5 Unbelievably Useful AI Tools for Research 2025 (Better Than ChatGPT)

Links and Codes: Paperpal: https://paperpal.com/?linkId=lp_726731&sourceId=andy&tenantId=paperpal (PAP20 - 20% off) Thesify: https://www.thesify.ai/?via=andrew Elicit: https://elicit.com/?via=andrew SciSpace: https://bit.ly/AndyStapleton (ANDY20 — offers 20% off on monthly plan) Jenni AI: https://jenni.ai/?via=andy-stapleton (Use codes: andy30, ANDY20) Julius AI: https://julius.ai/?via=andrew-stapleton (ANDY20 — offers 20% off) AnswerThis: https://answerthis.io?deal=andy42 (STAPLETON10 - 10% off) Unriddle: https://www.unriddle.ai/?ref=andrew (ANDY20 - 20 % off) In this video, I walk you through a curated set of tools I consider essential for academic success in 2025—especially if you're a researcher, graduate student, or anyone looking to streamline their writing and literature review process. ▼ ▽ Sign up for my FREE newsletter Join 21,000+ email subscribers receiving the free tools and academic tips directly from me: https://academiainsider.com/newsletter/ ▼ ▽ MY TOP SELLING COURSE ▼ ▽ ▶ Become a Master Academic Writer With AI using my course: https://academy.academiainsider.com/courses/ai-writing-course These are not just general productivity apps; they are purpose-built AI tools for research that I’ve personally tested and integrated into my workflow. Whether you’re drafting a systematic review, checking for plagiarism, managing citations, or interrogating dozens of papers at once, these tools can make a huge difference. I’m not just showcasing features—I’m also sharing how I actually use these tools when I write papers, prepare manuscripts for submission, and build out the structure of literature reviews. If you’re trying to figure out the best AI tools for literature review, or you're constantly hitting a wall with blank-page syndrome, this toolkit might genuinely change the way you approach your work. Some of these platforms offer surprising depth, like automatically generating structured outlines based on your research topic, suggesting relevant references, or summarizing large sets of documents into thematic mind maps. These are tools I return to again and again—not because they're trendy, but because they work. When I say this is the best AI tool for study and research, I mean it has become indispensable in helping me stay focused, organised, and efficient. If you're short on time, I’ve highlighted 5 standouts in particular—my current go-to 5 AI tools for research—that I think are worth exploring today. Some are completely free or have generous free tiers, so it’s easy to try them out without committing. For anyone looking for the best AI tools for research writing, this video offers an honest breakdown of what’s actually useful versus what’s just hype. Let me know in the comments which tools you’ve used, or if there are others you think should be added to the list. ................................................ ▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:22 PaperPal 02:03 NotebookLM 03:56 Scispace 05:20 Paper Wizard 08:10 Gemini AI ................................................ ▼ ▽ Socials for shorts and reels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drandystapleton/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drandystapleton