Compare research papers side by side and see where each claim comes from
Two studies on the same question rarely disagree for one reason. They differ in who was sampled, how the outcome was measured, how long participants were followed and which analysis was run. Upload the papers to one Search+ workspace and ask about one of those differences at a time: the answer sets the studies against each other in chat and cites the passage in each paper, so you can see why their results diverge.
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Last updated October 2026
How to compare research papers with Search+
- Upload every paper you want to weigh
Add the studies, up to 10 files at a time, including any replication or follow-up papers. Keeping them in a single workspace lets one question reach all of them.
- Name your comparison criteria once
Write the criteria in Workspace Context, for example "Compare on population, intervention, comparator, outcome measure and follow-up length; note where a paper does not report one". Every question in the workspace then uses that frame.
- Ask one criterion per question
Ask how the samples differ, then how the outcomes were measured, then how the effects compare. Each answer cites the paper behind each point, and you can open the excerpt to check it.
Comparison questions to ask across papers
How do the participants in these studies differ in age, setting and how they were recruited?
Do the papers measure the main outcome the same way, or with different instruments or definitions?
Which papers report a positive effect, which report no effect, and how do the authors explain the difference?
How long was each study's follow-up period, and did any paper report effects fading over time?
Which papers adjusted for confounders, and which variables did each one adjust for?
What limitation does each paper acknowledge that the others do not mention?
Comparison points that matter for research papers
A randomized trial, a cohort study and a cross-sectional survey can study the same question and support very different conclusions. Ask each paper's design first, then read its result in that light.
Two papers can both report "anxiety" or "productivity" while using different scales or definitions. Ask how each one operationalized the outcome before comparing numbers.
Papers may report odds ratios, mean differences or correlations, on different scales and with different reference groups. Ask what each paper's figure is and what it is relative to, rather than lining up the numbers directly.
If one paper does not report its dropout rate or funding source, that gap matters when you weigh it. Ask the question across all papers and note which ones are silent.
In a cross-paper answer, citations point to the excerpt in each paper, so a statement about study A and one about study B can each be checked on their own.
What to compare across research papers, and how to ask
| Comparison point | Why it matters | A question to ask Search+ |
|---|---|---|
| Research question | Papers may answer neighbouring questions, not the same one | What exact question does each paper set out to answer? |
| Design | Determines how strongly a result supports cause and effect | Which of these papers are experiments and which are observational? |
| Sample and setting | Results may hold only for the people or context studied | Where and from whom was each sample drawn? |
| Outcome definition | Different definitions can produce different results | How does each paper define and measure the main outcome? |
| Main result | The finding you are trying to reconcile | What is each paper's main result, in the authors' own terms? |
| Limitations | Shows where each result is weakest | Which limitations does each paper report? |
| Funding and interests | Context for how results are framed | Who funded each study, and are any conflicts declared? |
What a research paper comparison in Search+ is
A comparison in Search+ is an answer written in chat: you ask how several papers differ on a point, and the reply describes the differences with inline citations to each paper's supporting passage. You can keep asking follow-up questions in the same conversation.
Questions about comparing research papers
Can Search+ compare two research papers?
Can it compare more than two studies?
Will it calculate a pooled effect across the papers?
How do I find out why two studies disagree?
Does this replace a literature review?
Can a comparison answer be wrong?
See where the studies part ways
Start a workspace, upload the papers you are weighing, and ask how they differ one point at a time.
Start a workspace