| AI Tool | Key Features | Limitations | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Conversational AI for writing, brainstorming, tutoring, summarizing, coding, and research. GPT-4o supports 50+ languages and multimodal input. | May generate incorrect or biased content; limited context memory in free version. | https://chatgpt.com/ |
| Copilot | Sign in using your university account. In OneNote, you can chat with Copilot to summarize your notes, create to-do lists, and plan effectively. | Real-time but can be inaccurate when searching for information. Lacks academic quality information. | https://copilot.cloud.microsoft/ |
| Perplexity AI | AI-powered academic search engine with citations, Copilot mode for deep research, and support for literature reviews and teaching prep. | May not access all paywalled academic content; citation accuracy depends on source availability. | https://www.perplexity.ai/academic |
| Gemini (Google) | AI assistant for students and educators. Offers homework help, document summarization, podcast creation, and integration with Google Docs. NotebookLM for research. | Requires Google account; some features behind paywall (Google AI Pro). Pulls its information only from the web. | https://gemini.google.com/ |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Context-aware assistant for writing, coding, research, and education. Offers document uploads, project organization, and citation generation. | Usage limits on free tier; some advanced features require subscription. | https://claude.ai/ |
| AI Tool | Key Features | Limitations | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scite | Smart Citations show whether a paper supports, contradicts, or mentions another. Offers dashboards, citation context, and reference checks. Used for evaluating paper credibility. | Subscription required for full features; may not cover all disciplines equally. | https://scite.ai/ |
| Elicit | Automates literature reviews, data extraction, and summarization. Supports systematic reviews and evidence synthesis. | May struggle with niche or very recent papers; interface can be complex for beginners. | https://elicit.com/ |
| Litmaps | Visualizes citation networks, tracks research trends, and helps discover related literature. Offers collaboration and alerts for new papers. | Visualization-heavy interface may not suit all users; free tier has limitations. | https://www.litmaps.com/ |
| Inciteful | Builds citation networks to explore literature connections. Tools include Paper Discovery and Literature Connector. Free and open-access. | Limited customization; may lack advanced filtering options. | https://inciteful.xyz/ |
| Research Rabbit | Visualizes literature and author networks, tracks trends, and offers personalized recommendations. Integrates with Zotero. | Requires account; may not support all citation styles or export formats. | https://www.researchrabbit.ai/ |
| Scholarly | AI-powered study assistant with smart notetaking, flashcards, PDF analysis, research writing, math graphing, and voice interaction. Supports deep reasoning and diagram generation. | Some features may require a subscription; still growing user base. | https://scholarly.so/features/ |
| AI Tool | Key Features | Limitations | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canvas Magic Write | AI writing assistant within Canva. Generates lesson plans, worksheets, presentation notes, and creative content. Supports multiple languages and integrates with Canva’s design tools. | Output may be generic; limited to Canva’s ecosystem. | https://www.canva.com/help/about-magic-write/ |
| Grammarly | AI writing assistant for grammar, clarity, tone, and citations. Grammarly for Education includes authorship tracking, citation tools, and plagiarism detection. | Some features require premium; may flag false positives. | https://www.grammarly.com/edu |
| Paperpal | Academic writing assistant with grammar checks, paraphrasing, translation, citation support, plagiarism detection, and manuscript readiness checks. Integrates with Word, Overleaf, and Google Docs. | Some features behind paywall; used for academic writing only. | https://paperpal.com/ |
| Copilot | Sign in using your university account. Can rephrase your content and recommend structure for your essay. Suggests different vocabularies. | Alternates your writing style. | https://copilot.cloud.microsoft/ |
| AI Tool | Key Features | Limitations | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClassPoint | PowerPoint-integrated tool for interactive teaching. Features include AI quiz generation, gamification, real-time student engagement, and annotation tools. | Requires PowerPoint; Suited for live teaching environments. | https://www.classpoint.io/ |
| NotebookLM | AI research assistant by Google. Upload PDFs, Docs, videos, and more. Summarizes, explains, and connects ideas across sources. Offers citations and audio overviews. Powered by Gemini 2.0. | Requires Google account; limited to supported file types. | https://notebooklm.google/ |
| Eduaide.ai | AI assistant for teachers. Generates lesson plans, assessments, games, and graphic organizers. Built-in assistant “Erasmus” supports differentiated instruction. | Focused on K–12; may not suit higher education needs. |
|
| QuestionWell | AI-powered tool for teachers to generate standards-aligned questions, readings, vocabulary, and interactive videos. Supports export to platforms like Quizlet, Kahoot, Canvas, and Google Forms. | Primarily focused on K–12 education; limited use in higher education research. | https://questionwell.org/ |
| Quizlet | AI-enhanced study platform with flashcards, practice tests, diagrams, and personalized learning paths. Offers interactive games and smart grading for students and teachers. | Some features require a subscription; AI-generated content may need verification. | https://quizlet.com/ |
| AI Tool | Key Features | Limitations | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veed.io | AI-powered video editor with subtitles, avatars, voiceovers, and educational templates. Offers tools for teachers including green screen, screen recording, and translation. | The free version has watermark; advanced features require subscription. | https://www.veed.io/education |
| Vidyo.ai (Quso.ai) | AI video repurposing and social media suite. Turns long videos into short clips, adds captions, and manages content across platforms. Used for educational content creators. | Focused on social media; academic use is indirect. | https://quso.ai/ |
| Synthesia | AI video creation platform with avatars, voiceovers, screen recording, and multilingual support. Used for training, education, and presentations. | Avatars may feel artificial; limited customization in the free version. | https://www.synthesia.io/features |
| Midjourney | AI image generation tool for creating high-quality, artistic visuals from text prompts. Used in education for visual storytelling, concept art, and creative projects. | Requires Discord to use; no free tier; not tailored for academic research. | https://www.midjourney.com/ |
| DALL·E | AI image generator by OpenAI. Creates realistic images and art from text prompts. Useful for educational illustrations and creative projects. | Image quality may vary; limited editing capabilities. | https://openai.com/index/dall-e-3/ |
| Firefly | Adobe’s generative AI for image creation and editing. Offers text-to-image, generative fill, and style transfer. Integrated with Creative Cloud apps. | Requires Adobe subscription; limited free credits. | https://www.adobe.com/uk/products/firefly.html |
Natural Language Search (NLS) is a search mode in USearch as well as individual EBSCOhost databases. Users can search the database using natural, conversational language and AI then parses the query into keywords and operators.
On the Advanced Search page, select "Search Options" and toggle "Natural Language Search" on.
You can then enter a full research question or other natural language query into the search box.
As well as providing results from the natural language query, you have the option to review the query, translated into keywords and operators, by selecting "Show refined query". This will display the actual search performed on the database.
Natural Language Search is meant to help those not familiar with advanced research methods or to help when searching in new or unfamiliar disciplines. It can be helpful to have a suggestion for where to start when looking at a blank search box. Advanced search remains the best way to craft advanced research queries. The refined query can often be improved by adding alternative keywords or making use of truncation and phrase searching.
Research Assistant is an AI tool which uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation to extract and summarise information from individual book chapters in the form of key concepts and takeaways.
When you select an Ebook Central ebook from the library catalogue and choose to "Read Online" the Research Assistant will be displayed.
The Research Assistant displays on the left of the screen for PDFs and on the right for EPUBs (as in the example).
To generate the Key Takeaway for the selected chapter, click on “show Key Takeaway from this chapter”. The information provided is based on the actual book chapter. This is not a summary of the chapter but pulls out key themes (key takeaways) and why these topics are significant.
To generate the Concepts for the selected chapter, click on “Show concepts discussed in this chapter” to generate a response for each chapter. Concepts and their explanations are identified within the book chapter. This is a list of the top five concepts that are relevant in the context of the chapter. The identified Concepts (names, places, topics, etc.) include an explanation of the term, relevant to the chapter.
Chapter takeaways may speed up research by helping to quickly assess the relevance of a chapter. Concepts may help to improve comprehension by providing providing explanations that complement complex topics. However, neither are intended to replace deeper reading and personal understanding of the content.
The Research AI chat takes a natural language user query and accesses content and datasets from the most relevant sources, before feeding the bundled information into a Large Language Model. This process generates responses with integrated citations, drawn from statistics, reports, and insights from Statista's proprietary information and content from its partners.
On the Statista landing page select the "Research AI" subheading.
The Statista Research Tool is being deactivated and replaced with Research AI Chat in October 2025. The toggle option may no longer be available after this time.
The Research AI chat uses RAG to generate a summarised query answer with references to sources drawn from Statista's content.
Selecting "Show Processing Steps" let's the user see the search query generated and the sources which were scanned to generate a response.
The AI chat function can be useful for those unsure about using keyword search on Statista, or for those who are unfamiliar with the topic they are searching for. The conversational feature allows for follow-up questions which can be useful to probe a new topic in more detail or ask for explanations for new concepts/terms.
Ulster uses an institutional license meaning it is not possible to save individual user prompts and responses. You will need to copy-paste prompts and responses you want to keep and save them to a word document before navigating away from the AI chat.
Web of Science has introduced a new search mode called Smart Search. It uses NLP to go beyond exact keyword matches and return context-aware results. Smart search allows the user to choose either Boolean, Semantic or a combined search.
Select "Smart Search" and enter a query into the search box. Users can toggle between a list of document results, or relevant researchers.
This is the content for EV AI.
This is the content for EV AI.
- AI feature uses RAG to generate summarised query drawn from a list of references
This is the content for Covidence.
This is the content for Covidence.
- AI feature automatically ranks studies according to relevance as they are reviewed.
This is the content for TRIP MM.
This is the content for TRIP (Mind Maps).
- AI feature takes top articles from search and produces a mind map of related concepts from the articles.
This is the content for OXFORD ACADEMIC AI.
This is the content for Oxford Academic (Oxford Medicine Online).
- AI feature brings back 10 relevant articles and AI generated summary/abstract
This is the content for O'Reilly Answers.
- AI feature brings back 10 relevant articles and AI generated summary/abstract
This is the content for JSTORs AI research tool
- AI feature brings back 10 relevant articles and AI generated summary/abstract
