How is PICO Portal Individual different from Perplexity?
ComparisonThe sources are not a stable scholarly corpus, and there is no include or exclude. A literature review needs both.
What does Perplexity do that PICO Portal Individual does not?
It is fast, and the citations are visible, when the question is general.
Perplexity answers a question with web citations. Open Perplexity.
How do they compare on search, answer, and screen?
| PICO Portal Individual | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free tier, plus a paid plan. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | Web search. |
| Answer | Plain language. Each claim links to a source you can open. | A paragraph with links. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, and the source passage. | None. |
Who should use which?
PICO Portal Individual — A review a supervisor can check study by study.
Perplexity — A quick answer with links, not a review.
Can I use PICO Portal Individual and Perplexity in the same review?
Yes. Keep Perplexity for Web search. 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 Perplexity 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. Perplexity: Free tier, plus a paid plan.
What do I lose if I leave Perplexity?
It is fast, and the citations are visible, when the question is general.
Does either tool write the review?
No. Perplexity returns A paragraph with links. 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. Perplexity: None.
Can I upload a file from Perplexity?
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 Perplexity 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.