AI Research Tool Selector
Start with the research task, not the brand name. Use Elicit or Google Scholar to find papers, NotebookLM to read and compare sources, Zotero to manage citations, Perplexity to get oriented, and ChatGPT to draft from checked notes.
Choose your research taskGet the AI research workflow checklist
A practical checklist for choosing when to use NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Elicit, Consensus, Perplexity, Google Scholar, and Zotero.
No hype. Just workflow-first research tool decisions.
Use the matrix when you know the task but do not know whether to start with search, reading, citations, or drafting.
Pick one primary tool for the current stage, then pair it with a companion only when the workflow needs it.
Fast orientation tools are useful, but paper discovery, citation checks, and source-grounded reading need different support.
What are you trying to do right now?
Elicit
Start with Elicit when the job is paper discovery, screening, and extraction. Use Google Scholar to verify coverage, Consensus for quick evidence pulses, and Zotero once the source set needs a library.
- Use with
- Google Scholar, Consensus, Zotero
- Avoid
- Do not start in NotebookLM before you have sources.
Which AI research tool should you start with?
| Task | Start with | Use with | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find papers for a literature review | Elicit | Google Scholar, Consensus, Zotero | Do not start in NotebookLM before you have sources. |
| Check whether a claim has evidence | Consensus | Elicit for deeper review | Do not treat a fast answer as the whole literature review. |
| Read and compare PDFs or reports | NotebookLM | Zotero for the library, ChatGPT for drafting | Do not use it as a discovery engine for papers you have not collected. |
| Manage citations and source library | Zotero | NotebookLM after selecting sources | Do not expect AI reading tools to replace citation management. |
| Get oriented on a new topic | Perplexity | Google Scholar or Elicit before trusting academic claims | Do not use broad AI search as the final source of record. |
| Draft from verified notes | ChatGPT | NotebookLM or Zotero notes | Do not draft from unverified AI summaries when citations matter. |