Exploring a new research field usually means jumping between unrelated search results and losing track of what connects to what. Connected Papers solves this by building an interactive graph of related papers around any seed paper you choose, showing you the intellectual landscape at a glance.

This guide explains how to use Connected Papers to discover influential work, understand how studies build on each other, and prepare for a literature review faster.

Step 1: Enter a Seed Paper

Go to Connected Papers and enter a paper you already know, using its DOI, arXiv ID, or URL. This paper becomes the center of your graph. Choose one that is genuinely central to your topic so the surrounding results are most relevant.

If you are starting from scratch, the search bar also lists matching titles you can select. Pick the closest match to anchor your exploration.

Step 2: Read the Graph

Connected Papers places the most similar papers nearest to the center. Papers that are closer together share more citations and are usually more topically related. Node size reflects how often a paper is cited, helping you spot the most influential work in the neighborhood.

Click any node to highlight its connections. Curved lines show that two papers are linked by co-citations, while the shared connection layer helps you see promising papers that bridge different parts of the field.

Step 3: Open the Prioritized List

Below or beside the graph, Connected Papers provides a ranked list of the most relevant papers. Each entry includes bibliographic details, an abstract, and the number of citations. This list is your quickest route from visual overview to reading list.

Review abstracts in the list and mark the papers that matter. You can build your shortlist without leaving the page.

Step 4: Build Context with Prior and Derivative Works

Two views make Connected Papers especially valuable for literature reviews. The Prior Works view shows foundational papers that most of the field cites, giving you the intellectual ancestry of the topic. The Derivative Works view shows the papers that cite your seed papers, revealing the newest research building on that foundation.

Use these views together to understand both where a field came from and where it is going.

Step 5: Export Your Findings

When your exploration is complete, export the selected papers to BibTeX or your reference manager. Connected Papers makes it easy to carry your curated set into your writing and citing workflow without manual data entry.

Repeat the process from a few different seed papers to make sure you have not missed an important subarea.

Final Thoughts

A visual map turns a confusing collection of citations into a clear picture. With Connected Papers, you can discover key research, understand relationships, and prepare a thorough literature review in a fraction of the usual time. Start from one good paper and let the graph guide the rest of your reading.