This collaboration marks a significant step forward in making trusted, peer-reviewed research more discoverable and understandable, particularly for those less familiar with navigating complex academic content and databases.
From left, Head of Innovation for ACS Ventures, Martin Majlund, and Co-Founder/CEO of Consensus, Eric Olson, meet at the 2025 Charleston Conference.
The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Consensus, a leading AI research platform that helps people find and understand scientific literature faster. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in making trusted, peer-reviewed research more discoverable and understandable, particularly for those less familiar with navigating complex academic content and databases.
In this initial pilot phase, ACS Publications will grant Consensus full-text indexing of a targeted selection of our content. This includes all of ACS Publications’ open access articles, news content, and the last five years of published output from our flagship Journal of the American Chemical Society. This strategic sampling will allow ACS Publications, Consensus, and our valued user community to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of this partnership in serving our joint mission of advancing scientific knowledge.
Bridging the Gap Between AI and Trusted Research
This partnership will empower users, from students to seasoned researchers, to harness the power of generative AI to get answers directly linked to and rigorously backed up by cited and linked peer-reviewed literature. Imagine a student needing to understand a complex chemical concept; instead of sifting through numerous papers, they can now get a plain-language explanation, with the answer directly linked to the original, trusted research published by ACS Publications.
This isn't just about getting quick answers; it's about providing a robust jumping-off point into actual, cited literature. Consensus, powered by ACS Publications’ content, will serve as far more than just an answer engine; it will be a tool for discovery and deeper engagement with scientific knowledge. Users will be able to easily trace information back to its source, fostering critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the research landscape.
Why This Partnership Matters for the Scientific and Learning Communities:
- Enhanced Accessibility: Simplifies the process of finding and understanding scientific information, especially for students and those new to research.
- Trusted Insights: Ensures that AI-generated answers are directly supported by high-quality, peer-reviewed literature from a trusted publisher like ACS Publications.
- Jumping-Off Point to Deeper Learning: Encourages users to explore the original research, fostering a more profound engagement with scientific content.
- Empowering the Next Generation: Provides students with a powerful tool to navigate the vast world of scientific literature with greater ease and confidence.
A Glimpse into the Future
This limited-access partnership is just the beginning. We are confident that this pilot will demonstrate immense value and engagement within our mutual user community. With expected success, our goal is to expand this collaboration to include all of ACS Publications’ content, ultimately providing the scientific and learning communities with an indispensable tool to gain trusted insights from the entirety of our peer-reviewed literature.
ACS Publications is committed to advancing the greater sciences, and this partnership with Consensus represents a significant stride in making that knowledge more accessible and impactful for everyone.
This pilot, a first of its kind, was spearheaded by Martin Majlund (pictured above left) who heads innovation at ACS Ventures, the functional unit supporting ACS’ mission by advancing strategic ideas and partnerships like this one. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting initiative, and more!