# How is PICO Portal Individual different from OpenAlex?

OpenAlex is an open catalog of works, authors, and institutions. PICO Portal Individual searches it.

Site: https://openalex.org

## Where they differ

OpenAlex is the catalog. Use it when you need the raw index, the API, or a bulk export.

OpenAlex does not write the answer or the include or exclude. PICO Portal Individual is the tool on top of that catalog.

| | PICO Portal Individual | OpenAlex |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free catalog. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | The open scholarly catalog. |
| Answer | Plain language, each claim linked to a source. | None. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, source passage. | None. |

PICO Portal Individual is the better fit for A reader who wants an answer with sources from that catalog.

OpenAlex is the better fit for A data user who wants the catalog itself.

## How is PICO Portal Individual different from OpenAlex?

OpenAlex does not write the answer or the include or exclude. PICO Portal Individual is the tool on top of that catalog.

## What does OpenAlex do that PICO Portal Individual does not?

OpenAlex is the catalog. Use it when you need the raw index, the API, or a bulk export.

## Who should use which?

PICO Portal Individual is the better fit for A reader who wants an answer with sources from that catalog. OpenAlex is the better fit for A data user who wants the catalog itself.

## Can I use PICO Portal Individual and OpenAlex in the same review?

Yes. Keep OpenAlex for The open scholarly catalog. 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 OpenAlex 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. OpenAlex: Free catalog.

## What do I lose if I leave OpenAlex?

OpenAlex is the catalog. Use it when you need the raw index, the API, or a bulk export.

## Does either tool write the review?

No. OpenAlex 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. OpenAlex: None.

## Can I upload a file from OpenAlex?

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 OpenAlex 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.