PaperLabWho it's for · Librarians
For librarians who advise researchers on tools
Librarians and research-data managers need tools they can recommend without worrying about data, licensing or paywalls. PaperLab is open source under Apache-2.0 and runs on each researcher’s own computer, with no accounts. It finds only free, legal copies of papers and never gets past a paywall. AI text is always labelled with the model that wrote it, and the README lists exactly what each setting sends and where.
What gets in the way, and what helps
Data leaving the institution
Local-first: papers and notes stay on the researcher’s machine, with local models available.
Local-first and private →Tools that bypass paywalls
Only free, legal copies; otherwise a link to the publisher.
Find papers →Undisclosed AI use
AI text is stored apart, keeps its model and prompt version, and is always labelled.
Anchored notes →Systematic review support
Free sources, references both ways, and screening and PRISMA counts in the next release.
References and similar papers →
A workflow that works
- Point researchers to the download page and the privacy notes in the README.
- Recommend a local model for sensitive or unpublished work.
- Use the systematic-review workflow in library training on evidence synthesis.
Guides for you
- How to find a free, legal PDF of a research paper — arXiv, repositories, Unpaywall, CORE, and asking the authors.
- PaperLab vs Zotero — A reference manager and a reading tool do different jobs. Which one you need, or both.
- How to do a systematic literature review — Question, protocol, search, two-stage screening, snowballing and PRISMA.
Questions people ask
Does PaperLab store data in the cloud?
No. Everything is in a local database on the researcher’s computer. Only settings the researcher turns on send data, and each is documented.
Which sources does it search?
arXiv, Crossref, CORE, Unpaywall and Semantic Scholar are free and on by choice; OpenAlex is off until ticked.
Can we contribute a source our researchers use?
Yes. Adding a paper source is one of the most useful contributions; there are open issues labelled paper-source.
Also for: PhD students · Master’s students · Research groups · Developers