What it does
Explainpaper is a web service for working through research papers. After you add a paper, you mark a passage that is hard to follow and the service writes a simpler explanation of it. The site says the level can be set anywhere from beginner to expert, and that explanations are available in more than 50 languages. You can also ask questions about the paper. The site says answers come from the paper's actual content rather than general knowledge, can point to the relevant sections, and can be followed up with further questions or a summary of the findings. Separate features show a paper's structure, main points and how its concepts relate. Explanations are produced by AI models. According to the site, the free plan uses basic models, while the Pro plan uses advanced models and adds whole-paper summaries, saved highlights and explanations, and questions about the paper.
Capabilities
- Plain-language explanations of any passage you highlight
- Adjustable explanation level, from beginner to expert
- Explanations in 50+ languages
- Questions and follow-ups answered from the paper, with jumps to cited sections
- Smart outlines and key-point extraction for a quick view of a paper
- Whole-paper summaries and saved highlights on the Pro plan
When to use it
- You are reading a paper outside your field and need the jargon explained in context
- You want to ask questions about a paper and check the sections behind the answers
- You want explanations in your own language
- You want an outline of a paper before reading it in full
