Ask AI about your research
In short: Start a chat from what you're looking at: Chat with this map, Chat about this … on a cluster or node, or Chat about this on a publication. The research assistant answers using what the chat is about, including the publication's PDF text if SciNodes holds a copy, plus your notes and highlights. Pick an assistant (Sage is the default), set the reply language, and always check answers against the publications. Every reply uses your weekly credits.
Before you start
- AI answers can be wrong, including invented citations. They aren't professional advice. Check important claims against the publication itself.
- Chats use your weekly credit budget. See Credits and usage.
1. Start a chat about the right thing
| You want to ask about | Where to start |
|---|---|
| A whole map | Map overview → Chat with this map |
| A cluster (topic, research group, front) | Click the cluster → Chat about this … |
| A node (term, author, publication, venue) | Click the node → Chat about this …, or right-click it → Chat |
| A publication in your library | ⋯ menu → Chat about this, or ask in its detail panel and click Open in Assistant |
| Anything in the project | Research Assistants tab → New chat |
| Something outside a project | Quick Chat in the left sidebar |
When you create a map from a question, SciNodes opens a "Chat with this map" thread that starts with your question. If you've chatted about something before, the button reads Continue chat.
Details: Chats · Quick Chat
2. Choose an assistant
Pick an assistant in the chat. Higher tiers spend more credits per reply.
| Assistant | Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas | Expert | Locked, not available yet |
| Sage | Superior | Default |
| Vega | Standard | Uses fewer credits than Sage |
| Nova | Budget | Uses the fewest credits |
Details: Assistants and credits
3. Control what the assistant can see
Open the chat's About panel to see what the chat is about and what's "In view" for each item.
- A chat can be about up to 12 things: maps, nodes, publications and files.
- For a publication, the assistant sees its PDF text if SciNodes holds a copy, plus your notes and highlights on it.
- To add a publication, click Attach → Attach a publication from the library.
- To add a file, click Attach → Attach a file. Send a message first, because a file belongs to the chat itself.
- To take something out, right-click it in About and choose Remove from about.
| Files | Limit or behavior |
|---|---|
| Size and count | 32 MB per file, 10 files per chat |
| Read by the assistant | PDF, TXT, MD, CSV, TSV, JSON, YAML, LOG, BIB, RIS |
| Stored but not read | DOCX, DOC, XLSX, PPTX, PNG, JPG, GIF, WEBP, ZIP |
The first question about a publication you've never chatted about can take up to about 20 seconds while the assistant reads its PDF. Long full texts use more credits.
Details: Attachments and what's in view
4. Ask, mention and set the language
- Type your question. Press
Enterto send andShift+Enterfor a new line. - Type @ to mention a map element, such as a cluster or node, so the assistant knows exactly what you mean.
- To get replies in another language, use the reply language picker in the composer. Choose Use my preference to go back to your default Assistant language.
- Wait for the reply. Answers arrive whole, not word by word.
Details: Mentions and reply language · Research in another language
5. Check and keep good answers
- Open the cited publications and confirm each claim before you rely on it.
- Click RIF it on a useful answer to keep it as evidence in Research in Formation.
Details: Research in Formation
Troubleshooting
- "Could not reach the assistant. Your message was not sent." Check your connection and send again.
- "The assistant could not reply (NNN)…" Try again in a moment, or switch to another assistant.
- "Weekly complex compute budget spent." Your weekly credits are used up. Chats resume after the reset on Sunday at 00:00 UTC.
Tips
- Ask a question in the Map queries bar instead when you want a map. If no map can answer it, SciNodes opens an answer chat.
- Asking the assistant about an author or venue saves it to your saved lists automatically. Click Undo autosave if you didn't mean to.
- See where your credits went per assistant on the Usage limits page (user menu).
FAQ
Which assistant should I use?
Start with Sage, the default. Switch to Vega or Nova when you want to spend fewer credits, for example on quick or routine questions.
Can the assistant read the full text of a publication?
Yes, when SciNodes holds a PDF of it. Without a PDF, the full text isn't in view. Use Fetch PDF or Upload PDF first for full-text answers, and check the About panel to see what's in view.
Can I chat about several publications at once?
Yes. A chat can be about up to 12 items. Add publications with Attach → Attach a publication from the library.
Are the assistant's citations reliable?
Not always. AI can invent or misattribute citations. Open each cited publication in SciNodes and check it before you use it.