The tools that we have highlighted here are search engines that use AI to enhance the research process. They allow you to make better use of natural language searching as the AI understands context unlike more traditional search tools, which can interpret search terms more literally. This makes them particularly useful for starting your research or when you are struggling to formulate an effective search.
Key shared features:
Natural Language Search: You can search more conversationally rather than breaking your topic down into keywords.
Results: Use advanced ranking methods like vector search, which can lead to more relevant results.
Scope: These search engines only search in a specific corpus of academic articles, not the web, which can eliminate information noise.
Limitations
Coverage: Because they work with a limited corpus of articles, the search is not comprehensive. They are more appropriate for some disciplines than others.
Accuracy: AI-generated summaries or syntheses can occasionally misinterpret nuanced findings.
Access: Some do not necessarily provide the full paper or link to paywalled sources.