Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Links and Codes:
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Paperpal: paperpal.com/?linkId=lp_726731&sourceId=andy&tenantId=paperpal (PAP20 - 20% off)
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Thesis AI: thesisai.io/?via=andrew, ANDY20 - 20% off
Elicit: elicit.com/?via=andrew
UndetectableAI: https://undetectable.ai?fpr=andy
SciSpace: scispace.com/?via=andy-stapletonai (ANDYS40: 40% off the annual plan, ANDYS20: 20% off the monthly plan)
Jenni AI: jenni.ai/?via=andy-stapleton (Use codes: andy30, ANDY20)
Julius AI: julius.ai/?via=andrew-stapleton (ANDY20 — offers 20% off)
AnswerThis: https://answerthis.io?ref=andy49 (ANDY25 - 25% off)
Anara AI: anara.com (ANDY20 - 20 % off)
In this video I explore a collection of tools that I think represent some of the best free ai tools for research currently available to academics and students. I spend a lot of time testing different llm tools, and one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t always need expensive subscriptions to build a powerful research workflow. In fact, many of the most useful capabilities for literature discovery, idea generation, and document analysis can be accessed through free ai tools for students if you know where to look and how to use them properly.
I approach this video from the perspective of someone who has spent years working inside academic systems and who regularly experiments with new AI technologies. Instead of treating these tools as magic solutions, I look at them as components of a broader research process. A large language model can help you brainstorm ideas, generate early outlines, or visualize complex concepts. For example, modern llm tools are capable of transforming raw text into diagrams or graphical summaries, which can help researchers quickly understand the structure of a paper or a field.
Alongside general AI models, I also discuss tools that are designed more specifically for academic work. Platforms like research rabbit allow researchers to explore the relationships between papers and citations in a visual way, which can make literature discovery feel less like searching through a database and more like exploring a network of ideas. This kind of perspective can be incredibly helpful when you are entering a new research area and need to understand how studies connect to each other.
Another tool I regularly rely on is notebooklm, which I use to organise multiple documents and build a structured understanding of a topic. Instead of reading papers one at a time, I can upload several sources and ask questions across all of them. This turns a collection of PDFs into something closer to an interactive research environment.
I also highlight smaller tools that help with the everyday challenges of academic work. goblin tools, for example, focuses on breaking down overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps. That might sound simple, but in research environments where projects can feel massive and undefined, tools like this can make it easier to move forward.
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▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:11 Gemini
02:29 Asta
04:46 Semantic Scholar
05:47 Research Rabbit
07:26 NotebookLM
09:22 Goblin Tools
11:20 Outro
▶ Become a Master Academic Writer With AI using my course: academy.academiainsider.com/courses/ai-writing-course
▶FREE: Join 21,000+ email subscribers receiving the free tools and academic tips directly from me:
academiainsider.com/newsletter
Links and Codes:
Consensus: https://get.consensus.app/andy25 (25% off with the code: andy25)
Paperpal: paperpal.com/?linkId=lp_726731&sourceId=andy&tenantId=paperpal (PAP20 - 20% off)
Thesify: https://thesify.ai?fpr=andy60
Thesis AI: thesisai.io/?via=andrew, ANDY20 - 20% off
Elicit: elicit.com/?via=andrew
UndetectableAI: https://undetectable.ai?fpr=andy
SciSpace: scispace.com/?via=andy-stapletonai (ANDYS40: 40% off the annual plan, ANDYS20: 20% off the monthly plan)
Jenni AI: jenni.ai/?via=andy-stapleton (Use codes: andy30, ANDY20)
Julius AI: julius.ai/?via=andrew-stapleton (ANDY20 — offers 20% off)
AnswerThis: https://answerthis.io?ref=andy49 (ANDY25 - 25% off)
Anara AI: anara.com (ANDY20 - 20 % off)
In this video I explore a collection of tools that I think represent some of the best free ai tools for research currently available to academics and students. I spend a lot of time testing different llm tools, and one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t always need expensive subscriptions to build a powerful research workflow. In fact, many of the most useful capabilities for literature discovery, idea generation, and document analysis can be accessed through free ai tools for students if you know where to look and how to use them properly.
I approach this video from the perspective of someone who has spent years working inside academic systems and who regularly experiments with new AI technologies. Instead of treating these tools as magic solutions, I look at them as components of a broader research process. A large language model can help you brainstorm ideas, generate early outlines, or visualize complex concepts. For example, modern llm tools are capable of transforming raw text into diagrams or graphical summaries, which can help researchers quickly understand the structure of a paper or a field.
Alongside general AI models, I also discuss tools that are designed more specifically for academic work. Platforms like research rabbit allow researchers to explore the relationships between papers and citations in a visual way, which can make literature discovery feel less like searching through a database and more like exploring a network of ideas. This kind of perspective can be incredibly helpful when you are entering a new research area and need to understand how studies connect to each other.
Another tool I regularly rely on is notebooklm, which I use to organise multiple documents and build a structured understanding of a topic. Instead of reading papers one at a time, I can upload several sources and ask questions across all of them. This turns a collection of PDFs into something closer to an interactive research environment.
I also highlight smaller tools that help with the everyday challenges of academic work. goblin tools, for example, focuses on breaking down overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps. That might sound simple, but in research environments where projects can feel massive and undefined, tools like this can make it easier to move forward.
................................................
▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:11 Gemini
02:29 Asta
04:46 Semantic Scholar
05:47 Research Rabbit
07:26 NotebookLM
09:22 Goblin Tools
11:20 Outro
