A literature review, often termed “desk research,” entails gathering, dissecting, and melding published information to discern patterns and trends. Within user research, this exercise helps designers understand pre-existing data on their topic of interest. Tools like Scispace harness AI to simplify this process. They scan vast amounts of data, summarize relevant literature, and present synthesized insights. This speeds up the initial stages of research, allowing designers more time for in-depth analysis.

However, potential pitfalls exist. Scispace, while efficient, might neglect subtle details, like specific cultural nuances or the emotional context of certain findings. For UX designers, tools like Scispace are invaluable for optimizing workflows, but they're not an outright replacement. It's crucial to maintain a balance — let AI do the heavy lifting, but also manually review to catch the finer points.