Research Decoder

What this paper actually says — and whether what you read about it is true

Translate academic papers into plain language — no PhD required. Five modes: Digest breaks any paper into a one-sentence finding, methodology, limitations, decoded jargon, and an honest 'so what.' Media Check compares what a paper actually says to how headlines report it, catching exaggerations and missing context. Compare shows where two papers agree or diverge. For Me? gives personalized relevance based on your situation. Jargon Decoder explains scientific terms with analogies, not textbook definitions. Auto-builds a personal jargon dictionary as you read

Overview

Research Decoder is for the moment you see a headline like 'Scientists prove coffee cures everything' and think 'wait, does it really?' Instead of wading through dense abstracts, paste the paper text and get the actual finding in one sentence, what kind of study it was (described, not judged), what it proves vs. what people think it proves, and a warm honest take you'd hear from a smart friend over coffee. The Media Check is the killer feature — it compares what the paper says to what the headline claims and catches every type of distortion. Every term you encounter gets saved to a personal jargon dictionary that grows as you read.

How to use it

  1. 📄 Digest: Paste an abstract or paper text, optionally select the field. Get the finding in one sentence, methodology description, what it proves and doesn't, limitations, decoded jargon, and an honest 'so what' section with confidence level
  2. 📰 Media Check: Paste a headline (and article excerpt if you have it) plus the paper text. Get an accuracy rating, specific distortions identified by type (causation from correlation, cherry-picked results, etc.), what they got right, and what the headline should have said
  3. ⚖️ Compare: Paste text from two papers on a similar topic. See whether they agree, why they might differ, which to trust more for your specific question, and what's still unknown
  4. 🎯 For Me?: Describe a finding and your situation. Get a personalized assessment of whether it applies to you, whether you should change anything, the cost of waiting for more evidence, and whether to talk to a professional
  5. 🔤 Jargon: List terms you don't understand — get plain English explanations with analogies, examples, common misconceptions, and why each term matters. All terms auto-save to your personal dictionary

Example

Scenario: You see a headline: 'New study proves intermittent fasting reverses aging.' You're 40, considering trying it, and your doctor mentioned it once. You found the actual paper's abstract.

What you do: Digest the abstract first — learn it was a 12-week study of 30 mice, not humans. Media Check the headline — catch 'proves' (it suggests), 'reverses aging' (it measured one biomarker), and 'fasting' (they used a specific 16:8 protocol). Then hit 'Does this apply to me?' with your age, health, and doctor's comment.

Result: The digest explains it's an early mouse study showing a correlation with one aging marker. Media Check rates the headline 'Exaggerated' — three distortions identified. The relevance check says 'Too early to tell' for humans, but the 16:8 protocol is low-risk to try, and suggests asking your doctor specifically about your situation. Five new terms added to your jargon dictionary.

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