Nov. 7, 2025
A Short Guide to scite.AI
Scite AI is a research tool that can be used to help analyze and evaluate scientific articles.
Notable Features
“Smart Citations"
Scite’s "smart citations" show contextual information about cited articles, categorizing cited work as “supporting,” “contrasting,” or “mentioning.” However, these classifications can sometimes be inaccurate, so it’s important to verify the sources yourself.
Citation Statement Search
Citation statements are sentences around a citation or reference in a publication. scite can search a large database of citation statements to look for how one source is cited in other sources. scite also automatically sorts citation statements by their smart citation classification.
Scite Assistant
Scite has a feature that allows you to enter quotes or use natural human language to help with your search query. This may be particularly useful if you want to look for academic sources that support or contrast claims you found outside of scholarly literature.
Use Cases
Scite can be useful throughout the research process. Here a few use cases where scite can help you build a list of strong, relevant literature:
- You found an interesting article and are curious about how scholars are citing it.
- You want to evaluate other articles that support and/or contrast your citation.
- You use the query and search tool to index research papers and narrow down relevant literature.
- You want to consult diverse references to build a broader understanding of the field.
Limitations of Scite
Like with all tools, scite comes with limitations:
- Scite can combat “hallucinations” and inaccuracies by searching full-text articles, but it cannot eliminate these inaccuracies completely.
- Scite may incorrectly label a citation as “supporting,” “contrasting,” or “mentioning.”
- Scite has rules about what they index, which means that their database may not cover the whole field.
AI Use Transparency & Disclosure
The features of scite involve both traditional AI and generative AI, which can contain inaccuracies. You remain responsible for verifying all information and ensuring you meet your instructor’s, department’s, and institution’s expectations, including proper citations, attributions, and disclosures.
If you plan on using AI tools for your assignment or graduate research, you must receive explicit permission from your instructor or supervisor. You should never assume AI use is permitted unless stated otherwise.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies requires disclosure statements regarding all AI uses. For more information, see the AI Graduate Guidelines or talk to your supervisor.
Additional Resources
Scite guides:
Citing and attributing AI: