How to Understand Difficult Research Papers by Highlighting Text with Explainpaper

Reading a difficult academic paper is frustrating when you get stuck on one dense equation or a single jargon-heavy paragraph. Explainpaper removes that roadblock by letting you highlight any confusing text and instantly receive a plain-language explanation. Here is how to use Explainpaper to work through tough papers.

Step 1: Upload your paper

Go to Explainpaper and upload the PDF of the paper you are reading. The tool preserves the original layout so you see the paper exactly as published, with all figures, equations, and footnotes intact.

Step 2: Read and identify the confusing parts

Read the paper normally. When you come to a passage, term, or formula that does not make sense, select that section of text with your cursor, just as you would highlight a passage for study.

Step 3: Generate an explanation

Click the highlight to trigger Explainpaper’s AI explanation. The tool reads the surrounding context and produces a clear, plain-language explanation of exactly what that passage means, breaking down jargon and unpacking the underlying logic.

Step 4: Tailor the explanation to your level

Choose the depth and audience that fits you, whether you want a simple high-level overview or a detailed technical walkthrough. This lets you learn at the right altitude for your current understanding rather than being overloaded with detail you are not ready for.

Step 5: Ask follow-up questions

If the first explanation is not enough, ask follow-up questions about that specific section. Explainpaper keeps the context of your paper in mind, so its answers stay relevant to what you are actually trying to understand rather than being generic.

Step 6: Save papers to your reading library

Keep the papers you have worked through in your Explainpaper library so you can revisit them later. Whenever you return to a difficult paper, your past explanations make it easy to pick up where you left off.

With Explainpaper, dense mathematics and intimidating terminology stop being barriers to learning, letting you absorb research papers at your own pace.