Scite

Scite, from Research Solutions. Seeing whether later papers support or dispute a paper before you cite it.

What it does well

• Checking whether a paper's key claim has held up
• Finding the papers that disagree with a result
• Checking a reference list for retracted or heavily disputed work

What it does poorly

• Very new papers that haven't been cited yet
• Deciding a paper is wrong from citation counts alone

What makes it different

Classifies citation statements as supporting, contrasting or just mentioning, so you can see how a paper was received, not only how often it was cited.

Quick start

1. Search for a paper you plan to cite.
2. Filter its citations to “contrasting” and read three of them in context.
3. Upload your draft's reference list to check for retractions and disputed claims.
4. Try the assistant with a question, then open every paper it cites.

Strengths and limits

• Strength: Citation context no other tool shows
• Strength: Retraction checks
• Strength: Browser extension flags papers as you read
• Limit: Classification errors on subtle disagreements
• Limit: Paid after the trial
• Limit: Thin on books and non-English work

Privacy

Low risk for published work. Keep unpublished drafts out of personal accounts.

Academic integrity

Read the citing papers yourself before you claim something is disputed.