Augmenting scientific papers with just-in-time, position-sensitive definitions of terms and symbols

Abstract

Despite the central importance of research papers to scientifc progress, they can be difcult to read. Comprehension is often stymied when the information needed to understand a passage resides somewhere else-in another section, or in another paper. In this work, we envision how interfaces can bring defnitions of technical terms and symbols to readers when and where they need them most. We introduce ScholarPhi, an augmented reading interface with four novel features: (1) tooltips that surface position-sensitive defnitions from elsewhere in a paper, (2) a flter over the paper that declutters it to reveal how the term or symbol is used across the paper, (3) automatic equation diagrams that expose multiple defnitions in parallel, and (4) an automatically generated glossary of important terms and symbols. A usability study showed that the tool helps researchers of all experience levels read papers. Furthermore, researchers were eager to have ScholarPhi's defnitions available to support their everyday reading.