As you draft, Flowing recalls relevant passages from your local PDF library—so you can ask, revise, and continue with sources you can verify.
A next-generation academic writing workflow
Recall · Evidence · Writing with AI
A new workflow for AI academic writing
As you write, Flowing suggests highly related keywords and turns matching passages from your local library into cards. Use them to recall useful ideas, then jump to the exact page in the original PDF with one click.
We tested four places in one chemistry PhD draft and kept the first result from each tool—no cherry-picking. This is a small case study, not a scientific benchmark.
How it works
Import references, draft with rich text and LaTeX, recall passages, ask with context, polish with evidence, and continue writing—grounded in your local library.
Research workflow
Flowing is a writing environment, not a reference manager. Import the PDFs you need for the section you are drafting; keep your canonical library where it already lives.
PDFs and the search index stay on this computer · The full library is not uploaded · Only selected context is sent when you use AI Data flow
Local import, search, preview, and export.
LaTeX
Edit .tex beside rich text, with live PDF preview.
BibTeX
Parses BibTeX and numbered bibliography blocks already in your draft.
Zotero
Complementary—not a replacement. Keep Zotero for the canonical library.
Rich text
Word-style editing in the app. DOCX import and export are not offered.
Citations
Insert structured library citations with @, plus a References sidebar.
Keep using Zotero for your reference library, and Overleaf or Word where they already fit your workflow. Flowing focuses on the writing stage—bringing your papers, citations, and draft context together while you write.
Direct Overleaf sync and Word document import are not currently supported.
From the blog
The idea of grounding AI-assisted academic writing in researchers' own knowledge and literature is gaining interest among researchers and academic professionals. Join the Substack to follow the conversation.
An in-depth comparison of how Flowing and ChatGPT continue the same research manuscript across four writing scenarios.
Thinking about a brand new approach to evidence-grounded AI writing.
Start writing
Recall relevant passages, ask with context, and revise with evidence from your library.
Writing workflow
Import your reference PDFs—they are your most important source of knowledge and inspiration.
Build a searchable paper library with precise and fuzzy search—find any passage in your references in seconds, whether your library holds dozens of PDFs or thousands.
Libraries
Library:template-chemistry▾FlowingLibraries
+ New LibraryLibrary Details
template-chemistry · local on this Mac
Perovskite microlasers
Exciton spin dynamics
Rich text, LaTeX, and PDF preview—rich text and LaTeX stay in sync in real time.
Three writing views in one pane. Rich text and LaTeX edit the same document and sync instantly; PDF preview shows the compiled output as you write.
Demo
Library:template-chemistry▾FlowingHeading 1
Heading 2
g(ω) = g₀ · (N₂ − N₁) / N₀
Fig. 2 Photoluminescence under continuous-wave excitation
See every highly relevant reference passage for your draft, at a glance.
Detect high-quality keywords and domain terms in your draft, match them to passages in your library, and show results as cards with text and thumbnails—jump back to the source in one click.
Demo
Library:template-chemistry▾FlowingMatched for “XRD”
Diffraction peaks of CsPbBr₃
p.12
Lattice strain under doping
p.14
Context at your fingertips—AI interaction built for writing.
Select any passage from your draft or references as AI chat context—dramatically faster conversations.
Demo
Library:template-chemistry▾FlowingAdd context from library
×template-chemistry · open a PDF to pick a snippet
Library-grounded revision—not paraphrase. Improve discourse function, claim calibration, and accuracy with evidence cards.
Deep polish uses your draft, neighbors, library snippets, and accuracy review. The goal is an argument that is easier to follow—not merely more elegant wording.
Demo
Library:template-chemistry▾FlowingParagraph selected for polish
Reference snippets
Suggested rewrite
Library evidence
Perovskite microlasers
p.5 · grounding snippet
Surface traps dominate non-radiative loss; passivation restores radiative yield…
Exciton spin dynamics
p.12 · grounding snippet
Trap-assisted recombination shortens lifetime unless mid-gap states are suppressed…
Ligand-assisted growth
p.3 · grounding snippet
Defect tolerance improves when ligand coverage reduces mid-gap density…
CsPbBr₃ coherent emission
p.8 · grounding snippet
PLQY rises after passivation, consistent with fewer trap pathways…
The next sentence your paragraph needs—not a mini-survey. Representative evidence, tight synthesis, no scope drift.
Continue generates new discourse anchored to local library passages—representative evidence and synthesis that match your section, not a mini-survey of the field.
Demo
Library:template-chemistry▾FlowingInserted after cursor
Next sentence — not a mini-survey
Auto-matched (10)
Continuation draft
✦ ContinueLibrary evidence
Gain media in MHPs
p.4 · grounding snippet
A few representative cavity designs illustrate coherent emission without surveying the field…
Defect tolerance review
p.9 · grounding snippet
Synthesis here stays local: cite two studies, then return to the section claim…
Radiative recombination
p.6 · grounding snippet
Radiative channels dominate after passivation—enough for the next sentence, not a mini-survey…
