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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 17. Number 3, September 2026 Pp.509- 524
English Department, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sais, Fes, Morocco
English Department, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sais, Fes, Morocco
English Department, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sais, Fes, Morocco
The abundance of scholarly papers creates information overload for researchers. This scoping review uses the Arksey and O’Malley methodology to analyze existing AI-based technologies for literature review. It defines the functions of Google Scholar Labs, Scopus AI, Web of Science Research Assistant, NotebookLM, Elicit, Research Rabbit, Connected Papers, and LeapSpace documented in 31 recent studies from 2022 to 2026. The literature review examines literature discovery, evidence screening, citation management, and mapping, as well as uncovering research gaps and synthesizing scholarly evidence. These tools can reduce the time it takes to manage a large volume of literature and help researchers uncover relevant literature, understand contradictory or disconnected literature, and even reveal new research paths. It can help answer research questions. However, it can create risks of inaccurate information, plagiarism, bias, privacy concerns, and overreliance on automation for research synthesis. The authors of this scoping literature review concluded that AI assistants for literature reviews should be an addition to, and not a replacement for, critical reflection. The authors recommend approaches such as human oversight and using AI to check sources for literature reviews.
Aich, F. Z., Afilal, F. & Benfilali, I. (2026). Redefining Literature Reviews: A Scoping Review of AI-Powered Research Assistants. Arab World English Journal, 17(3):509- 524
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Fatima Zahra Aich is a third-year PhD student at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University- Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sais, Fez, Morocco. She is an English teacher at Abou Hayyan Al-Tawhidi High School in Casablanca. She holds a CELTA certificate from the British Council, Casablanca. She is keen on exploring the application of artificial intelligence in education. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0694-2743
Fatima Afilal is a third-year PhD student at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Sais, Fes, Morocco. She is an English teacher at Ibn Rochd High School in Fes. Her research interests include artificial intelligence in education, teacher development, and sociocultural perspectives on teaching and learning. Her current doctoral research explores factors affecting teacher-student relationships in Moroccan Secondary Schools. Mrs Afilal Fatima is committed to contributing to research that supports educational practices.
https://orchid.org/0009-0001-4752-8449
Dr. Ismail Benfilali is an Associate Professor of General English and Applied Linguistics at Sidi Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco. He holds a Doctorate in Applied Linguistics (2015) and has taught at Quincy College, Massachusetts. He also teaches English at the American Language Centre in Fez and has published works in linguistics and literature. https://orcid.org/0009-0000 0881-1359