Academic search engines and networking sites like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Publons, and Scopus are designed to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and collaboration of scholarly research. These platforms serve various purposes ranging from literature discovery and citation tracking to professional networking and peer review recognition. They are vital tools for researchers looking to explore the vast landscape of academic publications, connect with other researchers, and track the impact of their work. Here’s how these platforms differ from each other and from reference management tools: