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    Elicit: AI Research Assistant

    Elicit transforms academic research from a weeks-long manual process into a streamlined workflow, helping nonprofits search 125 million papers, extract data with near-human accuracy, and build evidence-based programs—all without a research team.

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    What It Does

    Struggling to justify program decisions with research but don't have time to read 50+ academic papers? Elicit uses AI to search across 125 million academic papers, automatically extract key findings, and summarize research—turning what would take weeks of manual literature review into a few hours of focused work.

    Instead of manually searching databases with rigid keyword queries, Elicit understands the meaning behind your research question. Ask "What are effective donor retention strategies?" and it finds relevant papers even when they use different terminology like "philanthropic relationship management" or "supporter engagement techniques."

    Elicit doesn't just find papers—it extracts specific data points you need (study populations, intervention types, outcomes, methodology) and cites every claim with sentence-level references. You get the insights without reading hundreds of pages, while maintaining the rigor required for grant applications, program planning, and board reports.

    Best For

    Ideal Users & Use Cases

    Organization Size

    • Small to mid-sized nonprofits without dedicated research staff
    • Research-focused organizations conducting systematic reviews
    • Academic institutions and think tanks with limited research resources

    Best Use Cases

    • Grant Proposals: Finding evidence to support program approaches and demonstrating research-backed interventions
    • Program Development: Identifying best practices and evidence-based interventions in your field
    • Literature Reviews: Conducting scoping reviews, preliminary searches, and identifying research gaps
    • Environmental Scans: Understanding current research landscape before launching new initiatives
    • Policy Research: Gathering evidence for advocacy positions and policy recommendations

    Ideal For

    Program Directors, Grant Writers, Research Coordinators, Executive Directors building evidence-based strategies, Policy Advocates needing research support

    Key Features for Nonprofits

    Semantic Search Across 125M Papers

    Finds relevant research based on meaning, not just keywords—catches papers your traditional searches would miss by understanding concepts, not just matching words.

    AI Screening (80% Time Savings)

    Automatically screens titles and abstracts against your criteria, with detailed rationale and supporting quotes—turning days of manual screening into hours.

    Custom Data Extraction

    Pulls specific data points (study population, intervention type, outcomes, methodology) from multiple papers automatically—no more creating manual spreadsheets.

    Sentence-Level Citations

    Every AI-generated claim links directly to the specific sentence in the source paper—verify accuracy instantly and build credible grant narratives.

    Systematic Review Workflows

    Guided step-by-step process with auto-generated screening criteria, PRISMA diagrams, and structured reports—systematic reviews without a research degree.

    Living Reviews

    Easily update your literature reviews as new research is published—keep your evidence base current without starting from scratch.

    Real-World Nonprofit Use Case

    A youth development nonprofit was applying for a $250,000 federal grant requiring evidence that their proposed mentorship model was research-backed. Their grant writer had only one week to find supporting studies.

    Using Elicit, they searched "effectiveness of youth mentorship programs in low-income communities" and received 50+ relevant studies within minutes. Elicit automatically extracted key data: study populations (matching their target demographic), intervention types (similar to their model), outcomes (improved academic performance, reduced behavioral issues), and effect sizes.

    The grant writer used Elicit's generated summary table showing 15 studies with statistically significant positive outcomes, included sentence-level citations in their narrative, and exported the full dataset to demonstrate thorough research. The process took 4 hours instead of the typical 2-3 days of manual literature review.

    Result: They submitted a compelling, research-backed proposal on time. The funder specifically praised the "thorough review of current evidence" in their award notification. The organization has since used Elicit for every major grant application, shaving 10-15 hours off each proposal cycle.

    Pricing

    Standard Pricing

    Free

    • • Unlimited search across 125 million papers
    • • Summaries for up to 4 papers at a time
    • • Data extraction from 20 PDFs per month
    • • 5,000 initial free credits for new users

    Plus: $12/month or $120/year

    • • Data extraction from 50 PDFs per month
    • • Summaries for up to 8 papers at a time
    • • Unlimited table exports

    Pro: $49/month or $499/year

    • • Systematic review workflows
    • • Data extraction from 200 PDFs per month
    • • Unlimited high-accuracy data columns
    • • Advanced screening and extraction features

    Team: Custom Pricing

    • • Collaborative features for research teams
    • • Data extraction from 300 PDFs per month
    • • Real-time collaborative editing
    • • Priority support

    Note: Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing directly with Elicit.

    💰 Nonprofit Discount/Special Offers

    No Specific Nonprofit Discount Currently Available

    Elicit does not currently offer a nonprofit-specific discount program. The company discontinued their promo code program as of December 11, 2024, and now offers standardized pricing across all channels.

    Institutional/Enterprise Options

    For academic institutions, research organizations, or nonprofits with multiple researchers, Elicit offers custom enterprise pricing with:

    • Volume discounts for larger teams
    • Dedicated support from Elicit's team
    • Custom contract arrangements

    Contact Elicit directly to discuss institutional pricing options for your nonprofit.

    Making the Free Tier Work

    For smaller nonprofits with occasional research needs, the free tier (unlimited search + 20 PDF extractions/month) can be sufficient for grant writing and program development. This provides significant value at no cost—equivalent to $144/year if you were paying for Plus.

    Learning Curve

    Beginner-Friendly

    Most users productive within minutes—no research training required

    Time to First Value

    • Initial search: 5 minutes (type your research question, review results)
    • First data extraction: 15-30 minutes (select papers, customize data fields)
    • Proficiency: 1-2 hours of experimentation with different research questions

    Technical Requirements

    • No research methodology training required
    • Ability to formulate clear, specific research questions (practice improves results)
    • Basic familiarity with spreadsheets helpful for organizing extracted data
    • Web browser access (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

    Support Available

    • Guided Systematic Review workflow with step-by-step instructions
    • Comprehensive Help Center with articles and tutorials
    • University library guides (Baylor, University of Arizona, Penn State)
    • Video tutorials and written guides from academic community

    Pro Tip

    The key to effective Elicit searches is asking specific, well-defined questions. Instead of "youth programs," ask "What are effective mentorship interventions for at-risk youth ages 12-18 in urban communities?" The more specific your question, the more relevant your results.

    Integration & Compatibility

    Connects With

    Reference Managers

    Seamless integration with popular citation management tools:

    • • Zotero (direct import from collections; export results as .bib/.ris)
    • • Mendeley (export .ris files for import)
    • • EndNote (export .ris files for import)
    • • Other reference managers supporting .bib or .ris formats

    Data Analysis & Export

    Export your research data for further analysis:

    • • CSV export for Excel or Google Sheets analysis
    • • .bib and .ris files for citation management
    • • PDF export of systematic review reports

    Research Databases

    Searches across 125-138 million papers from Semantic Scholar, which aggregates research from PubMed, arXiv, and other major academic databases.

    Platform Availability

    • Web-based: Works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge—no downloads required
    • Desktop: Web application accessible from any computer with internet
    • Mobile: Responsive web interface works on tablets and phones (desktop recommended for intensive work)

    Data Portability

    • Full data export: Download all extracted data, paper lists, and screening decisions as CSV
    • Citation export: Export bibliographies in multiple formats (.bib, .ris)
    • Report export: Download systematic review reports as PDFs with PRISMA diagrams
    • No lock-in: Your research data is fully portable; cancel anytime and keep your exports

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Massive time savings: Turns weeks of manual literature review into hours of focused work—80% faster screening, instant data extraction
    • No research training required: Clean, intuitive interface makes academic research accessible to grant writers and program staff
    • High accuracy: 94-99% data extraction accuracy in controlled evaluations; sentence-level citations for verification
    • Generous free tier: Unlimited search + 20 PDFs/month works for small nonprofits with occasional research needs
    • Finds hidden gems: Semantic search discovers relevant papers keyword searches miss by understanding meaning, not just matching words
    • Systematic review support: Guided workflows, PRISMA diagrams, and structured reports make rigorous research accessible

    Cons

    • Not a replacement for traditional methods: Low sensitivity (39.5%) means it may miss relevant papers; must combine with traditional systematic searching for comprehensive reviews
    • Human verification required: AI outputs need fact-checking; repeatability issues (30-46% consistency on reasoning/quotes) mean manual review is essential
    • No nonprofit discount: Standard pricing for all users; may be expensive for frequent users ($49-$120/month for Pro/Plus if annual)
    • Free tier limitations: 20 PDFs/month insufficient for large systematic reviews; paid plans required for serious research
    • Quality depends on question formulation: Vague questions yield mediocre results; requires practice to craft effective research questions
    • Limited to included databases: Searches Semantic Scholar's 125M papers but may miss sources from specialized databases or grey literature

    Alternatives to Consider

    If Elicit doesn't feel like the right fit, consider these alternatives:

    Consensus

    AI-powered research engine focused on scientific consensus

    Consensus specializes in answering yes/no research questions by analyzing what the majority of studies conclude. Better for understanding scientific consensus on specific questions; Elicit better for systematic data extraction across multiple papers.

    Choose Consensus if: You need quick answers to specific research questions (e.g., "Does exercise reduce anxiety?") rather than comprehensive systematic reviews.

    Scite.ai

    Citation analysis tool showing how research has been cited

    Scite analyzes citation contexts—showing whether subsequent research supports, contradicts, or mentions a paper's findings. Better for evaluating research credibility; Elicit better for finding and extracting data from papers.

    Choose Scite if: You need to verify whether research findings have been validated or disputed by later studies—critical for high-stakes grant applications.

    Google Scholar + Zotero (Traditional Method)

    Manual research with free tools

    Google Scholar for searching plus Zotero for organizing citations remains the free standard. More time-intensive (no AI assistance) but offers complete control and catches papers AI tools might miss.

    Choose traditional methods if: You're conducting high-stakes systematic reviews requiring 100% sensitivity, have limited budget, or prefer manual control over every step of the research process.

    Why You Might Choose Elicit Instead

    Elicit offers the best combination of comprehensive literature search, automated data extraction, and systematic review workflows specifically designed for users without research training. It saves significantly more time than manual methods while maintaining higher accuracy than most AI tools. The guided systematic review process with PRISMA diagrams makes rigorous research accessible to small nonprofits without dedicated research staff—something none of the alternatives match.

    Getting Started

    Your First Hour with Elicit

    Quick-start guide to productive research

    1Sign up and claim free credits (5 minutes)

    Create a free account at elicit.com. You'll receive 5,000 free credits to experiment with searches and data extraction. No credit card required for the free tier.

    2Ask your first research question (10 minutes)

    Formulate a specific, well-defined research question related to your current grant or program development need. Be specific about population, intervention, and outcome.

    Example:

    "What are effective peer mentorship interventions for reducing substance abuse among at-risk adolescents ages 13-18?"

    Not: "Youth programs" or "Mentorship effectiveness"

    3Review results and extract data (15 minutes)

    Elicit will return relevant papers. Try extracting key information:

    • • Add columns for "Study Population," "Intervention Type," "Outcomes," "Sample Size"
    • • Let AI populate these columns automatically
    • • Click citation links to verify accuracy
    • • Export results as CSV to use in your grant narrative

    4Explore the Systematic Review workflow (30 minutes)

    If you're working on a comprehensive literature review, try the guided Systematic Review feature. It walks you through defining screening criteria, reviewing papers, and generating reports with PRISMA diagrams—exactly what grant reviewers and board members expect.

    Quick Win: 30-Minute Research Brief

    For an immediate proof of value, use Elicit to create a one-page research brief for your next board meeting or grant proposal:

    1. 1. Search your program area (e.g., "financial literacy education for low-income families")
    2. 2. Extract key outcomes and effect sizes from the top 10 relevant studies
    3. 3. Export the summary table to include in your brief
    4. 4. Write 2-3 sentences: "Research shows that [intervention type] improves [outcome] by [effect size]—here are 10 peer-reviewed studies demonstrating impact."

    Result: A credible, research-backed summary that would have taken days to compile manually—done in 30 minutes.

    🤝 Need Help with Implementation?

    Conducting rigorous research and integrating findings into grant proposals can feel daunting, especially when you're already stretched thin. If you'd like expert guidance using Elicit to build evidence-based programs, strengthen grant applications, or conduct systematic reviews, we're here to help.

    One Hundred Nights offers research support services, from crafting effective research questions to interpreting findings and building compelling narratives for funders.

    Contact Us to Learn More

    Resources

    Official Resources

    Learning Resources

    Research & Evaluations

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is Elicit free for nonprofits?

    Elicit offers a free tier with unlimited search across 125 million papers, summaries for up to 4 papers, and data extraction from 20 PDFs per month. This works well for small nonprofits with occasional research needs. Elicit does not currently offer nonprofit-specific discounts. Paid plans start at $12/month for Plus (50 PDFs) and $49/month for Pro (200 PDFs). For institutions, custom enterprise pricing is available with volume discounts.

    How accurate is Elicit's data extraction?

    Internal and partner evaluations show Elicit achieves 94-99% accuracy in data extraction. In one study, Elicit correctly extracted 1,502 out of 1,511 data points (99.4% accuracy). However, independent academic evaluations show mixed results with 90% agreement on extracted values but lower consistency on supporting quotes (46%) and reasoning (30%). Human verification is necessary to ensure completeness and correctness.

    Can Elicit replace traditional systematic reviews?

    Not yet. While Elicit has high precision (41.8% average vs 7.55% for traditional methods), it has poor sensitivity (39.5% average vs 94.5% for traditional reviews), meaning it may miss relevant papers. Elicit is best used as a complementary tool alongside traditional methods—excellent for scoping reviews, grant proposals, preliminary searches, and identifying papers you might have missed. Always combine with traditional systematic searching for comprehensive reviews.

    Does Elicit integrate with Zotero or Mendeley?

    Yes. Elicit can import papers from Zotero directly and export results as .bib or .ris files for use with Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, and other reference managers. You can also export results as CSV files for further analysis in Excel or Google Sheets. The integration works through file export rather than live sync.

    What's the learning curve for Elicit?

    Minimal. Most users can start using Elicit productively within minutes. The interface is clean and intuitive—just ask a research question and Elicit finds relevant papers. The Systematic Review workflow guides you step-by-step through creating comprehensive literature reviews. No technical or research experience is required, though formulating clear research questions improves results. Extensive tutorials are available from universities and Elicit's support center.

    How does Elicit's semantic search work?

    Unlike traditional keyword searches, Elicit uses semantic similarity to understand the meaning behind your research question. It finds relevant papers even when they don't use your exact keywords. For example, searching "donor retention strategies" would also find papers discussing "supporter engagement techniques" or "philanthropic relationship management." This catches papers keyword searches would miss but requires clear, specific questions for best results.

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