ok so basically be careful with AI accuracy... i mean what's your budget like? also are you focusing more on the data or the methodology for ur lit review?

Been using this for years, no complaints

sooo i totally feel u on the mountain of papers... i've been using [[PRODUCT:Consensus]] and [[PRODUCT:SciSpace]] lately and they're basically lifesavers for lit reviews cuz they actually cite the exact page numbers u need! ngl i tried [[PRODUCT:ChatPDF]] but it felt a bit too generic for heavy methodology stuff. anyway just a quick warning tho: **always** double-check the data rows cuz even the best ones hallucinate results sometimes lol. id definitely check out [[PRODUCT:Elicit]] too if u want deep data extraction!! gl with the research 👍

Interested in this too

Seconding the recommendation above for [[PRODUCT:SciSpace]]! It really is a game-changer for lit reviews, but honestly, if you're looking to save some cash while keeping things high-quality, you've gotta check out a few other options too. I've been doing research for years and the costs of subscriptions definitely add up fast.

So, basically, the reason these tools work better than a basic PDF reader is because they use RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation). It helps stop the AI from just making stuff up by forcing it to look at the actual text before answering. It's SO much better for methodology stuff.

1. [[PRODUCT:Perplexity AI Pro]] - This is my top pick. It's a bit of an investment, but it's like having a research assistant. You can upload multiple PDFs and it's super good at citing sources accurately. Plus, it uses different models like Claude or GPT-4o so you can swap if one feels too generic.
2. [[PRODUCT:NotebookLM]] - This one is actually FREE from Google and it's lowkey incredible for academic work. It creates a "grounded" environment based only on the papers you upload. It doesn't hallucinate as much because it's strictly limited to your sources, and it'll give you direct citations for every claim.
3. [[PRODUCT:Zotero]] with the [[PRODUCT:Zotero 7]] built-in reader - If you're already using Zotero for citations (which you should be!), the newer versions are getting way better at integrated search and note-taking. It's the most cost-effective way to stay organized.

One tip: always ask the AI to "Extract the sample size and specific statistical tests used" rather than just "Summarize the methodology." Being specific really helps avoid those generic paragraphs you mentioned. gl with the mountain of reading!!

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Totally agree about keeping things cost-effective. These subscription fees are getting ridiculous lately so I have been trying to streamline everything myself to save a few bucks. Honestly tho, once I got my software workflow sorted, I realized my actual desk was the real problem. I spent basically the whole weekend in my garage trying to DIY a custom monitor stand out of some old oak planks I had lying around. It turned into a whole thing because I could not find my wood glue and ended up driving to three different hardware stores only to find out it was in the kitchen junk drawer the whole time. My cat actually knocked over the stain right as I was finishing and now there is a permanent paw print on the left side of the shelf. It kinda looks like art if you squint? Anyway sorry lol I totally went off on a tangent there.