Scite: AI-Powered Smart Citations
Scite uses AI to analyze 1.4 billion citations across 187+ million academic papers, showing whether research supports, contradicts, or merely mentions cited claims—helping nonprofits verify evidence quality for grant proposals, program design, and policy research.
What It Does
Tired of citing research without knowing if other scientists agree with the findings? Scite solves a critical problem in research evaluation: not all citations are created equal. A paper might be cited hundreds of times, but some citations support its findings, others dispute them, and many just mention it in passing.
Scite uses deep learning and natural language processing to read the full text of citations and classify them as supporting, contrasting, or mentioning the cited claim. This gives nonprofits an evidence quality check that goes beyond simple citation counts—helping you identify well-established research vs. contested findings, avoid citing retracted or disputed studies, and build more credible grant proposals.
Acquired by Research Solutions in 2023, Scite has indexed 1.4+ billion citation statements from 2.0+ billion references, partnering with 30+ major publishers. The platform serves approximately 21,000 active subscribers, from individual researchers to institutional users at universities worldwide.
Best For
Organization Size & Type
Scite works for nonprofits of all sizes, though pricing may be more accessible through institutional subscriptions. Particularly valuable for:
- Research-focused nonprofits and think tanks evaluating scientific evidence
- Grant-writing teams that need to demonstrate evidence-based interventions
- Health and medical nonprofits researching clinical interventions
- Policy and advocacy organizations building evidence-based campaigns
- Organizations affiliated with universities (may have institutional access)
Primary Use Cases
- Verifying research quality for grant proposal literature reviews
- Identifying consensus vs. debate in evidence-based program design
- Avoiding citing retracted or disputed studies in funding applications
- Policy research requiring rigorous evidence evaluation
- Systematic reviews and meta-analysis for health organizations
- Evaluating conflicting research claims in your field
Ideal Team Roles
- Grant writers verifying evidence for funding proposals
- Research directors and policy analysts
- Program managers designing evidence-based interventions
- Communications staff citing research in advocacy campaigns
- Evaluation specialists conducting literature reviews
Key Features for Nonprofits
Smart Citations Analysis
Scite Assistant
Comprehensive Database
Retraction Alerts
Context-Aware Search
Citation Export
How This Tool Uses AI
What's Actually AI-Powered
Smart Citations Classification
Type of AI: Deep learning neural networks + natural language processing
What it does: Reads the full text surrounding each citation in published papers and classifies whether the citing author used the reference to support their argument, contradict/contrast it, or simply mention it.
How it learns: Trained on millions of manually-labeled citation contexts, continuously refined with new publications and user feedback.
Practical impact: Instead of seeing "Cited 250 times," you see "182 supporting, 34 contrasting, 34 mentioning"—revealing whether the research is well-established or contested.
Semantic Search & Scite Assistant
Type of AI: Semantic search algorithms + question-answering models
What it does: Understands research questions contextually, searches across 187M+ papers, and synthesizes answers by identifying the most supported and contrasted findings.
How it learns: Uses pre-trained language models fine-tuned on scientific literature to understand domain-specific terminology and research patterns.
Practical impact: Ask "What interventions reduce homelessness?" and get synthesized answers showing which approaches have strong supporting evidence vs. which are disputed—with citations.
Retraction Detection
Type of AI: Pattern recognition + automated database monitoring
What it does: Automatically identifies retracted papers and flags studies that cite them, helping you avoid referencing discredited research.
How it learns: Monitors retraction databases and publisher announcements, cross-referencing citation networks to identify downstream impact.
Practical impact: Get warnings if a paper you're citing has been retracted or if it relies heavily on retracted research—protecting your grant proposal's credibility.
What's NOT AI (But Still Useful)
- •Basic citation counts: Raw number of times a paper is cited is traditional bibliometrics, not AI
- •Author pages and profiles: Standard database organization and lookup
- •PDF access and viewing: Document hosting and viewer functionality
- •Citation export formats: Standard metadata formatting for reference managers
AI Transparency & Limitations
- Misclassification risks: Some users report Smart Citations occasionally mislabeling citation context. Always verify critical citations by reading the source paper directly—treat AI classifications as helpful signals, not definitive judgments.
- Hallucination concerns: Early reports suggest the AI Assistant may occasionally fabricate quotes or cite nonexistent sources. Cross-check all AI-generated answers with primary sources before using them in grant proposals.
- Human verification required: For high-stakes decisions (grant proposals, policy recommendations), never rely solely on AI classifications—read the full papers and citation context yourself.
- Coverage limitations: AI analysis is strongest in STEM fields where Scite has the most training data. Social sciences and humanities coverage is improving but may have lower accuracy.
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
Grant Writing with Evidence Verification
A youth development nonprofit is applying for a federal grant to expand their trauma-informed care program. The RFP requires a literature review demonstrating that their proposed intervention is evidence-based.
The grant writer uses Scite to search for research on "trauma-informed practices youth development." Instead of just finding highly-cited papers, Scite's Smart Citations reveal which studies have strong supporting evidence (many subsequent papers confirm the findings) versus which are contested (other research disputes the claims).
The team discovers that one frequently-cited study they planned to reference actually has 45% of its citations contrasting its findings—meaning other researchers have challenged its conclusions. They replace it with a study showing 87% supporting citations, strengthening their proposal's credibility.
Using Scite Assistant, they ask "What is the evidence for trauma-informed practices in schools?" and receive a synthesized answer highlighting consensus areas (strong evidence for staff training and safe physical environments) versus debated topics (optimal program duration). This helps them design a program aligned with the strongest research consensus.
The result: A more credible literature review that demonstrates careful evaluation of evidence quality, increasing the proposal's competitiveness for a $500,000 grant.
Pricing
Basic
$7.99/month
Annual billing required
Individual access with core Smart Citations features. Good for occasional research needs.
Premium & Premium+
Custom
Contact for pricing
Advanced features for heavy research users. Premium+ includes enhanced AI Assistant capabilities and priority support.
Institutional
Custom
Contact [email protected]
Team access with administrative controls. Educational institutions may get discounts. Check if your affiliated university has a subscription.
Student Discounts: Students can get 30-50% off if they recommend Scite to their institution and forward confirmation to [email protected].
Nonprofit Pricing: No advertised nonprofit discount, but institutional pricing is customizable. Contact [email protected] to inquire about potential discounts.
Note: Prices may be outdated or inaccurate.
Nonprofit Discount & Special Offers
Student Discount Program (30-50% off)
If your nonprofit has students, interns, or graduate assistants, they may be eligible for 30-50% discounts by recommending Scite to their affiliated institution and forwarding confirmation to [email protected].
Institutional Access
Many universities and research institutions provide Scite subscriptions to faculty and students. If your nonprofit partners with a university or has staff with academic affiliations, check whether you can access Scite through their institutional subscription.
Custom Nonprofit Pricing
While Scite doesn't advertise a specific nonprofit discount program, institutional pricing is customizable. Contact [email protected] to discuss your organization's needs and potential pricing options.
Learning Curve
Getting Started (15-30 minutes): The basic search interface is straightforward—type your research question, review results with Smart Citations badges (supporting/contrasting/mentioning). Most users can start getting value within their first session.
Intermediate Use (1-2 hours): Understanding how to interpret Smart Citations in context, use citation filters effectively, and leverage the Scite Assistant for synthesizing research consensus requires some exploration and practice.
Advanced Features (3-5 hours): Mastering advanced filtering, integrating with reference managers, using the API for custom workflows, and developing strategies for different research questions takes ongoing learning.
Biggest Challenge: Learning to calibrate trust in AI classifications—knowing when Smart Citations are reliable signals versus when you need to verify by reading the full citation context yourself. This judgment improves with experience.
Integration & Compatibility
Reference Managers
Zotero (.bib, .ris export)
Mendeley (.ris, .csv export)
EndNote (.ris export)
Other managers (standard citation formats)
Platform Access
Web browser (primary interface)
API access (for developers)
Browser extension (quick access)
•No mobile app (use web browser)
Data Portability
You can export your saved papers, citation data, and Smart Citations analysis in standard formats. No vendor lock-in—your research library travels with you.
Note: AI-generated insights (citation classifications) may not export perfectly to other platforms, as they're Scite-specific.
Limitations
Scite is a standalone research tool—it doesn't integrate directly with grant writing platforms, project management tools, or CRM systems.
You'll need to manually transfer research findings and citations into your workflow tools.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
- Unique evidence evaluation: Only tool that shows whether research is supported or disputed by subsequent citations—critical for grant credibility
- Massive database: 1.4B+ analyzed citations across 187M+ papers with partnerships with 30+ major publishers
- Retraction detection: Automatically flags retracted studies and papers that cite them—protects proposal credibility
- AI Assistant: Synthesizes research consensus and debate on specific questions—saves hours of literature review
- Reference manager integration: Exports to Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote—fits existing workflows
- Relatively affordable: Starting at $7.99/month is accessible compared to traditional academic databases
Limitations
- AI accuracy concerns: Reported misclassification issues and occasional hallucinations require manual verification of critical citations
- No clear nonprofit discount: Must contact sales for institutional pricing—no advertised nonprofit program
- Learning curve for AI interpretation: Knowing when to trust Smart Citations vs. verify manually requires experience
- Subscription cost: At $7.99-$59.99/month individual, costs add up if multiple staff need access
- Coverage gaps: Strongest in STEM fields; social sciences and humanities may have less accurate AI analysis
- No workflow integrations: Doesn't connect to project management, grant writing, or CRM tools—manual transfer required
Alternatives to Consider
Semantic Scholar(100% Free)
Best for: Nonprofits needing free AI-powered research discovery without paying subscriptions
Key difference: Semantic Scholar offers TLDR summaries, Semantic Reader, and Research Feeds completely free but doesn't provide Scite's supporting/contrasting citation analysis. Great for discovery, less detailed for evidence evaluation.
Consider if: Budget is tight or you need broad research discovery more than citation quality assessment
Elicit(Free tier + $12-49/month)
Best for: Grant writers conducting systematic literature reviews and data extraction
Key difference: Elicit excels at extracting specific data from papers (e.g., "What sample sizes did studies use?") with 94-99% accuracy, while Scite focuses on citation quality. Elicit searches 125M papers vs. Scite's 187M.
Consider if: You need to extract structured data from many papers for meta-analysis or systematic reviews
Consensus(Free tier + $8.99/month)
Best for: Quick evidence checks with visual Consensus Meter showing research agreement
Key difference: Consensus provides instant visual summaries of research consensus (e.g., "75% of studies agree") with GPT-4 summaries, making it faster for quick checks. Scite offers deeper citation-level analysis. Consensus searches 200M+ papers.
Consider if: You need fast consensus checks for policy briefs or board reports rather than detailed citation analysis
Getting Started
1Check Institutional Access
Before purchasing an individual subscription, check if your affiliated university, research institution, or partner organizations already provide Scite access. Many academic libraries offer institutional subscriptions.
Ask your librarian or check your institution's database list. If you have student staff or interns, they may be able to access Scite through their university.
2Start with Free Trial or Basic Plan
Sign up for a Scite account to explore the interface. The Basic plan at $7.99/month (annual billing) provides core Smart Citations features—enough to evaluate whether the tool meets your research needs.
For heavy research users (grant writers, policy analysts), consider Premium or Premium+ tiers with enhanced AI Assistant capabilities.
3Test with a Real Research Question
Choose an actual grant proposal or policy brief you're working on and search Scite for key research questions. Practice interpreting Smart Citations—look for papers with high supporting percentages vs. high contrasting percentages.
Use the Scite Assistant to ask "What is the evidence for [your intervention]?" and evaluate whether the synthesized answers align with your literature review. Verify critical citations by reading the source papers.
4Integrate with Your Reference Manager
Set up citation export to your Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote library. Develop a workflow where you use Scite for evidence evaluation, then export well-supported papers to your reference manager for formal citation.
Consider creating a tagging system in your reference manager: "High supporting citations," "Contested findings," "Retracted—avoid" to track Scite insights alongside your citations.
Need Help with Implementation?
Implementing research tools and building evidence-based grant proposals requires strategic planning.
One Hundred Nights helps nonprofits integrate AI research tools like Scite into their grant writing and program design workflows. We provide training, workflow design, and strategic guidance to maximize the value of evidence-based research.
Schedule a ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Is Scite free for nonprofits?
Scite offers individual plans starting at $7.99/month with annual billing. Students can get 30-50% discounts if they recommend Scite to their institution. Educational institutions and nonprofits should contact [email protected] for custom pricing and potential institutional discounts. While there's no specific nonprofit discount program advertised, institutional pricing is customizable.
How does Scite differ from Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar?
Scite's unique feature is Smart Citations that use AI to categorize citations as supporting, contrasting, or mentioning a claim—helping you evaluate research credibility. While Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar focus on discovery and citation counts, Scite helps you understand how a paper is being cited and whether its findings are corroborated or disputed by subsequent research. This makes Scite especially valuable for grant writing and policy research where you need to verify evidence quality.
What are Smart Citations and how accurate are they?
Smart Citations are AI-generated classifications showing whether a citation supports, contrasts, or merely mentions the cited claim. Scite uses deep learning and natural language processing to analyze citation context in 1.4B+ citations across 187M+ publications. While generally useful for identifying research consensus, some users have reported misclassification issues and occasional AI hallucinations. Always verify critical citations by reading the source paper directly—Smart Citations are best used as a first-pass filter, not a replacement for human judgment.
Can Scite help with grant writing?
Yes. Scite is particularly valuable for grant writers who need to demonstrate that proposed interventions are evidence-based. You can quickly identify well-supported research claims for your literature review, avoid citing contested or retracted studies, and find the most influential papers in your field. The Scite Assistant can help you search for specific answers to research questions and identify consensus vs. debate in the literature—essential for justifying program approaches in grant proposals.
Does Scite work with reference managers like Zotero?
Yes. Scite allows you to export citations in standard formats compatible with Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, and other reference managers. You can integrate Scite's Smart Citations insights into your existing research workflow by exporting papers and their citation context. The platform is designed to complement, not replace, your current reference management tools.
What's the learning curve for Scite?
Low to moderate. The basic search interface is straightforward—you type your research question and review results with Smart Citations badges (supporting, contrasting, mentioning). Understanding how to interpret Smart Citations and use advanced features like citation filters takes 30-60 minutes of exploration. Most nonprofit researchers can start getting value within their first session, though mastering the Scite Assistant and advanced filtering requires more practice.