Summarize Articles: Free AI tools for Research Paper Understanding

Andy Stapleton
8 Jan 202408:05

TLDRThe video introduces two free AI tools for academic paper understanding: Size.Space and ExplainPaper. Size.Space offers a dashboard for literature review, data extraction from PDFs, and AI co-pilot reading with limitations. ExplainPaper provides unlimited explanations and follow-up questions without additional features. Both tools are recommended for summarizing and interacting with academic papers without subscription fees, saving readers time and effort.

Takeaways

  • 📚 AI tools for academic papers are often subscription-based and can be expensive.
  • 💰 Many AI services charge monthly fees ranging from $5 to €999 for team plans.
  • 🆓 Two free AI tools are recommended for understanding research papers without a subscription: SizeSpace and ExplainPaper.
  • 🗂 SizeSpace offers a dashboard for literature review, data extraction from PDFs, AI co-pilot reading, and paraphrasing with some limitations.
  • 📄 Uploading a PDF to SizeSpace provides a summary, conclusions, and the ability to ask questions about highlighted text.
  • 🤖 AI co-pilot in SizeSpace allows for simple explanations of highlighted text and follow-up questions.
  • 🚫 Limitations exist in the AI co-pilot function, but they haven't been a concern for the user.
  • 📝 ExplainPaper provides unlimited highlight explanations and follow-up questions without additional features.
  • 👨‍🏫 ExplainPaper can adjust the level of explanation based on the reader's desired comprehension level, from a middle schooler to an expert.
  • 🔍 Both tools enable users to understand academic papers without reading them in their entirety.
  • 🎓 The user recommends starting with the abstract and using these tools to build an understanding of a research area.

Q & A

  • What is the main issue with AI tools for academic paper understanding mentioned in the transcript?

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

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

    -The speaker describes the pricing as too high, using expressions like 'that's too much, mate' and mentioning specific costs such as €999 a month for Lateral and $20 a month for Paper Brain.

  • What are the two free AI tools recommended by the speaker for reading 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 reading, and paraphrasing.

  • How does the 'too long didn't read' feature work in Size.Space?

    -The 'too long didn't read' feature provides a three-dot point summary of the entire paper, offering an easy-to-understand overview of the content.

  • What can be done with the AI co-pilot in Size.Space?

    -With the AI co-pilot, users can upload a paper, ask questions, request explanations, and get simple summaries of highlighted text sections.

  • What limitations does Size.Space have?

    -Size.Space has limitations on the number of times certain functions can be used, but the speaker has not encountered any issues with their library becoming too full.

  • How does Explain Paper assist in understanding academic papers?

    -Explain Paper provides unlimited highlight explanations, follow-up questions, and varying levels of simplification for explanations, ranging from a middle schooler to an expert level.

  • What advice does the speaker give for starting with an academic paper?

    -The speaker advises to always start with the abstract, and if unsure about something, to highlight it for further explanation. They also recommend skimming the paper and using the AI tools for deeper understanding.

  • What is the speaker's opinion on the importance of using these AI tools?

    -The speaker believes these AI tools are valuable as they save hours of reading time by summarizing text and allowing interaction through highlighting and questioning, all for free.

  • What additional resource does the speaker mention for those interested in academic research?

    -The speaker mentions their 'effus Academia course' with 10 downloadable resources, book recommendations, and lifetime access as an additional resource for those interested in academic research.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Frustration with Paid AI Academic Tools

The speaker expresses frustration with the cost of various AI tools for reading academic papers. They mention several services, including OpenReads, Chat PDF, Humata, Lateral, Paper Brain, and Unriddle, and their respective pricing models, which they finds excessively expensive. The speaker then introduces two free AI tools, Size Space and Explain Paper, which do not require a subscription and can significantly aid in academic paper reading by providing summaries, data extraction, and AI co-pilot reading, among other features.

05:02

🤖 Utilizing Free AI Tools for Academic Reading

The speaker continues discussing the free AI tools for academic paper reading, emphasizing their ease of use and effectiveness. Size Space allows for literature reviews, data extraction from PDFs, and AI co-pilot reading, with a focus on its new data extraction feature. Explain Paper offers a similar service but is completely free, enabling unlimited highlight explanations and follow-up questions. The speaker demonstrates how these tools can be used to understand abstracts, skim through papers, and get simplified explanations of complex parts, ultimately saving time and effort in academic research.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI tools

AI tools refer to artificial intelligence applications designed to assist with specific tasks. In the context of the video, these tools are used to aid in understanding and summarizing research papers, making the process more efficient and accessible. The script mentions various AI tools that require payment, highlighting the search for free alternatives.

💡Research papers

Research papers are scholarly articles that present original research results. They are a significant part of academic publishing and are often dense and challenging to understand for the average reader. The video's main theme revolves around finding ways to simplify the comprehension of these papers using AI tools.

💡Subscription

A subscription model refers to a business approach where customers pay a fee to access a company's services or products over a specified period. In the video, the speaker expresses frustration with AI tools for research papers that require a monthly subscription, indicating a preference for free, one-time use tools.

💡Size Space

Size Space is one of the free AI tools mentioned in the video for summarizing and understanding research papers. It offers features like literature review assistance, data extraction from PDFs, and AI co-pilot for reading. The tool is appreciated for its user-friendly interface and capabilities, which help break down complex information into more digestible summaries.

💡AI co-pilot

AI co-pilot, as discussed in the video, is a feature within the Size Space tool that allows users to interact with research papers by asking questions, summarizing texts, and getting explanations for highlighted sections. This interactive approach helps users gain a better understanding of complex academic material.

💡Explain Paper

Explain Paper is another free AI tool highlighted in the video that focuses on providing explanations for research papers. It allows users to upload papers and request explanations for highlighted sections or follow-up questions, making it an effective resource for demystifying academic jargon and concepts.

💡Abstract

An abstract is a brief summary of a research paper, typically found at the beginning, which outlines the main points, research questions, methods, and findings. In the video, the speaker emphasizes starting with the abstract as a strategy for getting a quick grasp of a paper's content before delving deeper.

💡Library

In the context of the video, a library refers to the personal collection of research papers within the AI tools. It allows users to store, organize, and review papers for easy access and future reference. The speaker mentions the library in relation to Size Space, indicating its usefulness for managing academic resources.

💡Highlighting and questioning

Highlighting and questioning are techniques used to engage with text, allowing readers to extract and clarify information. In the video, these methods are employed within AI tools to facilitate a deeper understanding of research papers by asking direct questions about highlighted sections or summarizing complex ideas.

💡Free tools

Free tools, as discussed in the video, are applications or services that do not require payment for their basic or full functionality. The speaker's goal is to find such tools for summarizing and understanding research papers, as they provide value without incurring costs.

💡Workflow

A workflow refers to the sequence of steps taken to complete a particular task or process. In the video, the speaker shares their preferred workflow for reading and understanding academic papers using AI tools, which involves using Size Space for summaries and explanations, followed by Explain Paper for further clarification.

Highlights

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

OpenReads charges $5/month for their services.

ChatPDF and Humata have high pricing at $30.99/month and $199-$99/month for a team, respectively.

Lateral and PaperBrain charge €999/month and $20/month for 50 credits, respectively.

Unriddle and Charlie offer services at $16/month and $25/month, respectively.

The introduction of two free AI tools for academic paper understanding: SizeSpace and ExplainPaper.

SizeSpace offers a dashboard for literature review, data extraction from PDFs, AI co-pilot reading, and paraphrasing.

SizeSpace's new feature allows for easy summarization of papers with 'Too Long Didn't Read' and 'Conclusions' sections.

AI co-pilot in SizeSpace provides simple explanations of highlighted text and allows for follow-up questions.

ExplainPaper offers unlimited highlight explanations and follow-up questions for free.

ExplainPaper allows users to adjust the complexity of explanations to suit their understanding level.

The importance of starting with abstracts and skimming papers before seeking deeper understanding.

Using AI tools to save time by summarizing texts and interacting with highlighted parts for further clarification.

The recommendation to frequently check for changes in free tool availability due to potential monetization.

The presenter's personal workflow for free academic paper understanding using AI tools.

A call to action for viewers to explore the mentioned tools and a promise to update on future changes.

The presenter's course, 'Effus Academia', is advertised as a resource for lifetime access and regular updates.

A suggestion to watch another video discussing the potential end of traditional academic papers with AI tools.

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