How to use AI to understand complex research paper without getting lost in academic jargon?

What are the best free AI tools like SciSpace and ExplainPaper for simplifying and translating dense academic PDFs?

Struggling with dense academic papers? Learn how to use free AI tools like SciSpace and ExplainPaper to instantly simplify complex research, explain jargon, and make any PDF understandable.

Ready to stop struggling with academic jargon? Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to use these free AI tools to decode any research paper in minutes.

Let’s admit it — reading academic papers can feel like reading another language.

You find a promising title.
It’s well-cited.
You click to download, open the PDF, and…

Boom — a flood of jargon, equations, and dense explanations.
You scroll. You squint. You reread.

Still confused.

It’s not your fault — academic language is written for precision, not clarity. But that leaves most students feeling lost, frustrated, and disconnected from what could have been a brilliant source of insight.

But here’s the game-changer:
You don’t need to struggle through it alone anymore.

With tools like SciSpace and ExplainPaper, you can upload any research paper and instantly turn it into plain, student-friendly language. These AI tools act like a personal tutor — one that’s available 24/7, knows the subject, and never gets tired of your questions.

Let’s walk through how to use them — and finally make sense of even the toughest academic content.

Meet Your Academic Translators

SciSpace – The Full-Featured AI Research Assistant

What it does:
SciSpace helps you read, understand, and interact with academic papers. It simplifies paragraphs, defines complex terms, and even lets you ask questions as you read.

How to use it:

1. Go to scispace.com and sign up
2. Click on “Ask PDF”
3. Upload any PDF research paper

What happens next is magical.

The PDF opens with an interactive sidebar where you can:

• Click on any paragraph → get a simple explanation
• Highlight equations or terms → see what they mean in everyday language
• Type a question like:

  “What is the study trying to prove?” or
  “Explain this like I’m in 10th grade”

It instantly gives you answers linked to exact sections of the paper.

Real-world example:
Say you’re reading about Neural Networks in Healthcare.
Don’t understand backpropagation or convolution layers?
SciSpace will break them down and help you cite them correctly too.

ExplainPaper – Academic English, Simplified

What it does:
ExplainPaper is perfect when you’re short on time or just want quick help decoding tricky sentences.

How to use it:

1. Go to explainpaper.com
2. Upload your PDF
3. Highlight any sentence that’s confusing

Immediately, it shows a simpler version of that sentence — no extra steps, no clutter.

Use this tool when:

• You’re skimming quickly
• You’re doing last-minute revision
• You want to reinforce understanding by translating tough lines into your own words

Bonus tip:
Use ExplainPaper after you’ve highlighted your notes.
Revisit the confusing parts — highlight and simplify them. This strengthens recall and boosts confidence.

Use Both Tools Together

Want the best of both worlds? Here’s how:

1. Start with SciSpace to get a full understanding of the paper
   • Ask questions
   • Understand structure
   • Read simplified summaries
2. Switch to ExplainPaper for quick support
   • Highlight tricky lines
   • Translate dense sections into everyday English

Pro Tip: Open a Notion or Google Doc and:

• Paste simplified responses
• Add your own reflections
• Summarize in your own words

This turns passive reading into active understanding — the kind that sticks.

Try This Now

Here’s your challenge:

1. Go to arxiv.org or Google Scholar
2. Download a research paper of your choice
3. Upload it to both SciSpace and ExplainPaper
4. Use the tools to:
   • Explain 3 complex terms
   • Simplify 2 dense paragraphs
   • Answer 1 key research question

Then, summarize your findings in a few lines, using your own words.

Just like that — you’ve read and understood a research paper faster than you ever thought possible.

Final Thoughts

Let’s be honest — academic reading isn’t going anywhere.
But now, the fear and frustration? Gone.

With tools like SciSpace and ExplainPaper:

• You read smarter
• You understand faster
• You retain more
• And you actually enjoy the process

Research shouldn’t be a headache.
It should be an adventure — a journey into knowledge where you’re equipped with the best AI tools as your guide.

So don’t shy away from that complex PDF.
Upload it. Ask questions. Click. Understand.
Because now, you have what most students don’t — a way to truly unlock the wisdom inside every paper.