Distill for Researchers
Distill turns a research paper into a clear summary, its key claims and methods, and a plain-English explanation of dense passages in seconds — so you can triage a stack of papers and decide what's worth reading in full, instead of spending an afternoon to learn a paper wasn't relevant.
The triage problem
The cost of a literature review isn't reading the relevant papers — it's reading the irrelevant ones to find out they're irrelevant. A fast, faithful summary of the claim and method lets you decide in two minutes whether a paper earns a full read, so your deep-reading hours go to papers that deserve them.
Paste the paper and Distill returns the summary, the key claims, and a plain-English version of the parts written in field-specific jargon.
A first pass, never the citation
A summary orients you; it does not replace reading the methods and results you'll cite. Use Distill to map the paper and find the sections that matter, then read those closely. The understanding still has to be yours — this just removes the time wasted getting to it.
Frequently asked questions
Can Distill summarize a research paper?
Yes. Paste the paper or PDF and get a summary, the key claims and methods, and a plain-English explanation of dense passages. Read the sections you'll cite in full.
Is it good for a literature review?
It's strongest as a triage tool: summarize many papers quickly to decide which deserve a full read, instead of reading each one cover to cover to find out.
Can I trust it for citations?
Treat it as a first pass, not a source. It points you to the right sections fast; you verify claims and methods against the paper before citing.
Is there a free version?
Yes, Distill is free to start, with Pro for higher limits during heavy review periods.
The slow part of research is reading the papers that turn out not to matter. Distill does it in seconds — paste a chapter, case, transcript, or PDF and get the summary, key ideas, or a plain-English explanation. Free to start.