Getting Started with ResearchPad: A Complete Guide

Welcome to ResearchPad

ResearchPad is your privacy-first AI research assistant. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started.

Step 1: Download and Install

Windows

1. Download the Windows installer from our download page
2. Run the .exe installer
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. Launch ResearchPad from your Start menu

macOS

1. Download the macOS .dmg from our download page
2. Open the downloaded file
3. Drag ResearchPad to your Applications folder
4. Launch from Applications (you may need to right-click → Open the first time)

Step 2: Get Your Access Key

To use AI features, you'll need an Access Key linked to your ResearchPad account.

1. Create an account at researchpad.cc
2. Purchase a plan or credit package
3. Copy your Access Key from the dashboard
4. Paste it into ResearchPad when prompted

Step 3: Configure Your AI Model

ResearchPad supports multiple AI models. Here's how to choose:

Available Models

Setting Your Default Model

1. Open ResearchPad settings (⚙️ icon)
2. Navigate to AI Configuration
3. Select your preferred model
4. (Optional) Add your own API keys for direct billing

Step 4: Add Your First Document

1. Click + Add Document or drag a PDF into the app
2. Wait for the document to be processed locally
3. You're ready to start analyzing!

The PDF stays on your device—only text you actively analyze gets sent to AI models.

Step 5: Explore Key Features

📝 Generate Summaries

Get an instant overview of any paper:

1. Open your document
2. Click Generate Summary
3. Choose summary length (brief, detailed, or chapter-by-chapter)
4. Review the AI-generated summary

🗺️ Create Mind Maps

Visualize paper structure and concepts:

1. Click Mind Map in the toolbar
2. ResearchPad analyzes the document structure
3. An interactive mind map appears
4. Click nodes to expand or collapse sections
5. Export as PNG or SVG

💬 Ask Questions

Chat naturally with your documents:

1. Click the Chat panel
2. Ask any question about the paper
3. Get answers with citations to specific sections
4. Follow up with more questions

Example questions:

• "What methodology did the authors use?"
• "What are the main limitations mentioned?"
• "Summarize the results section"
• "How does this compare to [other paper]?"

📊 Generate Slides

Turn papers into presentations:

1. Click Generate Slides
2. Choose the number of slides and style
3. ResearchPad creates a presentation outline
4. Export to PowerPoint or PDF

Tips for Effective Use

1. Start with an Overview

Generate a summary first to understand the paper's structure before diving deep.

2. Use Specific Questions

"What is the sample size?" gets better results than "Tell me about the study."

3. Compare Documents

Add multiple papers to your workspace to find connections and contradictions.

4. Save Your Insights

Export mind maps and summaries to keep for your literature review.

5. Choose the Right Model

• Use GPT-4 or Claude for complex analysis
• Use DeepSeek for routine summarization to save credits
• Use local models for confidential research

Troubleshooting

Access Key Not Working

• Check that you've copied the complete key
• Ensure you have remaining credits
• Try regenerating the key from your dashboard

AI Features Slow

• Check your internet connection
• Local models may be slow on first use (downloading)
• Some models handle long documents better than others

PDF Not Loading

• Ensure the PDF isn't encrypted or password-protected
• Try a different PDF to check if it's file-specific
• Some scanned PDFs may need OCR (coming in future update)

What's Next?

Now that you're set up, explore these advanced features:

• Multi-document analysis for literature reviews
• Citation extraction and export
• Custom AI prompts for specialized research

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Questions? Check our FAQ or contact us.