Databases

What is the Ebook Central Research Assistant? AVAILABLEFROM  3/4/25

The Ebook Central™ Research Assistant is an academic AI tool designed to enhance student learning and streamline research on the trusted Ebook Central platform. Developed with integrity and responsibility, it helps researchers quickly assess the relevance of books and chapters, enabling them to review, analyze, and explore ideas with ease.

Supporting students at all levels, it fosters deeper engagement with resources, strengthens research and critical thinking skills, and boosts confidence throughout the research process. Unlike general AI tools, the Research Assistant generates insights exclusively from within the book chapter, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

Starting 3rd April 2025, the Research Assistant will be automatically enabled for all Ebook Central customers at no extra cost. It will show on the Book Reader page for both EPUB and PDF formats. 

Research Assistant is a trusted resources as - 

• The Ebook Central Research Assistant provides a trusted, responsible alternative within a secure academic environment.
• It supports research, not shortcuts – Designed to guide, not do the work, it helps students navigate chapters and build their own understanding.
• Boosts engagement and usage – Encourages deeper reading, better evaluation, and exploration of additional titles.

• Provides Key takeaways – Chapter-level insights help users assess content relevance efficiently.

• Concepts – Important ideas with explanations drawn from the chapter itself.
• Curated features – Complements AI-driven insights with publisher-provided metadata like book descriptions and subject headings.

How do I generate insights with the Research Assistant on a chapter?

The Research Assistant is automatically enabled on eligible books and can be found on the left side of the screen for PDFs, or on the right side of the screen for EPUBs.

• Navigate and select a chapter to read. If the Research Assistant panel is not visible, click on the Ebook Central Research Assistant icon. To generate the key takeaway for the selected chapter, click on the prompt, “Show key takeaway from this chapter”.

• To generate the key concepts for the selected chapter, click on the prompt, “Show concepts discussed in this chapter” to generate a response for each chapter.