How to Read Research Papers Faster with AI (2026 Workflow)
You don’t need to read every paper cover-to-cover. You need to extract the contribution, results, and limitations fast.
This workflow (Eyesme example) is designed for students, researchers, and tech teams.
The 3-layer approach
- Layer 1: relevance triage (1–2 min)
- Layer 2: structured extraction (5–10 min)
- Layer 3: cross-paper comparison (10–20 min)
10-minute workflow
Step 1: Abstract/intro triage
Prompts:
- “What problem does it solve? What’s novel? Is it relevant to {question}? Score 0–3.”
Step 2: Extract the core card
Ask for:
- problem
- method
- data
- results (numbers)
- limitations
Step 3: Focus on figures and result tables
Prompts:
“Explain this figure: axes, trend, key takeaway.”
“Convert this result table to CSV/JSON and highlight best baselines.”
Step 4: Limitations & failure modes
Prompts:
- “What biases/limitations matter most?”
- “Where would this fail in practice? Give 3 examples.”
Step 5: Make a comparison matrix
Group by method family and compare results.
Bottom line
Use AI to extract structure. Use your brain for synthesis.