How to create publication-ready research with Paper Draft
A guide for scholarship applicants, postgraduate students, and early-career researchers — from scouting references to exporting your manuscript.
Quick start
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Scout references
Find papers from credible databases
Add your data
Methods, results, notes
Plan your draft
Concise or detailed outline
Generate sections
Cited, structured, editable
Export
.docx, .md, .tex, .bib
Reference Scouting
Paper Draft searches credible academic databases to find real papers matching your topic. You select the ones relevant to your work, and the tool builds a citation pool from your selections.
How it works
- Enter your research topic or keywords to search across three academic databases
- Results include title, authors, year, journal, and abstract so you can evaluate relevance
- Select papers to add to your citation pool — only papers you choose appear in your references
- Add papers manually by DOI if they aren't in the databases
- Your citation pool is saved with the manuscript and used throughout generation
Tips
- →Be specific with keywords — 'deep learning breast cancer detection' finds better results than just 'AI'
- →Aim for 8–15 references for a standard research paper
- →Include recent papers (last 3–5 years) alongside foundational works
Adding Your Data
The Context step is where you paste your methods, results, limitations, and any raw notes. The AI structures them and uses them during generation so the draft reflects your actual work.
How it works
- Paste raw notes in any format — the AI structures them into objectives, methods, datasets, results, limitations, and keywords
- Mention figures, tables, or diagrams — e.g. 'Figure 1 shows the system architecture' — so the AI can reference them as placeholders
- Your structured notes are editable inline — click the pencil icon on any field to adjust
- The more detail you provide, the more specific the draft will be
- Results and datasets are especially important — the AI will not invent numbers
Tips
- →Even bullet points work — 'accuracy was 94.2%, dataset was 120 students' is enough
- →If you have a PDF of your paper, extract text first using the PDF Context Extractor link
- →You can skip this step and still generate from topic alone
Content Planning
Before writing, Paper Draft generates an outline — a section-by-section plan with key points to cover. You can choose concise or detailed mode.
How it works
- Concise mode: 2–3 bullet points per section — quick overview before writing
- Detailed mode: 5–7 bullet points per section — comprehensive structure
- The outline is editable — drag, delete, or add bullets before generating
- Outlines use your structured context and references for accuracy
- You can skip the outline and go straight to generation
Tips
- →Review the outline before writing — it catches gaps in your data early
- →A good outline makes the final draft much stronger
Section Generation
Generate sections one at a time or all at once. Each section streams in real time with proper citations linked to your selected references.
How it works
- Click Generate on any section to draft it individually
- Use 'Generate all sections' to draft everything in one pass (runs 3 sections in parallel)
- Abstract auto-detects mode: generates from topic if <2 sections exist, summarizes from sections if ≥2 exist
- Each section shows word count and citation count in the header
- Regenerate any section with different notes — the AI follows your instructions
Tips
- →Generate Introduction first — it sets the tone for the rest
- →Add generation notes like 'emphasize limitations' or 'add a subsection on ethics' for targeted output
- →Use the History button to restore previous versions of any section
Citation Formatting
Paper Draft supports six citation styles. Switch at any time and all in-text citations and the reference list update together.
How it works
- APA 7th Edition — author-year format, common in social sciences
- IEEE — numbered format [1], standard in engineering and computer science
- Harvard — author-year, similar to APA but with different punctuation
- Chicago — notes-bibliography or author-date, used in humanities
- MLA — author-page format, common in literature and arts
- Vancouver — numbered, used in biomedical sciences
- Switching format is instant — no manual reformatting needed
Tips
- →Check your target journal's required format before exporting
- →IEEE is the default — most common for technical papers
Export & Download
Download your completed manuscript in multiple formats for submission or further editing.
How it works
- Markdown (.md) — plain text with formatting, easy to edit in any editor
- Word (.docx) — ready for submission or further formatting in Microsoft Word
- LaTeX (.tex) — for journals and conferences that require LaTeX submissions
- BibTeX (.bib) — export just the reference list for use in LaTeX documents
- Full preview before download — see exactly what you'll get
- Interactive checklist verifies all sections, citations, and word count before export
Tips
- →Download .md first as a backup, then .docx for submission
- →Use the preview step to catch any missing citations or empty sections
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper Draft free to use?
Yes. You can scout references, add your data, and generate 2 sections for free. To unlock all sections and download, pay ₦7,000 per paper via Paystack (card, bank transfer, or USSD).
Do I need publications for a PhD abroad?
Many PhD programs value research experience and publications. Paper Draft helps you produce your first publication-ready draft quickly — turning your thesis, coursework, or research idea into a structured paper with real citations.
Can this help with scholarship applications?
Yes. Scholarship committees look for evidence of research capability. Paper Draft helps you produce a polished draft that demonstrates your ability to conduct literature reviews, structure arguments, and cite sources properly.
Can I convert my thesis into a journal article?
Paper Draft supports this workflow. Add your thesis data in the structured fields (methods, results, limitations), and the tool generates journal-ready sections with proper citations and formatting.
Are the citations real?
Yes. Every citation links to a real paper you selected from credible academic databases. Paper Draft does not fabricate references.
Can I switch citation styles after generating?
Yes. Switch between APA, IEEE, Harvard, Chicago, MLA, or Vancouver at any point. All in-text citations and the reference list update automatically.
What file formats can I export to?
Markdown (.md), Word (.docx), LaTeX (.tex), and BibTeX (.bib).
Does Paper Draft work for review papers?
Yes. Paper Draft supports research papers and review papers, each with appropriate section headings for your discipline.
Is my data private?
Your manuscripts are saved to your account and only accessible by you. We do not share or publish your data.
Can I use Paper Draft on mobile?
Paper Draft is a web app that works on any device with a browser. For the best experience, use a desktop or tablet.
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