How to Use Perplexity AI for Research and Academic Writing: A Simple Guide
Research can be tough, no matter if you're an undergraduate student, working on your Masters, or even doing a PhD. Searching through countless articles, checking facts, and making sure your sources are good takes a lot of time. But Perplexity AI can help you do this quickly and easily.
In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to use Perplexity AI for your academic writing. You'll save time, find better sources, and write stronger papers.
What is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity is a research assistant powered by AI. It answers your questions clearly and most importantly, with linked sources you can verify.
Unlike Google or ChatGPT, which can leave you digging or guessing, Perplexity gives direct answers and shows you exactly where the information comes from. That makes it perfect for academic writing.
Why Use Perplexity Over Google or ChatGPT?
Here’s how the three compare:
Google gives you everything but often too much. You can spend hours trying to sort through pages of results.
ChatGPT gives quick answers, but it usually doesn’t show real sources. That’s risky in academic work.
Perplexity AI combines clarity with credibility and visible sources—so you can fact-check and cite properly.
It’s a better starting point for serious academic writing.
Nuanced opinion: Use Perplexity first for solid research. Then use ChatGPT or Google to double-check or expand your ideas.
How Perplexity AI Helps with Academic Writing
Perplexity speeds up research and improves the quality of your papers:
✅ Quick Answers: Ask your question and get a concise answer in seconds.
✅ Reliable Sources: Each response includes links to real academic references.
✅ Clear Explanations: Complex topics are broken down in simple terms.
As Perplexity describes its Deep Research mode:
[Deep Research] performs dozens of searches, reads hundreds of sources, and reasons about what to do next to deliver a comprehensive report.
How to conduct research and write papers with perplexity AI
How to Use Perplexity: Step-by-Step
Ask a Clear Question: Be specific and focused. Example: “How does climate change affect farming in the Netherlands?”
Choose the Right Mode: Select Deep Research or Academic Mode for more detailed, research-grade responses.
Read and Review: Scan the summary answer. You’ll notice numbered links—those lead to sources.
Check the Sources: Click the links, verify the info, and save the ones you’ll use in your references.
Make an Outline from Perplexity Answers: You can also use answers from Perplexity to create a structured outline:
Example Question: “What are the benefits of exercise on mental health?”
Possible Outline:
Introduction: Define mental health
Section 1: Key Mental Health Benefits of Exercise ([add source])
Section 2: How Exercise Works for Mental Health([add source])
Section 3: Practical Considerations ([add source])
Conclusion: Why it matters
You can dig deeper by asking follow-up questions for each section.
Combine Perplexity with PaperCheck
Once you finish your research, you’ll want to polish your paper.
That’s where PaperCheck comes in. It helps you:
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Argumentation & logic error check
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Citation Style, coherence, source density check
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Prepare for your thesis defense with custom feedback and questions based on your work, etc.
Together, Perplexity and PaperCheck create a powerful writing workflow from research to final polish.
Quick Tips to Use Perplexity AI Responsibly
Remember these tips to keep your writing ethical and original:
✅ Always paraphrase in your own words.
✅ Always check the original source yourself.
✅ Use Perplexity to support your ideas, not replace them.
✅ Always cite the original sources, not Perplexity itself.
Research doesn’t have to be frustrating. Use Perplexity AI to guide your research and PaperCheck to polish your writing, you can save hours and write with confidence.
Try it out for your next paper!
From Gerald, 24th June 2025