your initial question and provides citations or links if the papers are available for free. Additionally, it gives information about the type of research papers (literature review, systematic review, etc.) and whether the journals are highly cited or rigorous. In some cases, if the full text is available, you can "ask the research paper" further questions. Consensus will scan the text of the paper and generate the answers for you.
Availability
Scite offers free access with a 7-day trial; otherwise, it is a paid tool.
Good for
Scite is useful for understanding citations and the impact of research, and it can serve as a supplement to citation searches conducted on Web of Science and Scopus.
Things to keep in mind
Research papers are sourced from selected journals and publishers, which may limit the scope of the citation search.
How it works
You can search for research papers using keywords, authors, or titles. Once you select a paper, Scite provides a report that includes the citation context and citation type (supporting, mentioning, contrasting, or unclassified). The report also features various tools to filter and organize this information, including the section where the citation appears in the citing paper, whether the citation is a self-citation, and the publication year. Additional information can be found in the paper authored by the creators of this tool.
Availability
Registration is required to use Elicit. A free account allows for basic access, which includes unlimited summaries of up to four papers at once, unlimited chats regarding four papers simultaneously, and the ability to add two columns to your tables per month. Paid access offers more searches and additional functionalities, but the free package is suitable for casual exploration or small research projects.
Good for
Elicit is ideal for quickly grasping particular topics, identifying trends, and aiding in initial exploration when considering a topic for literature review. However, for a comprehensive literature review, you should conduct your own research using the databases and resources available via Library Services.
Things to keep in mind
Elicit scans thousands of papers from the Semantic Scholar database. While it offers extensive coverage, the database only includes content from selected publishers and does not provide access to full-text papers behind paywalls from non-partners. For those papers, access can be sought through Library Search. The "ask the paper" option is available only if Elicit has access to the full text. Additionally, consider the volume of literature published on a particular topic. Since Elicit is still an early-stage tool, it’s advisable to regard the generated content as 80-90% accurate rather than completely reliable.
Elicit's Help Center provides information on how to ethically use this tool and provides examples citations for using Elicit in your work.
How it works
When you input your research question (such as “Is tirzepatide more effective for weight loss treatment than semaglutide?”) Elicit searches through papers in the Semantic Scholar database. It then provides a summary of the topic along with a table that includes bibliographical information and an abstract summarising the answer to your question. You can customise the generated table by adding two additional columns for further inquiries (for example, adding a column titled "What was the sample size?"), and you can specify how you want the answers structured (e.g., “Any answer,” “Specified,” “Yes / No / Maybe”).
Availability
Available in the Trinka Cloud. Registration is required to use Trinka. A free account provides writing assistance for up to 5,000 words per month, includes cloud and browser plugins as well as one free plagiarism check per month. Paid options offer greater capacity and additional features.
Good for
Identifying sources that are more effective in supporting your arguments or research projects.
Things to keep in mind
Trinka is limited to open-access journals, Crossref, and PubMed.
How it works
Trinka will analyse citations in your written text (can be directly from the app or an uploaded file) and will provide you an instant report. It will identify for you any retracted or recalled studies, non-peer-reviewed works, low visibility citations, old papers or any unintentional bias (such as journal overuse).
AI can help to translate research that you find in different languages. You can also translate your keywords for your search into other languages to help expand your results.
Availability
Registration is required to use DeepL. A free account allows one user to translate three non-editable files per month, with each file having a maximum size of 5 MB. Paid accounts offer additional benefits, such as enhanced data security and larger translation allowances.
Good for
Formal and business writing and more natural-sounding translation.
Things to keep in mind
DeepL is more accurate than Google Translate for less common languages, and long passages of text, however Google Translate may be better for individual words and short phrases.
How it works
Users can either type text or upload files for translation. DeepL also includes the DeepL Write feature, which helps improve the quality of the translated text.
Availability
Google Translate is free of charge.
Good for
A quick overview of a text in another language.
Things to keep in mind
The quality of the translation can vary for many reasons, including how common a language is, and the type of text being translated. Where the language used is crucial to understanding of the work, you should consider alternative methods of translation (such as manual translation).
How it works
See Google Translate's help pages for information on how to use the service.