Litmus research workspace summary

Litmus is an AI-assisted literature review workspace for researchers and students. It helps users create project folders, add research questions, generate editable keywords, upload research papers, score paper relevance, annotate PDFs, write review notes, collaborate with research partners, and prepare evidence for synthesis and academic writing.

Turn scattered papers into a focused research workflow.

Litmus helps researchers and students organize papers, define research questions, extract useful keywords, score relevance, highlight evidence, write notes, and collaborate without losing context.

Built for serious reading and synthesis. Project folders, research questions, PDF highlights, review notes, relevance scoring, and shared evidence in one workspace.
01 Structured extraction graphic

Start with research questions

Create a project folder, add questions one by one, and let Litmus extract keywords that guide relevance scoring.

02 Evidence comparison graphic

Collect papers with purpose

Upload PDFs into the right project so each paper is evaluated against the same research focus.

03 Synthesis layers graphic

Read and annotate PDFs

Highlight selected text, add sticky-note comments, change highlight color, and preserve notes on the page.

04 Citation quote graphic

Move from notes to synthesis

Use structured records, review notes, highlights, and AI-assisted insights to compare findings across papers.

For researchers and students

A calmer way to manage literature review work.

Litmus brings your reading list, project questions, relevance keywords, paper notes, PDF highlights, AI-assisted insights, and collaborator discussions into one organized research workspace.

Research organization Structured extraction

Keep each review project focused.

Create folders around topics, modules, theses, or review projects. Add research questions and keywords so papers are evaluated in the right context.

PDF annotations Evidence comparison

Highlight, note, edit, and color-code evidence.

The internal reader supports zoom, print, fullscreen, right-click highlighting, sticky-note icons, note popups, and persistent highlight colors.

Collaboration Research gap discovery

Discuss evidence exactly where it appears.

Mention collaborators from notes, see shared highlights, and keep research conversations connected to the source paper.

How it works

From research question to evidence you can write from.

Litmus supports the work researchers actually do: define the question, gather papers, check relevance, read closely, capture evidence, compare findings, and prepare synthesis.

Step 1

Create a project and define what you are looking for.

Add research questions first, then let Litmus extract keywords that become the relevance lens for uploaded papers.

Structured extraction process
Step 2

Read internally and capture evidence directly on the PDF.

Select text, highlight it, add notes, edit colors, and preserve your reasoning beside the source itself.

Synthesis layers process
Step 3

Review, compare, and synthesize.

Use notes, reviews, highlights, and AI-assisted insights to move from reading individual papers to seeing patterns across studies.

Collaborative research

Work with classmates, supervisors, and research partners in one place.

Litmus is designed for solo study and team-based review: everyone can read, annotate, write notes, compare evidence, and keep the project organized around the same research goals.

Research project tools

Keep your review question, keywords, and evidence aligned.

Litmus helps you shape a project before uploading papers, so the workspace understands what your review is trying to find.

RQ
Research questions and keywordsAdd questions one by one, review generated keywords, and refine the terms that define your project focus.
AI
Relevance tied to the projectUploaded papers are evaluated against the project’s research questions and keyword set instead of a generic summary.
LOG
Reading and review momentumTrack which papers have been reviewed, where notes exist, and what evidence still needs attention.
PDF
Evidence captured at the sourceHighlights, sticky-note markers, note text, colors, and collaborator context stay attached to the paper instead of being scattered across files.
MAP
Clear path from reading to writingStructured paper records, relevance scores, findings, gaps, and review notes give you a practical map for synthesis and reporting.
Shared projects Bring other researchers, students, or supervisors into the same paper collection and keep everyone aligned around the same question.
Citation quote proof Individual reviews Each collaborator can write their own review while the project keeps paper-level context, highlights, and extracted evidence intact.
Relevance score proof Shared annotations Highlights and PDF notes stay visible to the project group, making it easier to compare interpretation and avoid missed evidence.
Structured extraction proof Research-ready exports Keep structured evidence ready for comparison, synthesis, reporting, supervision meetings, and writing sessions.
Use cases

Useful wherever reading needs to become evidence.

Litmus supports students, thesis writers, supervisors, research assistants, lab groups, and review teams who need a better way to organize academic reading.

Scoping reviews

Map a broad topic before narrowing the evidence.

Use project folders, research questions, and relevance scoring to understand which papers belong in the review.

Systematic reviews

Compare evidence across studies without losing detail.

Capture findings, gaps, methods, and notes in a structured workspace that supports synthesis.

Thesis writing

Capture page-level evidence while reading.

Highlight selected text, attach notes, and return to the exact paper context when drafting chapters or related work.

Course projects

Give student teams one place to read and discuss.

Keep PDFs, annotations, comments, and review notes organized around a shared question.

Team libraries

Coordinate active reading across a group.

Reader initials show who is working on each paper so teams avoid duplicated effort and know where attention is focused.

Questions researchers ask

Built for the messy middle of literature review work.

Litmus is designed for the point where reading, note-taking, relevance decisions, collaboration, and synthesis all need to stay connected.

How does Litmus help researchers stay focused?

Each project starts with research questions. Litmus extracts keywords from those questions and uses them to keep paper relevance tied to the purpose of the review.

Can students use Litmus for thesis and course projects?

Yes. Students can organize papers by topic, highlight PDF evidence, write review notes, and return to saved evidence when drafting chapters, reports, or presentations.

What makes Litmus useful for collaborative review?

Research partners can work in shared projects, mention each other inside notes, see shared annotations, and keep discussions connected to specific papers and passages.

Start with a project folder

Bring your papers, questions, highlights, notes, and synthesis into one Litmus workspace.

Create a project, define your research questions, upload papers, score relevance, read PDFs internally, annotate evidence, and build a clearer path toward writing.

  • Project folders with research questions and editable keyword lists.
  • Paper relevance scoring based on your actual project focus.
  • Internal PDF reader with highlights, notes, colors, mentions, and sticky-note markers.
  • Structured paper records, individual reviews, AI-assisted insights, and collaborative reading presence.