Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DocCite. Can't find what you need? Reach us at hello@doccite.com.
1. Who is DocCite for?
DocCite is built for clinical research professionals who work with study documents. This includes CRCs, research nurses, site staff, PIs and Sub-Investigators, CRAs, Medical Monitors, Patient Recruiters, Clinical Project Managers, Regulatory Coordinators and Managers, QA Managers and Auditors, Research Pharmacists, and other clinical research professionals who need quick, reliable access to source documents.
2. What kinds of documents can I use with DocCite?
DocCite is designed for common clinical study documents, including protocols, synopses, schedules of assessments and visits, informed consent forms (ICFs), investigator brochure excerpts, site manuals, pharmacy manuals, protocol amendments, protocol clarifications, FAQs, and related study materials. Although DocCite was designed for clinical research documents, it can also be useful for other document sets when you want source material to stay organized, searchable, and easy to reference.
3. How is DocCite different from manually searching documents?
Manual search tools like Find or Ctrl+F work one document at a time and rely on exact text matches. DocCite searches across your loaded documents, supports keyword and concept-based search, returns cited passages with document name, page number, and section, and lets you jump directly to the source. It also warns you when evidence is weak rather than guessing.
4. Can't I just use ChatGPT or another AI assistant with my documents?
Sometimes, for non-sensitive material, that may be fine. General-purpose AI assistants can be helpful for summarizing, rephrasing, and answering broad questions. But many clinical research teams need a more conservative workflow for study documents. In some settings, document uploads may not be allowed by policy. And even when an answer sounds polished, a generated response can still smooth over ambiguity or go beyond what the source clearly supports. DocCite is built for a narrower job: keep documents local, search across them, show the cited passage behind the result, and say when it could not find a grounded answer.
5. Is DocCite an AI chatbot?
No. DocCite is a private, local document search and review tool. It is designed to help you find grounded answers in your own files and verify them against the source, rather than improvise a confident-sounding response.
6. Does DocCite send my documents to the cloud?
No. DocCite keeps your documents on your device. There is no cloud upload, no server-side processing, and no external transmission of your documents for search or answers.
7. Does DocCite work offline?
Yes. DocCite works fully offline. Search, retrieval, and cited answers do not require an internet connection.
8. Can DocCite answer questions without citations?
No. DocCite only provides answers when they are supported by specific passages from your loaded documents. If it cannot find sufficient evidence, it will say so rather than guess. Every answer includes the exact supporting excerpt.
9. What file types does DocCite support?
DocCite supports text-native PDFs, scanned PDFs through on-device OCR, .docx, .txt, .rtf, and .md files. You can also add new content by scanning documents with your camera or creating notes directly in DocCite.
10. Does DocCite require an account?
No. DocCite does not require an account, login, or registration. You can import and search your documents immediately after installing the app.
11. Is DocCite free?
Yes. DocCite is free to download and use. There are no paywalls, subscriptions, or ads.
12. Can my organization deploy DocCite across a team?
DocCite is free for individual use. If your organization needs custom features, managed rollout, onboarding support, or deployment guidance for a research team or site network, reach out at hello@doccite.com and we can discuss what that looks like.
13. How can I support DocCite?
The best support is using DocCite and sharing it with others in clinical research. The books in the footer's Additional Reading section are another optional way to support the independent work behind it.
14. What devices and platforms does DocCite support?
DocCite works across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and Windows. It is available through the App Store for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS; through Google Play for Android; through Microsoft Store for Windows; and as direct Mac or Windows downloads from the DocCite website. Apple Watch and Wear OS watch companion capture are available with the mobile apps.
15. Is DocCite only for Apple devices?
No. DocCite works across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and Windows. Availability depends on platform: the App Store for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Google Play for Android, Microsoft Store for Windows, and direct Mac or Windows downloads from the DocCite website.
16. Are watch companion capture features available?
Yes. Apple Watch and Wear OS watch companion capture are available with the mobile apps. Use the watch to queue a question or save a short note on the go, then open DocCite on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or Windows device to search your documents and review the cited passages.
17. What is the minimum OS supported?
DocCite supports iOS 16 or later, iPadOS 16 or later, macOS 13 or later, Android 12 or later, and Windows 10 or later. Watch companion capture requires watchOS 10 or later on Apple Watch and Wear OS 3 or later on Wear OS watches.
18. How can I report a bug or share feedback?
If you find a bug, spot an issue, or have a suggestion for improvement, email hello@doccite.com. DocCite is independently built and maintained to support the clinical research community, and thoughtful feedback helps improve the app.
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