Summarize Articles: Free AI tools for Research Paper Understanding

Andy Stapleton
8 Jan 202408:05

TLDRThe video discusses the challenges of reading academic papers and introduces two free AI tools that aid in understanding research papers without a subscription. The first tool, Size.Space, offers a dashboard for literature review, data extraction from PDFs, and AI co-pilot for reading. The second tool, Explain Paper, provides unlimited explanations and follow-up questions for a better comprehension of the material. Both tools are recommended for their ease of use and potential to save significant reading time.

Takeaways

  • 📚 AI tools for academic paper understanding are often subscription-based, but there are free alternatives available.
  • 💰 Many AI services charge monthly fees, ranging from $5 to €999, depending on the features and team size.
  • 🎓 Size Space is a free tool that offers a dashboard for literature review, PDF data extraction, AI co-pilot reading, and paraphrasing.
  • 🔍 Size Space's data extraction feature allows users to upload PDFs and receive summaries and key points from the text.
  • 🤖 AI co-pilot in Size Space helps users understand complex parts of a paper by asking questions and getting simplified explanations.
  • 🚫 Limitations exist in Size Space, but they haven't been a concern for the speaker's usage.
  • 📄 Explain Paper is another free tool that provides unlimited highlight explanations and follow-up questions, though it lacks some features of Size Space.
  • 📈 Explain Paper can adjust the level of explanation based on the user's desired comprehension level, from a middle schooler to an expert.
  • 📊 Both tools allow users to quickly summarize and understand academic papers without reading them in their entirety.
  • 🆓 The speaker highly recommends these two free AI tools for summarizing and interacting with academic papers, saving significant time and effort.
  • 🔗 The speaker also offers a course, effus Academia, with additional resources and book recommendations for a comprehensive understanding of academic research.

Q & A

  • What is the main issue with AI tools for reading academic papers mentioned in the transcript?

    -The main issue is that most AI tools for reading academic papers require payment through subscriptions, which can be expensive.

  • How does the speaker describe the pricing of the mentioned AI tools?

    -The speaker describes the pricing of the AI tools as ranging from $5 to €999 per month, depending on the service and plan, which they find too costly.

  • What are the two free AI tools recommended by the speaker for understanding academic papers?

    -The two free AI tools recommended by the speaker are Size.Space and Explain Paper.

  • What features does Size.Space offer for academic paper understanding?

    -Size.Space offers features such as literature review assistance, data extraction from PDFs, AI co-pilot for reading, and paraphrasing.

  • How does the AI co-pilot feature in Size.Space work?

    -The AI co-pilot allows users to upload a paper, highlight sections, ask questions, and request explanations or summaries of the highlighted text.

  • What limitations does Size.Space have?

    -While Size.Space has many features, there are limits to how much users can utilize the AI co-pilot and other functions without a subscription.

  • How does Explain Paper help users understand academic papers?

    -Explain Paper provides explanations of highlighted text from academic papers in varying levels of detail, from a middle schooler's understanding to an expert's level.

  • What is the speaker's strategy for reading academic papers efficiently?

    -The speaker suggests starting with the abstract, skimming the paper, highlighting and questioning unclear parts, and using AI tools like Size.Space and Explain Paper to delve deeper into specific sections as needed.

  • What additional resources does the speaker offer for those interested in academic research?

    -The speaker offers a course called 'Effus Academia' with downloadable resources, book recommendations, and lifetime access.

  • How does the speaker feel about the current state of academic papers and AI tools?

    -The speaker believes that AI tools can greatly help in understanding and summarizing academic papers, saving a lot of time and effort, but warns that these tools might eventually become paid services.

  • What advice does the speaker give for those who want to stay updated on free AI tools for academic research?

    -The speaker advises checking out their recommended tools and course, and to keep an eye on updates as the landscape of free AI tools can change over time.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Navigating Academic Paper Reading Tools

The speaker discusses the challenges of reading academic papers and the costs associated with various AI tools designed to assist with this task. They express frustration with the pricing models of these tools, highlighting examples such as OpenReads, Chat PDF, Humata, Lateral, Paper Brain, and Unriddle, which range from $5 to $999 per month or per credit. The speaker then introduces two free AI tools, Size Space and Explain Paper, which offer features like literature review assistance, data extraction from PDFs, AI co-pilot reading, paraphrasing, and summarization without the need for a subscription. The speaker demonstrates how to use Size Space for extracting data and getting summaries from papers and how Explain Paper can provide detailed explanations of highlighted text at different complexity levels. The limitations of these tools are mentioned, but the speaker emphasizes their usefulness for quickly summarizing and understanding academic papers without financial commitment.

05:02

🔍 In-Depth Exploration of Academic Paper Tools

The speaker continues to discuss strategies for effectively reading and understanding academic papers using AI tools. They emphasize the importance of starting with the abstract and skimming the paper, using the AI co-pilot feature in Size Space for further clarification on highlighted sections. The speaker also explains how to use Explain Paper for unlimited explanations and follow-up questions, despite its more limited features compared to Size Space. The process of repeatedly highlighting and explaining sections of papers is recommended for building a strong understanding of a research area. The speaker concludes by promoting their Effus Academia course, which offers additional resources and book recommendations for a one-time fee, positioning it as a valuable investment for academic research and reading.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI tools

AI tools, or Artificial Intelligence tools, refer to software applications that utilize machine learning and natural language processing to assist users in various tasks. In the context of the video, AI tools are designed to help understand and summarize research papers, making the content more accessible and easier to comprehend. The video discusses the availability of free AI tools as opposed to paid options, highlighting their value in academic research.

💡Research papers

Research papers are scholarly articles that present original research results, often in the form of empirical studies or theoretical analyses. They are a crucial part of academic discourse and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in various fields. The video focuses on the challenges of reading and understanding research papers and introduces AI tools that can aid in this process, making them more manageable for users.

💡Subscription models

Subscription models refer to the business strategy where customers pay a recurring fee to access a product or service. In the context of the video, many AI tools for research paper understanding require a monthly or annual subscription, which can be costly. The video emphasizes the value of free alternatives that do not necessitate such financial commitments.

💡Literature review

A literature review is a comprehensive analysis of previously published research papers related to a specific topic or question. It is an essential part of research that helps identify existing knowledge gaps and sets the stage for new research. The video mentions 'Size Space' as a tool that can assist in conducting literature reviews, making the process more efficient and less time-consuming.

💡Data extraction

Data extraction is the process of collecting and organizing data from various sources, such as research papers or databases, to facilitate analysis and review. In the context of the video, AI tools can extract data from PDFs of research papers, simplifying the task for users and saving them time. This feature is particularly useful for researchers who need to synthesize large amounts of information quickly.

💡AI co-pilot

AI co-pilot, in the context of the video, refers to an AI-powered feature that assists users in understanding complex information by providing explanations, answering questions, and summarizing text. This tool helps users interact with research papers by asking questions and receiving simplified explanations, enhancing comprehension and saving time.

💡Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the act of rewording or rephrasing a piece of text to convey the same meaning using different words. It is a valuable skill in academic writing, as it allows for the presentation of ideas in a new light without changing the original message. The video mentions that 'Size Space' offers a paraphrasing feature, which can be helpful for researchers looking to restate information from research papers in their own work.

💡Explain Paper

Explain Paper is an AI tool mentioned in the video that provides free, unlimited explanations of highlighted text from research papers. It simplifies complex concepts by breaking them down into understandable language, catering to various levels of expertise. This tool is beneficial for users who need to grasp the essence of research papers without getting bogged down in technical jargon.

💡Abstract

An abstract is a brief summary of a research paper that presents the main findings, research questions, methods, and conclusions. It is typically found at the beginning of a paper and serves as an overview of the entire work. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of starting with the abstract when reading research papers and using AI tools to further understand and explain the content.

💡Follow-up questions

Follow-up questions are additional inquiries that seek further clarification or expansion on a previously discussed topic or concept. In the context of the video, AI tools like 'Explain Paper' and AI co-pilot allow users to ask follow-up questions to gain a deeper understanding of specific parts of research papers, promoting a more interactive and dynamic learning experience.

💡Free tools

Free tools refer to software applications or online services that are available without any cost to the user. The video emphasizes the availability of free AI tools for understanding research papers, which can be particularly beneficial for students, researchers, or anyone looking to access academic content without financial constraints.

Highlights

The frustration with the complexity and cost of AI tools for academic paper understanding.

The introduction of Size Space, a free AI tool for literature review and PDF data extraction.

The ability to read papers with AI co-pilot and the option for paraphrasing.

The limitation in Size Space but its usefulness for quick summaries and data extraction from PDFs.

The recommendation of Read With AI co-pilot as an alternative for a deeper dive into papers.

The feature of asking questions and getting simplified explanations from AI co-pilot.

The strategy of starting with an abstract and skimming through the paper with highlights and questions.

The ability to take notes and ask follow-up questions within the AI co-pilot function.

The introduction of Explain Paper, another free tool for getting explanations of highlighted text.

The option to adjust the level of explanation from 'middle schooler' to 'expert'.

The benefit of Explain Paper in breaking down complex information into understandable paragraphs.

The unlimited highlighting and explanation features of Explain Paper.

The efficiency of these free AI tools in saving hours of reading time by summarizing and interacting with text.

The author's personal workflow and recommendation of these tools for academic paper reading.

The availability of 10 downloadable resources, book recommendations, and lifetime access in the author's course.

The potential of these AI tools to change the traditional academic paper reading experience.