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AI paper summarizer

Upload a research paper as a PDF or DOCX file and get a summary with key points, plus the extracted text to check it against. Free, no account.

Formats
PDF and DOCX
Limit
25 MB, one paper at a time
Output
Summary and extracted text
Price
Free, no account

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How to summarize a research paper

  1. 01

    Choose the paper

    Pick a PDF or DOCX up to 25 MB. A PDF previews next to the result.

  2. 02

    Press Summarize paper

    Complete the security check first. Your file is uploaded when you press the button, not when you choose it.

  3. 03

    Check it against the paper

    Read the Summary tab, then Convert to text to see what we read. Copy the text in the open tab, or download it as a .txt file. These buttons leave out the key points, so select and copy those separately.

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PPT Summarizer

Turn PowerPoint slides into a concise briefing with key points and takeaways.

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Summarize videos into key moments, takeaways, and reusable notes.

Word Document Summarizer

Summarize Word documents into clear takeaways.

What the paper summary gives you

The result has two tabs. The Summary tab shows a short summary and, when available, a list of key points. Convert to text is the text we pulled out of your file. Copy the text in the open tab, or download it as a .txt file. These buttons leave out the key points, so select and copy those separately.

A PDF shows beside the result, so you can scroll the paper while you read. A DOCX has no preview. The layout of the summary can differ from paper to paper.

Decide which papers to read in full

  1. Read the summary for the question the paper asks and its main result.
  2. Decide if it matters to you. If not, move on and keep the summary in your notes.
  3. If it does, open the paper. Check who or what was studied, how the main result was measured, and what the authors say they could not show.
  4. Look at the tables and figures yourself. A summary cannot show them.
  5. Note page numbers while you read. The summary has none, and you will need them to cite.

Check that the whole paper was read

The summary is built from the text we extract, so open Convert to text before you trust it. Two-column layouts can come out interleaved. A scan can come out empty. Footnotes and appendices may be missing.

If the text looks wrong, use the publisher PDF or the preprint version instead of a scan or a print-to-PDF copy.

Using summaries in a literature review

Summarize each candidate paper, then put the summaries side by side and sort them by topic, method and relevance. That gives you a map of the pile before you read anything closely.

Summaries flatten caveats. A finding in one small group can read like a general result, so check the abstract and the limitations before you repeat a claim.

Other summarizers

Pick the summarizer that matches the file you have.

You haveUseLimit
A book or a long thesisBook summarizerPDF, EPUB or DOCX, 25 MB
A draft in WordWord document summarizerDOC or DOCX, 25 MB
Conference slidesPPT summarizerPPT, PPTX or PDF, 50 MB
A recorded lecturePodcast summarizerAudio, 50 MB

Unpublished and confidential papers

Choosing a file does not upload it. It is sent when you press Summarize paper. Do not upload a manuscript under review, an embargoed paper or one covered by an NDA unless you are allowed to. Check the journal or funder rules first.

The privacy policy explains how uploads are handled.

Paper summarizer FAQ

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