Research Rabbit Setup Guide

Beginner · Browser and ResearchRabbit account · Zotero connection optional

A citation connection gives you a lead, not a reason to include a paper.

Overview

ResearchRabbit offers a visual way to explore work connected to papers you already know. It is optional: neither this site nor a systematic review requires it. The author uses it less often now; the course retains it as one discovery example. See the account of current practice.

Choose it for a question where following citation connections helps. Keep the databases and screening rules your review protocol requires. Check current plans (opens in a new tab) before relying on a feature; a free tier does not establish that every review fits within it.

Step 1: account creation

1.1 sign up for Research Rabbit

Open ResearchRabbit (opens in a new tab), create an account, and verify your email. The onboarding guide (opens in a new tab) walks through naming a project and choosing a starting route. You can start from a known paper or keywords without linking Zotero.

Step 2: understanding Research Rabbit interface

2.1 main dashboard

Use Search to choose seed papers and inspect related results. Use Library to keep selected papers in collections. Open a paper's details to check that the title, authors, and DOI identify the work you intended. Follow the current search guide (opens in a new tab) if the controls differ from an older course demonstration.

2.2 features overview

The search settings distinguish Similar work, References, and Citations. References look backward from your seeds; Citations look forward to work citing them. Similar includes other connections. Save candidates deliberately rather than treating the result set as a screened corpus.

Step 3: Zotero integration

3.1 prerequisites

Link Zotero only if you want to import an existing collection. First check that its records appear in your Zotero web library. This is an account-based importer, not a connection to a running desktop application. Start with a few known records so you can check the transfer.

3.2 connect Research Rabbit to Zotero

The official importer guide (opens in a new tab) documents the account route:

1. Open Profile → Account Settings → Preferences → Zotero Libraries.
2. Choose Link Zotero and sign in to the intended Zotero account.
3. Review the requested access before authorizing it. Restricted permissions may prevent an import.
4. In Library, choose Zotero and the source collection.
5. Select the articles and destination collection in the importer.
6. Compare the imported records with your selection.

3.3 import and export, not two-way sync

The importer guide says two-way sync is still under development. Bring discoveries back by exporting BibTeX and importing that file into Zotero. Check metadata and resolve duplicates; edits in one application do not automatically update the other.

Step 4: literature discovery strategies

4.1 starting with seed papers

Choose a few papers whose relevance you can explain. Inspect related results, save promising candidates, and decide which should become seeds for another search. Record the seed set at each step so someone else can understand how the candidate set grew.

4.2 citation network analysis

Treat the map as a way to notice connections worth investigating. A central position is not evidence of methodological quality, relevance to your question, or comprehensive coverage. Read the paper before turning a visual pattern into a claim about the field.

4.3 AI-assisted recommendations

The algorithm description (opens in a new tab) describes citation and authorship connections, sometimes supplemented by semantic similarity of titles or abstracts. It does not make a recommendation an inclusion decision. Inspect abstracts and full texts against your protocol, including papers that challenge your emerging account.

Step 5: collection management

5.1 organizing your research

An optional naming scheme is Review_Seeds, Review_Candidates, and Review_Included. Adapt these names to your project. Separate discovery candidates from the records you have actually screened.

5.2 paper management

Save useful results into the appropriate collection as you explore. Keep inclusion decisions and reasons in your review record, not just in a visual arrangement. Verify identifiers before exporting, especially when records look like alternate versions of the same paper.

Step 6: advanced discovery techniques

6.1 author following

For a manual exploration of an author's work, open a paper and select the author's name to reach the author map (opens in a new tab). Check identities and individual papers; shared names can mislead. This recipe does not depend on an author-notification subscription.

6.2 journal monitoring

If your protocol calls for monitoring journals or special issues, visit their publisher or library pages and check the alert services offered there. Keep that task separate from this citation-network recipe.

6.3 keyword-based discovery

Keywords, titles, and DOIs can help find initial seeds. The documented keyword filters do not support Boolean operators. Do not paste a database Boolean search and assume it has the same meaning here. Check the current RR+ controls if you need advanced filters; record which settings were actually available and applied.

Step 7: collaboration features

7.1 sharing collections

In Edit Collection, the sharing guide (opens in a new tab) documents Editor and Viewer invitations, plus a public-link option. Shared notes and subcollections are included. Check them for private material before granting access; an unshared working collection is a better place for unfinished private notes.

7.2 team workflows

Agree where proposed papers and final decisions belong. A separate candidate collection or screening sheet can distinguish suggestions from accepted records without relying on a special suggestion permission. Assign responsibility for resolving duplicates and recording disagreements.

Step 8: export and backup

8.1 export options

In Library, open the collection, select the papers, and choose Export. The documented formats are BibTeX, RIS, and CSV. For Zotero, import the BibTeX file and inspect the resulting records before merging them into your curated library.

8.2 backup strategy

Keep dated exports and a separate discovery log. Record the seeds, search mode, date, selected candidates, and screening decisions. Check the contents of an export rather than assuming it preserves every note or view from the application.

Step 9: research workflow integration

Daily discovery routine

Choose a cadence your project needs; this is not a daily obligation. Revisit a seed set when new evidence or a gap in coverage warrants it. Stop when the search no longer serves the question, and record why you stopped.

Pre-research checklist

For a project that chooses this route:

• Identify a seed paper and explain its relevance
• Run a related-work search and inspect the results
• Save selected candidates to a collection
• Record the search and its limits
• If using Zotero, complete an export/import round trip and check metadata and duplicates

Course participants can see the teaching example in Session 2. Its demonstration is not evidence that every control remains unchanged.

Troubleshooting

Common issues

Zotero import or export not working

Check the intended account, the collection in Zotero's web library, and the access you granted. Use the importer guide above to trace the failed step. There is no automatic two-way sync to repair.

Partial import issues

Compare the selected records with the result, including titles and DOIs. Large libraries may take time to load. Do not assume an import limit that the current help does not document.

Citation network not loading

Check whether the problem affects one search or the whole application. Save your work before reloading. If it persists, consult the current help center with a description of the failed step, excluding credentials and private research material.

Poor paper recommendations

Reconsider the seeds and search mode. Remove seeds that pull toward another question, and test relevant alternatives. A larger candidate set is not necessarily a better one.

Best practices for systematic reviews

1. Start small, expand systematically

Use a bounded first pass you can inspect. Expand only when it answers a defined coverage question.

2. Use multiple discovery methods

Combine forward citations, backward references, and other searches required by your protocol. One network is not the whole literature.

3. Document your discovery process

Keep enough detail to explain how each candidate entered the review. Record exclusions as well as useful discoveries.

4. Maintain quality control

Apply inclusion criteria yourself and check source records. Keep Zotero or your chosen reference manager as the curated library.

5. Regular maintenance

Check duplicates, correct metadata, and keep exploratory collections separate from screened material.

Quick reference

Essential keyboard shortcuts

Use the visible controls and current application help. This guide does not prescribe shortcuts that have not been verified for the current interface.

Useful URLs

• ResearchRabbit (opens in a new tab)
• ResearchRabbit help center (opens in a new tab)
• Current plans (opens in a new tab)

Integration with Zotero

ResearchRabbit is an optional discovery route. Import a selected seed collection, explore, then export chosen records for inspection in Zotero. The library and the screening decisions remain yours.

@misc{docs-implementation-foundational-setup-research-rabbit-setup-guide-2026,
  author = {Xule Lin},
  title = {Research Rabbit Setup Guide},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://research-memex.org/docs/implementation/foundational-setup/research-rabbit-setup-guide}},
  note = {ORCID: 0000-0001-7885-4194}
}