# Telescope Telescope reads several papers at once and lays them side by side in a table, so you can compare methods, findings, samples, and anything else you care about without opening each PDF in turn. You set a research goal and the columns you want, and Telescope fills in every cell with a sourced answer, then writes a short synthesis of where the papers agree, differ, and leave gaps. Telescope is built for the moment you have a stack of papers and a question that spans all of them: "How do these ten studies measure the same outcome?" or "Which of these methods would fit my dataset?" A finished Telescope analysis in Alfred Scholar: the research gaps synthesis lists five numbered gaps, each cited to the exact page of the source paper ## Starting an analysis 1. Click **Telescope** in the sidebar. 2. Click **New analysis**. 3. **Select the papers** you want to compare from your library. 4. **Describe your research goal** in a sentence. This focuses every answer. For example: "I am running a meta-analysis of sleep and memory and need to compare how each study measured recall." 5. **Choose your columns**, either by picking a ready-made preset or by writing your own. A column is one question asked of every paper, such as "Sample size", "Primary outcome", or "Stated limitations". 6. Click **Start**. Telescope runs in the background, so you can close the tab and keep working. You will get an email when it is done. > **Tip:** Presets are a fast start. Pick one, then add or remove a column or two so the table matches your exact question. ## How it works Telescope analyses one paper against one column at a time, so a large table is filled in many small, independent steps. For each cell it: 1. Reads the relevant parts of that paper. 2. Extracts a focused answer for that column, framed by your research goal. 3. Attaches a **page citation** back to the passage the answer came from. Once every cell is in, Telescope writes a **synthesis**: a short narrative of the common threads, the disagreements, and the open questions across the whole set, with each point tracing back to the papers it draws from. Every answer is grounded in the papers you selected. Telescope does not invent findings or pull from outside sources. ## Reading your results Your analysis opens as a table: one row per paper, one column per question. - **Cells** hold the extracted answer with a page citation. Click a citation to jump to the exact passage in the source PDF and verify it yourself. - **The synthesis** sits alongside the table and summarises the cross-paper picture, including the gaps worth pursuing next. - **Honest gaps.** When a paper genuinely does not report something, the cell says so rather than guessing. If Telescope could not confidently extract or verify a cell, it tells you instead of filling in a plausible answer. You can export the table so it travels into your notes, a spreadsheet, or your manuscript. ## Coverage and progress While an analysis runs, Telescope shows you exactly where it is: which cells are done, which are still processing, and which failed. Nothing is hidden behind a single spinner. If an individual cell fails, you can **rerun just that cell** rather than starting the whole analysis over. That keeps a large table moving even when one paper or one column needs a second try. ## The per-analysis page budget Each analysis works over a budget of up to **50 pages** across the papers you select. This keeps every run fast and focused. When you are choosing papers, Telescope shows a running page count so you know where you stand, and it will let you know if a selection goes over the limit so you can trim it before starting. ## Usage limits Telescope analyses count toward a monthly limit on your plan: - **Pro** (and your 3-day trial): 3 analyses per month. - **Lab**: 10 analyses per month. The count resets at the start of each calendar month. If an analysis fails outright, it does not count against your limit. You can track how many you have used under **Settings** > **Billing**. See [Plans & Billing](/docs/v1.x/plans-and-billing) for the full picture. ## Requirements - The papers you select must be **fully processed** (showing **Ready** status). - Your workspace needs an active Pro or Lab plan, or an in-progress trial, with Telescope analyses remaining for the month. ## Next steps - **[Chat with your documents](/docs/v1.x/chat-with-documents)** - Ask focused questions about a single paper or a small set. - **[Plans & Billing](/docs/v1.x/plans-and-billing)** - See your monthly Telescope limit and track usage.