Clarivate launches AI-powered research assistant

Clarivate Plc has released a new generative AI-powered tool. The Web of Science™ Research Assistant is aimed at helping researchers find key papers faster, handle complex research tasks and visualise connections. The chat interface combined with the Web of Science knowledge graph allows researchers to get more out of their interactions with 120 years of publication and citation data in the Web of Science Core Collection.  

The Web of Science Research Assistant features include: 

• Flexible search for documents – Users can conduct natural language searches in several languages. The tool delivers overviews that consider more than 120 years of research and reveals connections between concepts and papers in a field of study. 
• Guided prompts and tasks – The tool suggests ways users can enhance their research tasks, following context-specific prompts to expand or refine the scope of discovery. Guided tasks including ‘Understand a topic’, ‘Literature review’ or ‘Find a journal’ help researchers focus on exactly what they need. 
• Unique data visualisations – Users can explore trend graphs, topic maps and co-citation networks that show different angles on a topic and guide them deeper into their research.  

Emmanuel Thiveaud, Senior Vice President, Research and Analytics, Academia & Government at Clarivate, said: “The Web of Science Research Assistant goes beyond content discovery to enable a deeper, richer research experience. It enhances decision-making, supports skill-building and provides in-depth insights into the dynamics of research fields. 

“By partnering with the community and leveraging high-quality, reliable data and expertise, Clarivate is responsibly implementing cutting-edge technology in the Web of Science to improve research discovery and analytics that will transform our world.”  

Li-Ling Ou, Assistant Administrator, Division of Knowledge Service at the National Cheng Kung University Library, a development partner, said: “We chose to engage with the Web of Science developer partner program due to the database’s reputation for credibility and reliability. The high-quality articles available through the Web of Science, coupled with the opportunity to experience a trial period, provided us with a positive and valuable experience. We are eager to promote the Web of Science Research Assistant further among researchers at our institution.” 

The tool was developed in collaboration with librarians and researchers worldwide and entered beta testing in December 2023. Development partners help ensure that the generative AI-powered assistant meets rigorous standards for quality, accuracy and privacy. The Web of Science Research Assistant team will continue to gather feedback and guidance for future enhancements.