Stage 1 · Topic Discovery · Tool 05

ResearchRabbit

Use ResearchRabbit to explore a citation network starting from a verified seed paper. ResearchRabbit supports iterative literature discovery from seed papers and related citation connections. It is useful for extending a candidate set after you have a relevant paper. It does not replace database searching, eligibility criteria or a documented screening process.

Topic & Scope worksheet All tool guides

01 · Access and sign in

Get ready to use ResearchRabbit

Open the ResearchRabbit website and choose sign up or log in. Complete the account steps shown. Begin with a known paper by searching for its title or adding/importing a reference if that option is available in your account. Feature labels may change; use the current onboarding prompts.

ResearchRabbit ↗Getting started guide ↗

02 · Use it for SLR

Features that matter in this stage

Seed-paper exploration

Start from a known article that is relevant to your review direction.

Related work discovery

Explore papers connected through references and citation relationships.

Collections

Group candidate papers for later review and revisit your exploration.

Iterative discovery

Add a newly verified paper as another seed to expand or refine the network.

Keep the SLR boundary clear. This is a topic-discovery exercise. Your formal search strategy, search history and screening decisions belong in the relevant Stage 1 steps.

03 · Hands-on exercise

Try it with your own topic

Sign in to ResearchRabbit and start a collection for your review topic.
Search for or add one verified seed paper from Topic & Scope. Confirm that the displayed record matches your source.
Explore related papers and citation connections. Open candidate records at their publisher, DOI page or scholarly database.
Check titles and abstracts; keep only papers that could plausibly fit your topic. Do not make final inclusion decisions here.
Add a second relevant seed only if it has been verified. Compare whether the network reveals useful terminology or an overlooked subtopic.
Record one verified seed or discovery insight in Topic & Scope. Save the formal search and screening decisions for later Stage 1 steps.

Copy-ready prompt / search instruction

My review topic is [PASTE YOUR FOCUSED TOPIC]. Starting from this verified seed paper: [PASTE EXACT TITLE AND DOI], explore related papers in ResearchRabbit. For each candidate, open and verify its original record, then note the exact title, year, DOI and why it may relate to my scope. Treat citation connections as discovery leads, not proof of relevance or quality.

Check before you continue: Citation networks depend on the coverage and metadata available to the service. A missing connection does not show that no relevant literature exists. Verify every candidate and keep your formal search strategy independent.

04 · Take the result back

What should go into Topic & Scope?

One or more verified candidate papers, plus useful terms or subtopics to check in formal database searches.

Keep the output concise. Record the tool that suggested it, then verify any article or database claim at its source. Do not paste an unverified AI answer as evidence.

Record verified output in Topic & Scope →Return to tool directory

Related Stage 1 work: Research Questions · Keyword Matrix & Boolean Search · Search Log