(17 Apr 2025) ProQuest, part of Clarivate, has introduced the Ebook Central Research Assistant, a new AI tool designed to enhance user engagement with scholarly ebooks. Integrated into the Ebook Central platform, the tool supports academic research by surfacing key insights, clarifying complex concepts, and helping users navigate content more efficiently.
The Research Assistant builds on Clarivate’s suite of academic AI tools—alongside Web of Science, Primo, and ProQuest Research Assistants—to support critical thinking and research literacy. Positioned at the point where most users enter the Ebook Central platform, the assistant helps assess a book’s relevance, explore chapter-level insights, and connect users with related resources across their library’s catalog.
Powered by Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), the assistant draws insights directly from the ebook’s content, ensuring accuracy and contextual relevance. Its features include chapter-level key takeaways, highlighted terms with definitions, and one-click search functionality to deepen research engagement. It also surfaces related titles within the institution’s collection to broaden discovery.
As a beta release, the Ebook Central Research Assistant is now available across owned and subscribed titles at no additional cost. Institutions may choose to disable the feature through LibCentral.
ProQuest developed the tool in collaboration with academic institutions and libraries to ensure alignment with traditional scholarly values. It is designed to reinforce information literacy by guiding users through academic texts without providing direct answers, encouraging critical engagement with source material. The assistant also supports library missions by increasing visibility and usage of curated ebook collections.
The tool forms part of Clarivate’s broader Academic AI ecosystem, developed under principles of transparency, integrity, and collaboration with the academic community.
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