Use a research agent for systematic literature reviews
A Reddit thread points to tools that can help with systematic reviews, paper notes, and keeping a project organized over time.
- What they did
- In a Reddit discussion, one commenter recommended Elicit’s paid systematic review mode for this kind of work. They described it as one of the strongest options, while also saying it runs slowly. Another commenter later pointed to pmchat.app, saying its assistants can search PubMed, attach notes to papers, save papers in a library, and sort them into folders so the work stays tied to one ongoing project.
- How it went
- No outcome data or review results were shared. The main tradeoff mentioned was that Elicit’s free report felt only fair, while the paid review workflow was better but slow.
- Tips
- If you try a tool like this, start by agreeing on your review question and screening rules. Make sure the agent pauses before any action that would submit, delete, or otherwise lock in a decision.
Try it yourself with Manus
Help me run a systematic literature review on [research question]. First, ask me to define the inclusion and exclusion criteria, databases or source lists to search, and the time range. Then search for relevant papers, screen them against the criteria, and build a table with each study’s authors, year, method, sample, and main findings. Keep notes on each paper, organize the papers in a project folder or library, and give me a short synthesis at the end with full citations and links. Before you make any irreversible change, such as submitting a final set of papers, deleting items, or sending anything out, stop and ask for my approval.
Fill in the [brackets]. Agents can make mistakes, so review anything before it is sent, paid or deleted.
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