Upload files, import selected cloud files and request optional analysis.
Reviewed · 2026-10-12
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Register a file as research material
- Open Materials, then Upload material.
- Choose a file, up to 100 MB. Research-space attachments allow up to 50 files, 100 MB combined. Use an external connection for larger files. The browser sends chunks and displays progress.
- Optionally enter a title; otherwise the filename is used. Choose a lab and at least one grant or project. Add researchers and a memo; @mentions and [[citations]] work in the memo.
- Select the checkbox under 3. Optional AI analysis if needed (off by default), then select Register material. Keep the tab open during transfer. Reaching the material page means transfer was accepted; Drive storage and text extraction run in the background; AI runs only when requested.
- Download original becomes available after verified storage. For failures, read the status and retry. Storage retries reuse a file ID to avoid duplicate originals.
- Administrator prerequisite: enable the existing Google Drive archive with a nonpublic writable folder and archive account. A read-only source connection is insufficient for storage.
Audience and direct-upload search
- Current readers and managers of a selected grant or project can view the material. Merely tagging a researcher does not grant access.
- The author or a current manager can edit metadata. Changing grants/projects changes subsequent viewing, search and download access. At least one scope is required.
- In Materials search, choose Directly registered materials under Registration method to filter files, links and cloud imports.
- Platform access changes do not recall downloaded copies or change Google Drive sharing permissions. Administrators must also manage the archive folder permissions.
Notion exports, public links and YouTube
- Export private Notion pages as PDF, Markdown or CSV, then upload the file. ZIP exports containing multiple pages and attachments are supported.
- Extracted headings, text and tables are displayed as a material page. Supported documents inside a ZIP are read, included images can be expanded, and the original ZIP remains downloadable. Extraction size and format limits are separate from storage limits; a stored original remains downloadable if extraction fails.
- For public web or Notion pages, paste the public URL instead of selecting a file. Only accessible HTML that permits crawling is collected. For login- or JavaScript-dependent pages, upload an export.
- YouTube URLs provide an embedded player. This does not collect the original video or captions or claim full-video AI analysis.
Choose from Google Drive or OneDrive
- Open Materials → Upload material → 1. Choose material → Choose from cloud. Select Connect Google Drive or Connect OneDrive, choose your own account and allow reading. No project connection or predetermined folder is required.
- Browse folders in My Drive or search All files and shared materials in Google Drive. For OneDrive, browse and search your drive. Lists show 50 entries at a time, with Next files and parent-folder breadcrumbs.
- Select a file. Google Docs, Sheets and Slides export to DOCX, XLSX and PPTX. Files above 100 MB, unavailable downloads and unsupported formats display their reason and cannot be selected. Provider access and organization policies still apply.
- Back in Upload material, check the filename, lab and audience before registering. Starting from a grant/project connection page preselects that scope. Only the chosen file is copied to the lab Google Drive archive; the source is not moved or deleted.
- Change account/reconnect lets you choose another account. Disconnect stops the app using this personal credential; existing collection connections and imported materials remain. File selections expire after 30 minutes or when the account changes/disconnects.
- A platform administrator performs the initial Microsoft setup once. Administrator setup and step-by-step guide covers Entra registration, personal+organizational accounts, Web callback, client ID, secret Value, and delegated Files.Read/offline_access. Researchers only sign in. Existing OneDrive source-link connections remain available; selected-file imports are separate from scheduled collection.
- Google reuses the lab OAuth app configuration. Testing mode requires test-user registration; Drive reading consent, Google verification and organizational policies still apply. Each user completes their own consent.
Analysis and preview coverage
- Text is extracted from TXT, Markdown, CSV, DOCX, HWP5, HWPX, PDF, PPTX and XLSX, among others. PDF pages, images and embedded Office raster images are analyzed in units. Protected/encrypted HWP files are not bypassed.
- Change the PDF preview page number, expand image previews or play MP4/WebM/MOV in the video player. Use the separate button for original downloads.
- Video AI examines frames sampled every 30 seconds within the first 10 minutes. Audio transcription and exhaustive frame analysis are not included.
- ZIP limits are 100 entries, 100 MB total expanded, 20 MB per entry. Supported inner documents are analyzed; nested ZIPs, encrypted and executable files are omitted. Overall limits include 300 analysis units and 200,000 displayed text characters. Inspect File list and analysis coverage for omissions.
- The uploader or a platform administrator can select Start/Resume AI analysis on the material page. Active lab settings and the requester’s current AI permission are required. Each page, image or text segment uses one attempt from the uploader’s daily allowance, even for administrator requests; failed attempts also count. Quota exhaustion resumes the next day. Storage and text extraction alone do not use AI allowance. Results can inform AI consultation, but remain interpretations separate from the source; verify important numbers and conclusions against originals.
Check and recover original-file errors
Use Check original on the material detail to see the current readability check and time. Historical storage success is not a successful download now. Changing the default archive folder does not change the saved file and folder receipt for older originals. Reconnect the existing archive account for expired authorization and follow the displayed code for moved, deleted or inaccessible files. Do not make files public or substitute similarly named files. Text extraction, attachment preservation and image or handwriting interpretation are separate results.
Find and edit literature in Materials
- Open References in Materials or search by title, author or DOI. References saved in a research space are discoverable in the same catalog; do not register another copy.
- Select a card title to open its wide permanent detail page; View all opens the dedicated literature list. Translation, sharing, favorites and print are at the top, followed by authors, venue, publication date, abstract and source links. Original abstracts and AI summaries are separate. Generate an AI summary only with the explicit button or request.
- Edit only the required bibliography fields. Materials and the space use the same reference ID and correction. Check the applicable research space; other spaces and Zotero originals are not silently overwritten.
- Select references and choose BibTeX, RIS or CSL JSON under Export. Distinguish selected references, all search matches and the complete current scope. All includes every page in that scope, not just the visible rows.
- Use File → Import in Zotero to read the exported file. This is a bibliographic snapshot, not automatic two-way synchronization. Unpinning does not delete the original material.
Register references and request source storage in conversation
- Tell native AI or ChatGPT the research space and the DOI, source URL or bibliography to register. Example: “Register these papers in this space, reuse existing references and do not generate new AI summaries.”
- Check the destination project/grant, audience, new/existing references and original attachments. The host must actually expose the required tools. Search-only tools cannot prove registration.
- Check each returned material link and status. With a linked research work, the actual registration request and receipt also appear in its history. Ask for a destination if work context is unclear; never invent earlier conversation that was not delivered. Bibliography registration, pinning, source storage, text extraction and AI analysis are distinct. Reuse the same request ID when retrying to prevent duplicates.
- Add a PDF later from the reference detail page. Active authorized participants can contribute files, preserving contributor and file versions. Identical files are not linked twice and earlier PDFs are not overwritten. Distinguish published papers, preprints and supplements. In conversation, identify the existing reference before attaching a PDF. Example: “Attach this PDF to the existing reference without creating another paper.” Only delivered files or accessible originals can be stored.
- A ZIP or download link generated in ChatGPT is not proof of platform storage. Check file delivery and the platform receipt. Registration, reading, pinning and exporting do not themselves generate AI summaries.
- The tool sequence is consultant_material_prepare → consultant_material_commit → consultant_material_status. Review the destination and audience, then pass the unchanged preview_token and review. A cached host can use the existing consultant_thread_prepare save / materials envelope for the same service. If neither route is exposed, refresh the connection tool list.
- A request accepts up to 50 items and 100 MB of combined attachments. Distinguish “register bibliography only” from “also store an accessible PDF.” A paper landing page is not reported as a saved PDF; supply an actual PDF file when needed.
Understand storage, PDF and extraction states
- Once registered, bibliography can be searched and edited before source collection finishes. Do not create duplicate references because earlier files are still processing.
- Queued and running storage are distinct. Stored means a verified preservation receipt exists. An archived HTML page is not a PDF.
- If the original is stored but text extraction fails, it remains downloadable. Combined source attachments may total 100 MB; safe text extraction supports up to 20 MB per file. Larger originals are preserved with an extraction-limit status. Scans, protected documents or unsupported formats may not yield readable text.
- Retryable storage failures use bounded attempts and backoff. For persistent failures or access requirements, inspect the reason and supply an accessible file. Access and login restrictions are not bypassed.
- A PDF downloadable from its reference is distinct from source archiving and text extraction. Linking a PDF does not prove external synchronization, extraction or AI analysis. AI analysis is a separate request with its own usage. Stored originals or extracted text do not mean AI analysis has completed.
Bibliography and PDF visibility
New public-paper bibliography is visible by default to active signed-in platform users, not anonymous visitors. PDF originals, private analysis and research spaces retain their existing access. Reusing an existing private source does not publish it. Edit bibliographic fields and grant/project/researcher metadata on the permanent literature page. External Zotero originals are not overwritten.
Find and attach PDFs from ChatGPT
Example: “Find references in this space that lack a PDF. Locate public originals, verify the title and DOI, and attach them to the existing references while preserving earlier files.” Tools import a public HTTPS PDF or an actually transferable ChatGPT file and verify bytes, size and hash. They never bypass login or paid access. Original preservation, text preparation and AI analysis are separate states; an unavailable file transfer is not a saved result.
Compare literature and save to the same work
Example: “Compare these three papers for the Paper Goal and Literature Survey work. State the PDF version and actual coverage; tabulate model structure, data, metrics and limitations. Save the delivered analysis as another request/result pair in this same work and attach the comparison file.” The existing work ID and earlier results are preserved. An excerpt is never labelled a complete-paper reading. Specify explicitly when a new derived work is intended.
File transfer and retry
Example: “Save the actual image and BibTeX files just created as outputs of this work. Report each saved status and download link.” Attach up to 50 files, combined 100 MB. Reuse the request key for retries; reselect files to renew expired transfer links. The file tool must actually be available in the ChatGPT host. If unavailable, transfer the files through Add sources on the platform. A filename or temporary link is not a preserved file.
Edit, export and apply requests
Search, select required references or all references, then use the download icon beside search for BibTeX, RIS or CSL JSON. Example: “Correct the selected authors and DOI while preserving the original.” AI summaries run only after a button action or explicit request. Applying the refinement preview updates both the current composer and its local draft, ready to inspect before sending. Dashed graph edges indicate references; solid edges indicate research flow.
Start paper analysis in the same work
In the existing work composer, use Add sources to select one reference or PDF. Enter a goal-specific question, choose Paper analysis and discovery in the Send to AI menu, and send. Source reading, backward/forward/topic search, registration, synthesis and manuscript drafts are checkpointed. Search uses the public paper title or your explicit public query, not private goals. Verified references and final recommendations are registered automatically; PDF collection is queued with actual storage status. Missing originals limit analysis to the abstract. Forward and similar searches cover the first 25 results each; request further searches separately. Paywalls and institutional login are not bypassed; unavailable originals retain a reason. Registration, original collection, AI analysis and author review are separate states.
Goals, notifications and collaborative review
Use work menu → Research conditions to edit the question, venue, deadline and constraints. Expand Collaborative guidance to opt into a reviewed goal snapshot and next-action notifications. Only the published goal version is shared; private edits do not silently replace it. Notifications open the same suggestion ID used by the composer and do not execute AI. Deferred or dismissed suggestions are not resurrected. Before joint use, check work sharing, access to originals and the shared goal separately. Approved methods also require use and provider-processing permission. Participants use the research team destination for follow-up analysis. Private results are not published automatically. A researcher confirms submission or goal completion.
Improve v1 into v2
Use work menu → Know-how settings to select exact approved versions. The default direction and relevant common/activity guidance are pinned; four stages are not required for every work. Existing work-only know-how remains available in collapsed history. Select currently accessible, non-deleted request/result evidence and distinguish paper-specific fixes from reusable improvements. Compare against the actual active v1 using matched input/model/work conditions, held-out input and human review receipts before considering v2 promotion. Promotion changes future defaults and is reversible; it does not rewrite existing results. The built-in method before initialization is distinct from a reviewed and evaluated v1. Method versions, manuscript revisions and model IDs are distinct. Output-only use, source reading and derivation are separate permissions.
Delete and restore request/result pairs
The author or an authorized space manager can move an accessible request/result pair to trash through its menu. Removed content is excluded from new analysis, method improvement and downloads; other researchers’ follow-ups and existing quotations remain. Restore through Deleted requests and results; this never restarts AI. Management does not grant access to another person’s private conversation. External copies and provider costs already incurred are unaffected.
ChatGPT, consultation, Overleaf and costs
Continue in ChatGPT preserves the same work ID and selected evidence, saving only delivered results. Survey request/status/resume/external, method reads/improvements and pair delete/restore reuse consultant_thread_prepare/commit reviews. Independent host analysis never claims to have executed a protected method. Core instructions are excluded from ordinary results, history and exports. Provider processing permission is reviewed separately; this does not guarantee that outputs cannot reveal or imply knowledge. Download the draft and BibTeX, review them, then incorporate them in Overleaf; there is no automatic bidirectional sync. Per-request, daily and provider limits pause work while preserving completed stages. Inspect saved stages and usage before explicitly resuming. Team consultation tools currently support requests and status; use the web for resuming and method management. Host tool availability, new server PDF collection, AI quality and Lightsail latency require separate verification.
Keep only the know-how you choose from a discussion
In the same work composer, ask: “Separate the literature-analysis and manuscript-writing know-how from this discussion. Propose only the changes to each existing method.” Only delivered, saved requests and results are evidence. External ChatGPT or Codex can prepare structured proposals using returned evidence IDs and current permissions, then use the existing reviewed save contract. On the proposal page, select only the drafts you want to keep and review the save. Unselected proposals and active versions remain unchanged. Preparing or saving a draft does not validate quality or approve v2.
Apply several methods together
Use the applied know-how count below the work title, or work menu → Know-how settings, to manage defaults. No empty badge appears for zero items. Search names, handles or activities and review exact versions and roles before saving. Add to a work on the independent detail page lets you choose a space and work and pin an exact version. Type @ in a follow-up, new research request or personal AI consultation to search researchers and know-how together. Choosing know-how adds it only to that request without changing defaults. [[ source citations keep their existing behavior. Multiple selections never auto-merge assets or adopt newer versions. Web, consultation and ChatGPT handoff check the same IDs and current permissions.
Split, merge, originals and shared evidence
One discussion can produce independent proposals that reference the same segment as shared evidence. Drafts start privately. Separate paper-specific corrections and unverified scientific conclusions from reusable guidance. Change organization prepares a split or merge request in the existing composer for review and sending. A merge proposes a new asset linked to exact parent versions. It does not delete or overwrite the versions, history or active state of assets A and B. Changing how a proposal is organized requires a newly reviewed proposal, not an unreviewed browser-side rewrite.
Version inheritance and evaluation
Derived work inherits the exact selected versions of independent assets. For existing work-specific methods, the collapsed Work know-how controls retain version and candidate selection in the original work. Review generalized instructions and create a separate asset before reuse in other work. Execution applies modules relevant to the current stage, such as literature, synthesis, writing or review, while retaining links to other stages. New versions are not adopted automatically. Initial approval reviews the actual instructions and their generalization; it does not claim measured quality improvement. Improvement candidates require actual runs with matched questions, inputs, models and effort, held-out cases and human review before adoption. A candidate trial is a one-off selection that does not change the default and uses the normal AI allowance.
Protection, storage and execution boundaries
An independent detail page shows introduction, ID, handle, authors, usage, current permissions and versions. Editing the introduction or image link does not change execution guidance; image access is checked separately. The default direction is protected guidance. Write a draft or propose a direction improvement, review it and select which drafts to keep. Saving an introduction or candidate does not change the active version. Ordinary catalogs and proposal cards exclude protected instructions. Source review requires current permission and AI-provider processing permission is separate. Reads, selections and structured proposal saves do not run AI, while sending analysis or reorganization requests may use your allowance. Independent external analysis does not prove protected-service execution. Instructions belong in encrypted backups, not code or static files. AI quality, actual ChatGPT tool availability and server speed require separate validation.