Complete guide to Scite
Getting started
Go to scite.ai and ask the AI Research Assistant a broad question about your topic so it can suggest the most relevant papers as a starting point. For each of those articles, open the Smart Citations panel and check the "contrasting" citations tab first, before the supporting ones, to quickly see whether there's real controversy around the finding.
Use cases
Check whether a finding has real support or contradiction
See at a glance how many citations support, contradict, or simply mention a specific claim in a paper, instead of assuming that citing means agreeing.
Research questions with verifiable citations
Use the AI Assistant to answer questions with real citations from peer-reviewed sources, not generic unverified answers.
Large-scale full-text search
Search across more than 280 million articles, preprints, books, and patents for an in-depth exploration of a topic.
Reference integrity check
Use Reference Check to scan a document for retractions, editorial notices, or integrity issues in the citations used.
Advanced setup
- Smart CitationsClassifies each citation as supporting, contrasting, or mentioning, with a confidence level attached to that classification, across more than 1.2 billion indexed citation statements.
- Custom dashboardsLet you organize, track, and visualize citation trends and debates over time on a specific topic.
- MCP integrationSince 2026, Scite works via Model Context Protocol with ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code, letting you query it directly from those tools.
Tips
- Always check a paper's contrasting citations tab first, before the supporting ones — it's the fastest way to spot whether a finding is more controversial than it appears.
- Save any striking contrasting finding you come across to a dashboard, instead of just noting it separately, so you can track how it evolves over time.
- Use Reference Check before submitting a manuscript or thesis, to catch whether any of your references has been retracted without your knowledge.
- Take advantage of the MCP integration if you already use Claude or Cursor regularly, to query Scite without switching tools.
FAQ
What do the three citation categories mean?
Supporting (the citation backs the finding), Contrasting (the citation contradicts it), and Mentioning (the citation only references the method or idea without taking a position).
How many documents does Scite index?
Over 1.2 billion citation statements from more than 180 million papers, with full-text search across more than 280 million documents.
Can I use Scite from other AI tools?
Yes, since 2026 its Model Context Protocol integration works with ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code.
Based on Researched at buildfastwithai.com/ai-tools/scite and scite.ai/blog/february-2026-release-notes (August 2026).