Free tools for researchers
Six small tools for the parts of research that usually cost money: vetting sources, checking citations, choosing where to publish, and reading what sits behind a paywall. Built to run on any phone, for people without institutional access.
Vetting Desk uses AI
Research a journal for predatory signals, do an open-web text-match check, and see writing signals. A first-pass triage, honest about its limits.
OpenJournal Fit Finder
Paste your abstract and see which real journals publish work like yours, with indexing and fees shown.
OpenNo-Fee Journal Finder
Find journals in your field that are free to read and free to publish in, so cost never blocks sharing your work.
OpenLiterature Search
Search the open index with real filters: year, access, type, citations, retraction status. The free stand-in for a paid database.
OpenFree Full-Text Finder
Hit a paywall? Find a legal free copy: open access, a repository manuscript, a preprint, or a PubMed Central version.
OpenReading List Builder
Give it one good paper and map the field: what it builds on, what builds on it, and onward from there.
OpenConnection Finder
Give it two papers and see how they relate: who cites whom, shared references, and papers that cite them both.
OpenAuthor Explorer
Look up a researcher's topics, metrics, top and recent work, and co-authors. Find experts and potential reviewers.
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