Overview

In most academic search engines or citation indexes, you can find out how many times a paper has been cited — but not how or why. Scite is different. It’s built to help researchers critically assess not just the popularity of a paper, but the nature of the evidence surrounding it.

Scite introduces Smart Citations, which classify every citation in the literature as either:

Supporting – the citing paper agrees with or builds upon the cited work
Contrasting – the citing paper questions or challenges the cited work
Mentioning – the citing paper refers to the work without agreeing or disagreeing

This classification helps researchers identify scholarly consensus, spot ongoing debates, and evaluate the reliability of sources.

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Flashcards

What is a Smart Citation?

A Smart Citation includes context and intent — it shows whether the citation supports, contrasts, or mentions the cited work.

How does Scite differ from traditional citation indexes?

Scite shows how citations are used — not just how many — allowing users to evaluate the meaning behind citations.

Which of the following is not one of the citation types used in Scite?

“Citing” is not one of the types. Scite uses: Supporting, Mentioning, and Contrasting.

What problem does Scite aim to solve in scholarly communication?

It provides citation context — showing whether papers agree or disagree with each other, not just how often they are cited.

Which citation type in Scite represents neutral reference without agreement or disagreement?

Mentioning — it indicates a paper is cited without being supported or contradicted.

Why are Smart Citations important for academic research?

They help assess the credibility of sources by showing how each one is treated in subsequent research.

What type of problem does Scite aim to improve over traditional citation metrics?

Scite addresses the lack of context — traditional metrics don’t explain how a citation is used.

Which of the following is a unique feature of Scite?

Scite uses AI to classify citation statements using natural language processing.

Optional - Preparation Task

Write down a research topic or question you’re currently working on. Think about how the same topic might have supporters and critics. Later in the course, when you access Scite Assistant, you’ll be able to explore that balance directly.

Example:
"Do video games improve or reduce attention span in teenagers?"