How to Use Explainpaper

Getting started with Explainpaper

In this guide, you will learn how to use Explainpaper to simplify complex academic papers by highlighting confusing sections and getting plain-English explanations. By the end, you'll be able to upload a PDF and get instant help with understanding dense academic jargon.

Step 1: Sign up and set up

1. Go to Explainpaper.
2. Click on the "Get Started" button on the homepage.
3. Sign up for a free account by entering your email and creating a password, or use a Google account to sign in quickly.
4. Once logged in, you’ll be taken to your dashboard.

Step 2: Your first paper

1. Click on the "Upload Paper" button to upload a PDF of the research paper you want to analyse.
2. After the upload completes, you will see the paper displayed in the viewer.
3. Use your mouse to highlight any text that you find confusing. A pop-up will appear asking if you want an explanation.
4. Click on the "Get Explanation" button in the pop-up. The explanation will appear in a side panel.

Step 3: Get better results

1. To improve the quality of explanations, focus on highlighting specific phrases or sentences rather than whole paragraphs.
2. Consider using the “Summary” feature (available in the Plus plan) to get a concise overview of the paper before diving into specific sections.
3. If you decide to upgrade to the Pro plan, you can analyse multiple papers at once, which is useful for comparative studies.

Pro tip

Use the “Highlight All” feature to quickly mark multiple confusing sections at once, then request explanations for all of them simultaneously. This saves time on repetitive highlighting.

Common mistake to avoid

A common mistake is highlighting too much text at once. This can lead to vague explanations. Instead, focus on shorter, specific excerpts for clearer, more useful responses.