A publication’s citation counts are traditionally seen as an important measure of influence and importance. However, citation counts just provide numbers, and a highly cited work can produce poor science. The most well-known example may be the infamous 1998 Wakefield study, which suggested a link between autism and vaccines. The Wakefield study has been retracted but is still highly cited, largely due to the number of studies discrediting the original findings.

Scite.ai is a so-called Smart Citation platform that aims to provide researchers with additional context for a publication’s citation metrics. Scite uses artificial intelligence to analyze citation statements, and classifies them based on whether the work supports, contradicts, or just mentions the original work. This allows researchers a greater insight into the importance and accuracy of the original work.

To use scite.ai simply type in the DOI, title, or author into the search bar.

Find the relevant citation in the search results. The site provides a summary of all of the indexed  citations classifications as well as more detailed information about each citation. Users can also sort the citations based on where they appear in the publication. Unregistered visitors are limited to viewing ten citations but users can register for free for greater access.

Scite is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Megan Wilson, Research and Instruction Librarian, Murray State University

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