AI for researchers working through their own sources
For research, AI is a reading accelerator, not a discovery engine: upload the papers you already have, ask what each argues and assumes, then ask where two sources disagree — and verify every extracted claim against the text.
ChatOTL cannot search the literature for you, and any tool that claims to without citations is guessing. What it can do is make a stack of PDFs tractable in an afternoon.
One thread per topic keeps context accumulating, and branching lets you follow a competing interpretation without derailing the main line of enquiry.
A synthesis workflow
- Attach a paper and ask for the claim, method, evidence and stated limitations.
- Ask what the paper assumes but never argues for.
- Attach a second paper and ask where the two disagree and what would settle it.
- Keep a running thread per topic so terminology and framing stay consistent.
What you can upload
Up to 5 files per message at 15 MB each: PDFs, images, plain text, Markdown, CSV and JSON. Text and data files are extracted inline; PDFs and images are passed to the model through short-lived signed URLs.
Verification is not optional
Treat every quote, number and attribution as unverified until you check it in the source. Keeping the source attached in the same thread makes that check quick rather than theoretical.
Where it fits
Triage a reading pile
Summarise ten papers to decide which three deserve a full read.
Method comparison
Ask where two studies' methods diverge and what that implies.
Dataset first look
Attach a CSV and ask what questions it can and cannot answer.
Example prompts
- From the attached paper: claim, method, evidence, stated limitations. Quote the sentence supporting each.
- These two papers reach different conclusions. Where exactly do their assumptions diverge?
- What does this study assume without arguing for it?
Limitations
- No literature search: ChatOTL doesn't browse the web and can't retrieve papers or verify citations.
- Extracted quotes and figures can be wrong; check each against the source text.
- It has no judgement about quality of evidence — that remains yours.
Frequently asked questions
Can it do my literature review?
It can help you synthesise sources you supply, but it cannot find them. There's no web access and no live search, so it can't produce a verified reference list.
How many papers can I attach at once?
Five files per message, 15 MB each. For larger syntheses, add them across successive messages in the same thread.
Can I trust the quotes it extracts?
Not without checking. Ask it to quote the supporting sentence for each claim, then verify against the attached source before using anything.
Is my unpublished research private?
Yes. Row-level security scopes every conversation, message and uploaded file to your account, and you can bring your own provider key.
Start with the paper you keep re-opening
Attach it and ask for claim, method, evidence, limitations.
Open ChatOTL