The University of Pittsburgh has recently secured an institutional license for Proofig AI, an AI-native image analysis platform designed to help researchers detect potential issues in scientific figures before submission. This tool is now available to the Pitt research community at no cost to end-users.
In the demanding environment of scientific publishing, researchers invest years collecting and analyzing data. However, even careful scientists can occasionally encounter inadvertent image issues—such as duplicated panels, reused microscopy sections, or formatting mistakes—that may delay publication or raise concerns during peer review. Proofig helps researchers identify these issues early, providing an additional layer of quality control before manuscripts, grant proposals, or patent applications are submitted.
Using Proofig is straightforward. Researchers simply upload a manuscript PDF (up to 100 pages), and the system automatically detects and scans all figures and images. Within minutes, the platform highlights potential issues and provides tools for closer inspection, including color-map filters and histogram equalization. Users can also generate a clear PDF report documenting the analysis.