How is PICO Portal Individual different from Connected Papers?
ComparisonThe graph does not say which papers you kept. PICO Portal Individual does.
What does Connected Papers do that PICO Portal Individual does not?
One graph is the fastest way to see which papers sit next to a seed.
Connected Papers draws one graph from a seed paper. Open Connected Papers.
How do they compare on search, answer, and screen?
| PICO Portal Individual | Connected Papers | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free tier, plus a paid plan. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | One seed to a graph. |
| Answer | Plain language. Each claim links to a source you can open. | None. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, and the source passage. | None. |
Who should use which?
PICO Portal Individual — The decision after that look.
Connected Papers — A first look at a literature neighborhood.
Can I use PICO Portal Individual and Connected Papers in the same review?
Yes. Keep Connected Papers for One seed to a graph. Put the include or exclude in PICO Portal Individual. The record shows the named reviewer, the time, the rationale, and the source passage.
Do I name Connected Papers in the methods?
Yes, if you searched there. Also name PICO Portal Individual if the decision sits there. A reader must be able to open the same record.
Can a student start without a university license?
Yes. PICO Portal Individual starts with a 14-day free trial and does not need a department contract. Connected Papers: Free tier, plus a paid plan.
What do I lose if I leave Connected Papers?
One graph is the fastest way to see which papers sit next to a seed.
Does either tool write the review?
No. Connected Papers returns None. PICO Portal Individual returns a cited answer. You write the sentence.
Where is the decision record?
On the PICO Portal Individual record: named reviewer, timestamp, rationale, source passage. Connected Papers: None.
Can I upload a file from Connected Papers?
Yes, if it is a citation file. You then see that file in the same queue as the OpenAlex results.
Which tool do I open first?
Open Connected Papers if you already have a list. Open PICO Portal Individual if you have a question and no file.
Is the answer a substitute for the paper?
No. Open the citation. The passage is on the record so a second person can check the claim.
What can a supervisor check?
The question, the search, each include or exclude, and the passage. You see the queue, the conflicts, and the agreement while the stage is still open.