Research in another language
In short: SciNodes can explain and answer in 20 languages. Set your Explainer language for term definitions and publication translations, and your Assistant language for research assistant replies. You can also change the reply language for a single chat. Publications stay in the language they were published in, and the interface itself stays in English.
Supported languages
English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Russian, Korean, French, Malay, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Urdu, Tamil, Gujarati, Assamese, Malayalam, Sinhala and Konkani.
What each setting changes
| Setting | Where | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Explainer language | User Preferences | Term definitions on maps, and the extra translation option on publications |
| Assistant language | User Preferences | The language every new chat replies in |
| Reply language picker | A chat's composer | That one chat only |
| Publication translation | A publication's detail panel | The title and abstract you're reading, on demand |
Both preferences are saved to your account, so they follow you to every device. Interface languages other than English aren't available yet (coming soon). See What's coming.
1. Set your languages
- Open the user menu and click User Preferences.
- Open Explainer language and pick a language. It sets the language SciNodes explains itself in.
- Open Assistant language and pick a language for chat replies. It can differ from your explainer language.
Details: Preferences · Translation
2. Read term definitions in your language
- On a term or keyword map, click a term node.
- Open Definition in the selection panel.
- Use the toggle above the definition to switch between EN and your explainer language. The toggle appears only when your explainer language isn't English.
Definitions use your weekly credits.
Details: Selecting, merging and excluding
3. Translate a publication's title and abstract
- Open a publication's detail panel in the Library, or open it from a map.
- Use the language control in the panel:
- Original shows the text as published.
- English appears when the publication isn't in English.
- Your explainer language appears, by its own name, when it isn't English and differs from the publication's language.
- While SciNodes works, you'll see "Translating…". The translation is marked "Machine translation from language".
The original is never changed. If you see "Could not translate this publication.", click Retry. Translations use your weekly credits.
Details: Publication details · Translation
4. Chat in your language
- Open or start a chat.
- Use the reply language picker in the composer to choose a language for this chat.
- To go back to your default, choose Use my preference.
Details: Mentions and reply language · Ask AI about your research
5. Work with publications in many languages
- Your corpus can hold publications in any language.
- To map only publications in certain languages, add a corpus slice with a language filter in Expert Mode: type a language code, then press
Enter. See Corpus slices. - When adding a publication with Manual Entry, record its Language under "More details". See Manual entry.
Tips
- Keep your explainer language and assistant language different if it helps, for example definitions in English and chat replies in your first language.
- Check machine translations of key passages against the original before you quote them.
- If you see "That change could not be saved. Your previous language is still in effect.", try again in a moment.
FAQ
Can I change the SciNodes interface language?
Not yet. The interface is English only. Other interface languages are planned (coming soon).
Which languages can the research assistant reply in?
Any of the 20 supported languages. Set a default under Assistant language, or change it for one chat from the chat's composer.
Does SciNodes translate full-text PDFs?
Publication translation covers the title and abstract. The original PDF isn't changed.
Why don't I see a translate option on a publication?
The control appears only when there's something to switch to: the publication isn't in English, or your explainer language differs from the publication's language.