# How is PICO Portal Individual different from Scite?

Scite classifies citations as supporting, contrasting, or mentioning.

Site: https://scite.ai

## Where they differ

Scite is the right tool when the question is whether later papers support a specific claim.

Citation class is not a screening decision. PICO Portal Individual starts from a question and keeps the include or exclude.

| | PICO Portal Individual | Scite |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free tier, plus a paid plan. Universities often hold a license. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | Citation statements, not a protocol search. |
| Answer | Plain language, each claim linked to a source. | Supporting or contrasting citations. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, source passage. | Not a screening tool. |

PICO Portal Individual is the better fit for Building the set of studies, then citing them.

Scite is the better fit for Checking how a known paper is cited.

## How is PICO Portal Individual different from Scite?

Citation class is not a screening decision. PICO Portal Individual starts from a question and keeps the include or exclude.

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

Scite is the right tool when the question is whether later papers support a specific claim.

## Who should use which?

PICO Portal Individual is the better fit for Building the set of studies, then citing them. Scite is the better fit for Checking how a known paper is cited.

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

Yes. Keep Scite for Citation statements, not a protocol 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 Scite 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. Scite: Free tier, plus a paid plan. Universities often hold a license.

## What do I lose if I leave Scite?

Scite is the right tool when the question is whether later papers support a specific claim.

## Does either tool write the review?

No. Scite returns Supporting or contrasting citations. 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. Scite: Not a screening tool.

## Can I upload a file from Scite?

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 Scite 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.