Gemini Notebook for a Literature Review of Papers You Upload

1. Collect the papers into one folder on your computer or in Google Drive.
2. For each paper, note in your own list: the label (Paper 1, Paper 2 and so on), the title as printed on the paper, where you got it, and the date you retrieved it.
3. Confirm that each paper is public and that you may upload it. If you are unsure, leave it out.

What you should see: A folder of papers and a short log with one line per paper. Troubleshooting: If a paper is behind a license, check the license terms or ask your library before you upload it.

1. Go to Gemini Notebook from your Google Workspace account. Google's Workspace page lists it among the Workspace products, so check the app launcher or ask your IT team if you cannot find it.
2. Choose the option to create a new notebook.
3. Name it for the topic, for example Literature review (public sources).

What you should see: An empty notebook with a place to add sources and a chat area for questions. Troubleshooting: Until recently this product was called NotebookLM. If your company's help pages still use the old name, they describe the same product.

1. Choose the option to add sources.
2. Select your papers. Google's page lists supported source types: Google Docs, Google Slides, PDFs, text and markdown files, web URLs, copy-pasted text, public YouTube video URLs and audio files.
3. Add the papers in one batch, or a few at a time.
4. Wait until every source shows as added and count them against your log.

What you should see: One entry per paper in the source list. Troubleshooting: Google's page states that each source can contain up to 500,000 words or up to 200MB for uploaded files. A very long report may need to be split. A scanned PDF with no text layer may not read well, so check that you can select text in it.

1. In the chat area, paste the prompt in "Your First Real Task" below.
2. Send it and wait for the table.
3. Check that the table has one row per paper and that the row count equals your source count.

What you should see: A table with columns for source, question, data, method, stated finding and citation, with numbered citations that point into the sources. Troubleshooting: If a row says a paper does not state something, that is the correct answer. Do not ask the notebook to guess.

This is the step that makes the table usable. Treat every cell as a claim that has not been checked yet.

1. Click the first citation in the table. Google's page says responses come with citations for verification, so the passage in the source should open.
2. Read the passage in the paper. Confirm that it says what the cell says.
3. In your notes, mark each cell as checked, wrong or not found.
4. Repeat for every citation you plan to use.

What you should see: A passage in the uploaded source for each citation. Troubleshooting: If a citation opens a passage that does not support the cell, the cell is wrong. Do not use it. If a finding matters for your work, read the paper's own section yourself, not the table.

Use the notebook to organise your reading, not to judge it.

1. Ask which papers state the same type of data source, using the data column.
2. Ask where each paper states its own limitations.
3. Ask which papers have a stated finding that differs, and ask it to quote the stated findings side by side.
4. Open the citations again for each answer.

What you should see: Answers that quote or point to passages, with citations. Troubleshooting: Google's page says Gemini Notebook does not currently keep a history of questions and responses in chat, and that you can save notes by pinning a response. Pin the responses you want to keep, and copy the table into your own document.

1. Take the checked rows into your own literature note.
2. Cite each paper from its own title page and reference list, using the details in your Step 1 log.
3. Run your own check that no author, year, title or number came from the notebook alone.

What you should see: A literature note where every citation comes from a paper you opened. Troubleshooting: If you cannot verify a detail in the paper, leave it out.