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Free Digital Research Tools

This guide provides a list with descriptions of different research tools to facilitate research. Tools that use artificial intelligence (AI) are noted.

2D Search

2D Search

Overview

2D Search is a visual search builder for databases and search engines that enable Boolean logic (using AND, OR, and NOT to refine a search). You can build a search and run it directly on different platforms like Google Scholar or PubMed or copy the search to use it elsewhere.

What's it useful for?

  • Build highly refined searches for systematic reviews and other specialized applications
  • Save search strings to use or edit later
  • Visualize relationships between ideas in a search

What's it cost?

2D Search is free to use, but the website does harvest data from your searches to sell to advertisers.

Learn more about how 2D Search works.

2D Search's interface showing 3 boxes for ideas to connect in a search: sleep (containing sleep, REM, and rest), athletic (containing athlete, exercise, and sport), and performance (containing performance, improve, and skill)