Library launches year-long trial of new AI-powered discovery tool for research
Yale Library is trialing Consensus AI, an AI-powered discovery tool designed to accelerate the process of online research in the sciences, medicine, and other disciplines. The Yale community is invited to test out the tool and provide feedback through Dec. 31, 2026.
Consensus is designed to help students, scientists, and researchers find peer-reviewed literature, conduct literature reviews, and access evidence-based research with proper citations. By searching only scholarly publications—and not blogs, news sites, or general knowledge pages—Consensus promises to return only evidence-backed answers.
The search engine draws from more than 250 million peer-reviewed research papers. Consensus uses Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, and its own web crawl to cover the peer-reviewed literature.
Consensus features automatic filters that respond to natural language, so users can specify time frames, populations, and study parameters directly in the prompt. The tool also expands key term options, surfaces conflicting arguments and evidence, and explores citations. A yes-no research question will generate a fast, visual read on the state of the comprehensive evidence. Users also have the option to filter and search for specific publication and journal titles through an interactive dashboard.
How to get started
Visit consensus.app to create an account with your Yale email address. (The login is automatic; you do not need to select an institution.)
For an overview of how to work with the tool, review the Consensus LibGuide for Academic Research, search best practices, or learn how a Consensus search works. After login, support is also available via chat with AI and human agents.
“We encourage students and faculty to try Consensus AI in concert with major academic databases, like Web of Science and PubMed, and other AI tools they may be exploring, and provide us with their feedback,” said Science and Engineering Librarian Andy Shimp.
The year-long trial period runs until Dec. 31 to give Yale researchers ample time to test the resource. Users are asked to comment on their experience via the library’s Trial Resource Feedback Form.
Using AI in research
The Consensus trial is part of Yale Library’s ongoing commitment to identify and offer effective, reliable AI tools to the Yale community. “Researchers are looking for tools they can trust for doing research and producing accurate, targeted results,” said Rebecca Dikow, the library’s director of Research Innovation and Student Success. “We are here to help with that.”
Yale Library supports the ethical and effective use of AI to improve research, teaching, and learning. The library offers AI guidance, resources, and AI-powered tools to broaden access to collections, facilitate work with data, and unlock new research possibilities. Library staff members help researchers locate and access resources, build AI fluencies, and evaluate the quality and reliability of AI systems.
Learn more about AI resources at Yale Library.
For additional guidance and support, reach out to an expert librarian.
Learn more about AI at Yale and the campus-wide “From Innovation to Impact” symposium in Kline Tower on April 28.
—Deborah Cannarella
Photo of students in Marx Library by Harold Shapiro; composite image of laptop screen by Monica Reed
