scite
AI-powered smart citations that show how research has been cited — supported, contrasted, or mentioned
About scite
scite is an AI-powered research platform that helps academics and researchers discover and evaluate scientific literature through Smart Citations. Unlike traditional citation counts, scite analyzes 1.6 billion+ citation statements to show whether papers support, contrast, or simply mention a claim. Now part of Research Solutions, it serves 2 million+ users worldwide with features including citation statement search, AI research assistant, custom dashboards, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unique Smart Citation analysis shows whether papers support or contradict claims — no other tool does this at scale
- 1.6 billion+ indexed citation statements provide unmatched depth of citation context
- AI Research Assistant helps identify the most well-supported studies in any field quickly
- Browser extension integrates seamlessly into existing research workflows without changing habits
- Real-time alerts on custom dashboards keep researchers informed about new citations to tracked papers
Cons
- Coverage can be uneven across disciplines — stronger in STEM than humanities and social sciences
- Individual pricing at $12/month adds up for students without institutional access
- AI assistant responses sometimes lack nuance in interdisciplinary or emerging research areas
- Requires learning new concepts (supporting vs. contrasting citations) that may be unfamiliar initially
- Some older or less-cited papers may have limited Smart Citation data available
Key Features
Smart Citations
Categorize references as supporting, contrasting, or mentioning — see how the academic community has received specific research
Citation Statement Search
Search across 1.6 billion citation statements to track how a claim appears across published literature
AI Research Assistant
Full literature search engine built on the citation index that helps researchers prioritize well-supported studies
Custom Dashboards
Build dashboards to track key papers, topics, authors, or projects with real-time alerts for new citations
Browser Extension
Chrome, Firefox, and Safari extension shows citation context on any research paper you read online
Reference Check
Upload a manuscript and instantly verify whether your references have been supported or contradicted in the literature
Publisher Integrations
Partnerships with 30+ publishers for direct access to citation context within journal platforms
Visualizations
Interactive citation maps and network visualizations showing relationships between papers and claims
Pricing
- Full platform access
- Smart Citations
- AI Assistant
- Browser extension
- Unlimited Smart Citations
- Citation Statement Search
- AI Research Assistant
- Custom dashboards
- Browser extension
- Full platform access
- Reduced pricing for students
- All Individual features
- Campus-wide access
- Usage analytics
- SSO integration
- Dedicated support
- API access
Best For
Literature Review
Quickly evaluate the reception of key papers by seeing how they've been cited — supporting, contrasting, or mentioned
Research Validation
Verify whether findings in your reference list have been replicated, supported, or contradicted by subsequent research
Grant Writing
Strengthen grant proposals by citing well-supported studies and acknowledging contested findings
Systematic Reviews
Systematically map the citation landscape around a research question to identify gaps and consensus
Academic Publishing
Strengthen manuscript citations by verifying the status of referenced claims before submission
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Best for graduate students writing discussion chapters or reviewing contested literatures where citation context matters as much as citation count.