For Investigators and Principal Investigators
DocCite for Investigators and Principal Investigators
Investigators are accountable for protocol compliance but are rarely the person with the protocol open on the desk. DocCite is a private, offline app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, and Windows that lets a PI or sub-investigator ask a direct question, see the exact cited passage from the study document, and verify the source in context before a decision. It is built to support your review of the source, not to replace it.
Why investigators use DocCite
Most of an investigator's protocol-related questions come up in short windows: between patient visits, after a query from the coordinator, before a safety call, at the edge of a clinic day. DocCite is designed for that shape of review. You ask a direct question, you see the passage that supports the answer, and you can tap straight to the source document in context. The workflow keeps you close to the original text rather than relying on a summary.
Direct questions, sourced answers
Ask the question you actually have. DocCite returns the relevant passage with the document, page, and section, so the answer is grounded in the text and easy to verify.
Jump from citation to source
Tap any citation to open the passage in the original document. You review the source yourself instead of trusting a paraphrase.
Ambiguity surfaced on purpose
When documents disagree or evidence is weak, DocCite says so instead of picking one. That is the behavior you want from a tool you rely on at the point of a decision.
Private and local on your device
Study documents stay on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or Windows device. No cloud upload, no account, no external transmission for search or answers. Useful in clinical settings where sensitive documents should not leave the device.
Where investigators reach for DocCite
A few recurring moments where having the passage at hand is faster than reopening a PDF.
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Between-visit eligibility review
A coordinator flags a borderline subject. Ask DocCite about the specific criterion, read the protocol language, and make the call with the passage in front of you.
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Protocol interpretation questions
When intent is unclear, search for related wording across the protocol, amendments, and the investigator brochure to see how the same concept is framed in multiple places.
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Consent conversations
Pull up the exact ICF language describing a risk or procedure when a participant asks. Answering with the source, not a summary, keeps the conversation accurate.
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Safety and AE context
Find safety-related protocol language, dose modification guidance, and reporting requirements fast, with a citation you can name on a call.
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Amendment comparison
Ask about a procedure or visit to see how the amendment changed the original requirement, with both passages retrievable for a side by side read.
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Capture now, review later
Queue a quick question from an Apple Watch or Wear OS watch during a clinic day, then open DocCite on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or Windows to review the cited passages in full when you have a few minutes.
Why cited proof and local handling matter
Stay close to the source
Investigators are accountable for decisions made under the protocol. A tool that only gives answers is risky. DocCite returns the passage that supports each answer, with document name, page, and section, and lets you jump to the source. When evidence is weak or conflicting, it says so rather than guessing. You remain the reviewer of the source, not the consumer of a summary.
Local handling fits clinical contexts
Sensitive study documents should not leave a device casually. DocCite processes your documents on the device, with no cloud upload and no account. Search and cited answers work without an internet connection, which matters in clinical spaces where connectivity is inconsistent. See the privacy page for details.