10 AI Tools Every University Student Needs to Supercharge Their Research
Let’s face it—research can feel overwhelming. Dense academic papers, endless citation trails, and the constant pressure to stay organized can make even the best of us want to throw in the towel. But what if you had a tool that could make research easier, faster, and even a little fun? Enter AI tools, your new academic sidekick.
Whether you need to find sources, understand complex articles, or stay updated on the latest studies, these AI tools are here to help. And the best part? Many of them are free or have free versions. Here are 10 incredible AI tools every university student should know about:
1. Scite.ai
What It Does: Scite.ai doesn’t just show you where a paper has been cited; it tells you how it’s been cited—supporting, contrasting, or neutral.
Why It’s Useful: Need to know if a source is credible or relevant? Scite.ai gives you the full picture by showing how other researchers have critiqued or built upon the work.
How to Use It:
Search for a paper by title or DOI.
Check how the paper is cited in other research.
See if it supports or challenges your argument.
Cost: Free with premium features available.
Website: scite.ai
2. Explainpaper
What It Does: Upload a research paper, highlight tricky sections, and Explainpaper will break it down into simple, clear explanations.
Why It’s Useful: Struggling to understand academic jargon or dense technical content? This tool simplifies it, so you can focus on learning, not decoding.
How to Use It:
Upload a PDF of the paper.
Highlight the parts you don’t understand.
Get easy-to-digest explanations that make sense.
Cost: Free for limited use, with paid options for unlimited access.
Website: explainpaper.com
3. Scholarcy
What It Does: Summarizes research articles by extracting key points, methods, and findings into bite-sized sections.
Why It’s Useful: Perfect for when you need to skim through several papers during a literature review or research project.
How to Use It:
Upload a PDF or link to an article.
Let Scholarcy generate a summary, highlight key findings, and even pull references for you.
Decide if the paper is worth diving into in full.
Cost: Free trial available, with paid plans for continued use.
Website: scholarcy.com
4. Paper Digest
What It Does: Quickly condenses academic papers into concise summaries.
Why It’s Useful: Save time by getting the key points of multiple papers at a glance.
How to Use It:
Upload a paper or input a DOI.
Paper Digest creates a summary of the main points, so you can decide if it’s worth exploring further.
Cost: Free for limited use, with paid options available.
Website: paper-digest.com
5. Perplexity.ai
What It Does: Acts as a conversational search tool, answering detailed research questions and providing citations to academic sources.
Why It’s Useful: It’s like having a knowledgeable friend who can explain complex topics in plain language. Plus, it links you to original studies for deeper dives.
How to Use It:
Ask research-related questions.
Perplexity generates clear, concise answers with links to relevant academic sources.
Cost: Free to use.
Website: perplexity.ai
6. Connected Papers
What It Does: Creates a visual map of research papers connected to your topic or chosen article.
Why It’s Useful: If you’re not sure where to start or want to explore related research, Connected Papers makes it easy to see how studies are interconnected.
How to Use It:
Enter a paper title, keyword, or author.
Explore the visual map to discover foundational works or new studies.
Cost: Free to use.
Website: connectedpapers.com
7. Litmaps
What It Does: Tracks citations over time and sends you alerts about new research related to your interests.
Why It’s Useful: Stay ahead in your field by keeping up with the latest studies without endless manual searches.
How to Use It:
Build a citation map for your topic.
Set alerts to track new papers that cite your chosen works.
Cost: Free version available, with premium options for advanced features.
Website: litmaps.com
8. Elicit.org
What It Does: Uses AI to generate research questions, organize literature, and pull out key insights from papers.
Why It’s Useful: Ideal for systematic reviews or tackling literature reviews more efficiently.
How to Use It:
Input your research question or keywords.
Get a list of relevant papers, summaries, and comparisons.
Cost: Free to use.
Website: elicit.org
9. Iris.ai
What It Does: Matches your research question to relevant academic papers and generates detailed summaries.
Why It’s Useful: Great for exploring new topics or getting an overview of a research area.
How to Use It:
Input your question or keywords.
Iris.ai finds and summarizes the most relevant papers.
Cost: Free version available, with premium features in paid plans.
Website: iris.ai
10. Sage Research Methods
What It Does: Offers guidance on research methodologies through videos, case studies, and tutorials.
Why It’s Useful: If you’re stuck on how to approach your research or need help with methodology, this tool breaks it down step-by-step.
How to Use It:
Search for methodologies or topics.
Watch videos or read case studies to better understand how to apply methods to your research.
Cost: Requires institutional access or a subscription, though some resources may be free.
Website: methods.sagepub.com
Final Thoughts
AI tools are changing the game for students. Whether you’re finding sources, summarizing dense research, or organizing your thoughts, these platforms make the process faster and less stressful.
Start by trying out a few of these tools to see which ones work best for you. With the right AI companions, you’ll spend less time stuck in research limbo and more time excelling in your studies.