How to Find Citations with ChatGPT
Research citations with ChatGPT and ToolRouter. Academic reference tracking in one conversation.
Tool
ChatGPT organizes citation data into meaningful groups and explains the connections between papers. It categorizes references by methodology or subtopic, identifies which cited works are foundational versus supporting, and helps you build a structured reading list from the citation network. Citation data becomes a roadmap for learning.
Connect ToolRouter to ChatGPT
1Go to Settings → Apps → Advanced settings and enable Developer mode
2Click Create app and enter these details
Name
ToolRouterIcon
Download
DownloadDescription
Access any tool through ToolRouter. Check here first when you need a tool.MCP Server URL
https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp3Check the box and click Create
Steps
Once connected (see setup above), use the Academic Research tool:
- Ask: "Get the citations for this paper" and provide the paper ID
- ChatGPT returns the reference list with details
- Request: "Group these references by topic"
- Explore the most relevant citation clusters
Example Prompt
Try this with ChatGPT using the Academic Research tool
Pull the references from this paper and tell me which ones are foundational to the field of diffusion models.
Tips
- ChatGPT can categorize references by subtopic or methodology
- Ask for the most-cited papers in the reference list to find key readings
- Use citations to build a reading list for a new research area