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JSTOR Research Tool (Beta): Asking Questions About a Text

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Asking questions about a text

When asking questions about an item using JSTOR's interactive research tool, here are some things to keep in mind.

Formatting your question

When writing questions for the tool, you can use natural language and don't need to word your request in the form of a question. You can use full sentences, phrases, or even single keywords, and the tool will still attempt to answer your question even if it contains spelling or grammatical errors.

For example, you can ask "What is the article's conclusion?" or just "conclusion".

Note: The tool cannot translate documents into other languages. To translate the contents of items on JSTOR, you can use a service that supports PDF translation such as Google Translate.

Context and metadata

The research tool will only answer questions based on the text of the item you're evaluating. It will not use other items on JSTOR, the internet in general, or metadata about the item itself not specified in the text.

For example, if the document doesn't state that it's peer reviewed within the text itself, the tool can't answer the question "Is this article peer reviewed?"

Likewise, the tool can't answer questions such as "How many pages does this article have?" or "What journal is this article published in?" unless that information is specified in the article text.

Instead, you can find metadata about an item (such as page count, journal title, or copyright information) on the item page, either below the title or the document viewer.

Note: To generate a citation for an item, use the Cite button above the document viewer for the best results. See Citation Management: Exporting Citations from JSTOR for more information.

Referencing response sources

Tools that utilize large language models (LLMs), like the research tool, can occasionally make mistakes, and you should verify the answers the tool provides through your own independent research. The tool provides inline citations with each response, which you can click to view the original source for further context and understanding.

Linked inline citations in a response

We're continuously assessing the accuracy and quality of responses. If you receive an inaccurate response from the tool, please let us know by using the Poor response thumbs-down button and describe the issue.

Example questions

The research tool can help you evaluate if a text is relevant to your research. Here are some example questions you can try:

  • What is the central argument of the text?
  • What is the article's conclusion?
  • Tell me about the study's research methodology.
  • Are the study's limitations described in the text?
Tip: For the best results when seeking a summary or key points of a text, use the tool's Summarize option. This option ensures that the full text of the document is evaluated when generating a summary.

Summarize button in research tool

You can also ask questions that may be answered within the content of the text. For example:

  • Does the article mention [topic]?
  • Does the text differentiate between [topic A] and [topic B]?
  • Tell me more about [topic].
Tip: If you'd like to know where a word or topic is mentioned in the text, either use the built-in document search or ask the tool if the text mentions a topic. The tool will provide a brief summary of how the topic relates to the text and links you can click to view the relevant passages.

Asking if a topic is mentioned in the document and links to inline citation links int he response

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