Podcasts are everywhere. People listen to them in the car, at the gym, on a walk—I had one playing this morning called In Depth, Out Loud, a science podcast by The Conversation. If you choose the right podcast, you’re effortlessly learning something new while going about your daily routine.
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a folder of unread research papers, and only a fraction of them are truly relevant. Imagine transforming that overwhelming stack of papers into short, digestible five-minute podcast episodes that help you decide which ones are worth your time. Instead of staring at a list of PDFs, you could absorb key insights while making your morning coffee or heading to work.
The truth is, there’s a lot of empty space in a day—those in-between moments when you’re just waiting. Waiting for coffee. Sitting in traffic. Killing time between meetings. What if you could use those moments more productively?
Introducing: SciSpace Podcasts
We’re excited to bring this innovative tool to your attention: SciSpace’s Podcast tool, a feature that allows you to convert research papers into short audio summaries in the style of engaging podcasts. In other words, papers that talk to you!
The ability to listen to research papers while on the go could genuinely change how we engage with academic literature. Unlike general AI tools that serve broader purposes, SciSpace Podcasts are specifically designed for academic research purposes – so you can feel confident you’re using the best tool to listen to the literature in your field. Instead of skimming dense texts, you can absorb key insights while driving, exercising, or even cooking dinner. It’s an effortless way to keep up-to-date with everything and make better use of your time.
Why This Matters
Academic reading is time-consuming. No matter how skilled you are at reading (and let’s be honest, you’re pretty good at it), staying on top of new research requires hours of dedicated focus (and it is not all relevant). SciSpace’s podcast tool simplifies this process, offering quick, spoken summaries that highlight the main takeaways. If you’re struggling to keep up with the papers in your reading list, this tool can help you sift through them, especially if you prefer listening as a learning tool.
How to Use It
Using the tool to generate audible research summaries is simple:
- Create an account. If you don’t have one already, sign up for a free account on SciSpace.com.
- Upload a research paper. Click the upload button and select a PDF of your choice. You can also choose a paper from your existing SciSpace library.
- Generate the podcast. Click the ‘Podcast’ button and wait a few seconds while the tool processes your paper. It should be ready in under 30 seconds.
- Listen to the research. Once the podcast is ready, you can play it directly on the platform. If you have a premium account, you can also download it and listen on the go. The podcast is usually around 5 minutes and outlines the main findings of the paper as well as other important aspects, such as the methods.
- Decide which papers to read. After you’ve listened to the podcasts, you can download the full paper for a deeper read. This helps you filter out the less relevant ones and focus on the most important research for your work. Remember to use the notebook feature to keep track of important insights.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve said before, as long as generative AI is used responsibly and transparently—and not as a replacement for critical thinking—it’s useful to leverage tools that enhance research efficiency and productivity. The podcast tool in particular can help you sift through literature faster or explore new research topics more efficiently. More importantly, it offers an alternative to reading when your eyes need a rest.
So, why not give SciSpace Podcast tool a try? The next time you’re standing in the kitchen, pouring milk over your cornflakes, you could be listening to a research paper instead—turning your breakfast into a productive learning session! In the end, it turns out that the academic podcast you NEED to listen to, is the one you create yourself!
