Explore research with Gemini Notebook

Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) helps you explore sources you provide. Alongside answers grounded in those sources, it can create resources such as audio overviews, reports, quizzes, slide decks and mind maps. It is separate from the Gemini chat app.

A mind map is especially useful when starting a research project: it can help you see themes, connections and questions across a set of papers. Treat it as a way to explore your sources, not as a systematic synthesis or a substitute for reading and appraisal.

Create a mind map from research papers

Choose two or three papers from your search that appear relevant. You can use the two PubMed records below as a starting point: their abstracts are real, but their outcomes differ from our fictional 72-hour review measure.

Open Gemini Notebook in a desktop browser, sign in with an account you are permitted to use and create a notebook.
Select Add sources and add the URLs of the selected PubMed records, or upload full-text PDFs you are permitted to use. If a URL will not import, use the available copied-text option or another accessible source. Check the imported source: a PubMed record generally gives you the abstract, not the full paper.
Select the sources you want to explore and create a Mind Map. Open it from the Studio panel, expand a branch and select a node to explore it further.
Choose a claim or connection on the map. Find the relevant passage in the original paper or abstract: is the map accurate? What information is missing, and how does the outcome compare with our research question?

Copy: compare your sources

Using only the selected sources, compare the populations, pharmacist interventions, study designs and outcomes. Identify one question that remains unanswered for our proposed study of documented antimicrobial review within 72 hours. Cite the relevant source passages, distinguish what the papers report from your interpretation, and say when the supplied material does not provide enough information.

Check the sources: citations help you find supporting passages, but a map or answer can still omit context, confuse studies or overstate findings. Read the original records and papers and assess their methods before drawing conclusions. The map only reflects the sources you added; it is not a comprehensive literature search.

Use appropriate material.

For this activity, use public records or papers you have permission to upload. Do not upload patient data, confidential material or restricted documents without authorisation. Check your organisation's approved tools, data rules and sharing permissions.

Working without an account?

Open the two PubMed records, compare their interventions and outcomes, and sketch a few connections and unanswered questions yourself. Consider whether an abstract alone gives enough detail to assess each study.

Gemini Notebook requires account access and has usage limits. Google says mind maps are not currently supported in the mobile app, so use a desktop browser. See Google's mind map guide and source guidance.

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