Research Tools in PowerPoint 365 for Windows

While creating a slide deck, do you suddenly want to authenticate a figure or double-check a fact? Well, there's no need to open a web browser or even access a conventional dictionary because PowerPoint includes the Research Task pane. Unfortunately, there is no Research button available any longer in the Review tab of the Ribbon, but you can still access the Research Task pane and perform tasks possible in previous versions of PowerPoint.

Follow these steps to research content in PowerPoint 365 for Windows:

1. Open an existing presentation and select a single word or a small phrase on your slide, as shown in Figure 1, below. Do note that single words may return more research results. Now, press both the Alt and T keys together, and next press R.
2. 
   Figure 1: Select a word in PowerPoint
2. This action opens the Research Task Pane on the right side of the PowerPoint 365 interface, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: Research Task Pane
4. The word that you selected on your slide is shown within the Research Task pane, as can be seen highlighted in blue within Figure 2, above. As you can see, there are no results shown in the Research Task pane. To see these results, press the Search button, highlighted in green within Figure 2. Doing so will show results, as shown in Figure 3, below. Do note that three types of results are shown in this case, as can be seen highlighted in blue within Figure 3. These are Thesaurus, Translation, and Other places to search. In each case, you can click on the option to see the detailed results.
5. 
   Figure 3: Results in the Research Task Pane
3. Now, click the All Reference Books drop-down list highlighted in red within Figure 3, above. This action will show a drop-down list of reference sources, as shown in Figure 4, below. This list is getting more sparse all the time, and that may be the reason why Microsoft makes it so difficult for you to bring up the Research Task pane. Within this list, you will find reference books, research sites, and business/financial sites. You can add more sites for free or on a paid subscription basis. Also, some research options like the thesaurus work locally but for access to online resources like search engines and stock quotes, you need to be connected to the Internet.
4. 
   Figure 4: List of reference sources
5. Here are the descriptions of the research services within the drop-down list:

All Reference Books

Thesaurus English

6. This provides alternate words in English. Learn more in our Thesaurus in PowerPoint tutorial.

Thesaurus French

7. This provides alternate words in French.

Thesaurus Spanish

8. This provides alternate words in Spanish.

Translation

9. Provides translations from one language to another. Learn more in our Translation in PowerPoint tutorial.

You can control which sources show up in the Research Task pane. To do so, you click on the Research options button, highlighted in green within Figure 3, earlier on this page. Learn more in our Research Tools in PowerPoint tutorial.