phd research notebook

Doing a literature review using digital tools (with Notion template)

I’ve recently revamped my literature review workflow since discovering Notion . Notion is an organization application that allows you to make various pages and databases. It’s kind of like your own personal wiki- you can link your pages and embed databases into another page, adding filters and sorting them using user-set properties. The databases are what I use the most. I’ve essentially transferred all of my excel sheets into Notion databases and find it much easier to filter and sort things now. In this post, I’ll go through how I do my literature review and share a Notion template that you can use.

I like to organize my literature review using various literature review tools along with two relational Notion databases: a ‘literature tracker’ and a ‘literature notes’ matrix. You can see a flow chart of my literature review process below (it’s inspired by this post by Jenn’s Studious Life and the three pass method for reading papers which I wrote about last week in this post ):

As you can see, this process involves a couple of decision points which helps me focus on the most important papers. This is an iterative process that keeps me up to date on relevant research in my field as I am getting new paper alerts in my inbox most days. I used this method quite successfully to write the literature review for my confirmation report and regularly add to it for the expanded version that will become part of my PhD thesis. In this post, I’ll break down how this works for me and how I implement my Notion databases to synthesise the literature I read into a coherent argument.

You can click on the links below to navigate to a particular section of this article:

The literature search

The literature tracker, the literature synthesis matrix, writing your literature review, iterating your literature review, my literature review notion template, some useful resources.

This is always the first step in building your literature review. There are plenty of resources online all about how to start with your search- I find a mixture of database search tools works for me.

The first thing to do when starting your literature review is to identify some keywords to use in your initial searches. It might be worth chatting to your supervisor to make a list of these and then add or remove terms to it as you go down different research routes. You can use keyword searches relevant to your research questions as well tools that find ‘similar’ papers and look at citation links. I also find that just looking through the bibliographies of literature in your field and seeing which papers are regularly cited gives you a good idea of the core papers in your area (you’ll start recognising the key ones after a while). Another method for finding literature is the snowballing method which is particularly useful for conducting a systematic review.

Here are some digital tools I use to help me find literature relevant to my research questions:

Library building and suggestions

Mendeley was my research management tool of choice prior to when I started using Notion to organize all of my literature and create my synthesis matrix. I still use Mendeley as a library just in case anything happens to my Notion. It’s easy to add new papers to your library using the browser extension with just one click. I like that Mendeley allows you to share your folders with colleagues and that I can export bib.tex files straight from my library into overleaf documents where I’m writing up papers and my thesis. You do need to make sure that all of the details are correct before you export the bib.tex files though as this is taken straight from the information plane. I also like to use the tag function in Mendeley to add more specific identifiers than my folders.

Mendeley is also useful for finding literature related to those in your library- I’ve found quite a few interesting papers through the email updates they send out each week with ‘suggested papers’. You can also browse these suggestions from within Mendeley and use its interface to do initial keyword searches. The key is to just scan the titles and then decide whether it’s worth your time reading the abstract and then the rest of it. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of papers being published every day so being picky in what you read is important (and something I need to work on more!).

Some similar tools that allow you to build a library and get literature recommendations include Zotero , Researcher , Academia , and ResearchGate . It’s up to you which one you use for your own purposes. One big factor for me when choosing Mendeley was that my supervisor and colleagues use it so it makes it much easier to share libraries with them, so maybe ask your colleagues what they use before settling on one.

Literature databases and keyword alerts

There are a variety of databases out there for finding literature. My go-to is Web of Science as it shows you citation data and has a nice interface. I used this to begin my initial literature search using my keywords.

The other thing you can do with these kinds of tools is set up email alerts to get a list of recent work that has just been published with any keywords you set. These alerts are usually where I find papers to read during journal club with my supervisor. You can customize these emails to what suits you- mine are set to the top 10 most relevant new papers for each keyword weekly and I track around 5 words/phrases. This allows me to stay on top of the most recent literature in my field- I have alerts set up on a variety of services to ensure that I don’t miss anything crucial (and alerts from the ArXiv mean I see preprints too). Again, you need to be picky about what you read from these to ensure that they are very relevant to your research. At this stage, it’s important to spend as little time as possible scanning titles as this can easily become a time suck.

Web of Science literature keyword search

Some of the other tools I have keyword (and author) email alerts set up on are: Scopus , Google Scholar , Dimensions , and ArXiv alerts . I set 10 minutes maximum aside per day to scan through any new email alerts and save anything relevant to me into my literature tracker (which I’ll come to more later).

Literature mapping tools

There are loads of these kinds of tools out there. Literature mapping can be helpful for finding what the seminal papers are in your field and seeing how literature connects. It’s like a huge web and I find these visual interfaces make it much easier to get my head around the relationships between papers. I use two of these tools during the literature search phase of the flowchart: Citation Gecko and Connected Papers .

Citation Gecko builds you a citation tree using ‘seed papers’. You can import these from various reference management software (like Mendeley), bib.tex files or manually search for papers. This is particularly useful if your supervisor has provided you with some core papers to start off with, or you can use the key papers you identified through scanning the bibliographies of literature you read. My project is split into fairly clear ‘subprojects’ so these tools help me see connections between the various things I’m working on (or a lack of them which is good in some ways as it shows I’ve found a clear research gap!).

You can switch between different views and add connecting papers as new seed papers to expand your network. I use this tool from time to time with various different papers associated with my subprojects. It’s helped me make sure I haven’t missed any key papers when doing my literature review and I’ve found it to be fairly accurate, although sometimes more recent papers don’t have any citation data on it so that’s something to bear in mind.

Connected Papers uses a ‘similarity’ algorithm to show paper relationships. This isn’t a citation tree like Citation Gecko but it does also give you prior and derivative works if you want to look at them. All you do is put one of your key papers into the search box and ‘build a graph’. It will then show you related papers, including those which don’t have direct citation links to the key paper. I think this is great for ensuring that you’re not staying inside an insular bubble of the people who all cite each other. It also allows me to see some of the research which is perhaps a bit more tangential to my project and get an overview of where my work sits within the field more broadly.

I like Connected Paper’s key for the generated tree and that it shows where related papers connect between themselves. Again, it’s helpful for ensuring that you haven’t missed a really important work when compiling your literature review and doesn’t just rely on citation links between papers.

This is where I record the details of any paper I come across that I think might be relevant to my PhD. In some ways, it’s very similar to Mendeley but it’s a version that sits within Notion so I have some more customised filtering categories set up, like my ‘status’ field where I track which pass I am on.

Here’s what my literature tracker looks like:

The beauty of Notion is that you can decide which properties you want to record in your database and customize it to your needs. You can sort and filter using these properties including making nested filters and using multiple filters at once. This makes it really easy to find what you’re looking for. For example, say I’m doing my literature review for my ‘FIB etching’ subproject and want to see all of the papers that I marked as relevant to my PhD but haven’t started reading yet. All I need to do is add a couple of filters:

And it filters everything so that I’m just looking at the papers I want to check out. It’s this flexibility that I think really gives Notion the edge when it comes to my literature review process.

The other thing I really like about using Notion rather than excel is that I can add different database views. I especially like using the kanban board view to see where I’m at with my reading workflow:

When I add something to the literature tracker database, I scan the abstract for keywords to add and categorize it in terms of relevant topics. It’s essentially the first pass of the paper, so that involves reading the title, abstract, introduction, section headings, conclusions, and checking the references for anything you recognise. After this is done, I decide whether it’s relevant enough to my PhD to proceed to do a second pass of the paper, at which point I will progress to populating my literature notes database.

Once I’ve decided that I want to do a second pass on a paper, I then add it to the ‘literature notes’ database. This is part of the beauty of Notion: relational databases. I have ‘rollup’ properties set in the literature notes database which shows all of the things I added during my first pass and allows me to filter the matrix using them. You can watch the video below to see exactly how to add a new paper to the ‘notes’ database from the ‘tracker’ database:

During the second pass, I populate the new fields in the ‘notes’ database. These are:

I also have various themes/questions/ideas as properties which I add a few notes on for each relevant paper. I then complete my ‘questions for critical engagement’ which are on the entry’s ‘Notes’ page and are stored in the ‘Article Template’. If you want to read more about this process, check out my ‘how to read a scientific paper’ post .

By, doing this I create a synthesis matrix where I can see a breakdown of the key aspects of each paper and can scan down a column to get an overview of all of the papers I have read. For example, if I wanted to see all of the papers about Quantum Point Contacts to get an idea of what previous work has been done so that I can identify my research gap, I can filter using the tag property and can then see the notes I wrote for each entry, broken down by section. I also have tags for my research questions or themes, materials used, experimental techniques, fabrication techniques, and anything else that comes to mind really! The more tags I have for a paper, the easier it is to filter when I want to find a specific thing.

The other property I have included in the literature notes database is ‘Key connected papers’. This is a relation but is within the database itself. So it means that I can link to the page of other papers in the literature matrix. I’ve found this to be useful for connecting to what I call ‘core’ papers. I can also filter using this property, allowing me to see my notes on all of the papers I’ve read that are related to a certain ‘core’ paper. This helps with synthesising all of the information and forming my argument.

For those papers most relevant to my research (the ‘core’ papers) I’ll also do a third pass which involves reimplementing the paper in my own words. This is quite a time-consuming task so not many papers reach this stage, but those which I have done a third pass on are the ones I know really well. My hope is that this will stand me in good stead for my viva. This process also helps me refine my research questions further as I gain a deeper understanding of the field.

I find that writing up a review is extremely intimidating, but having the literature matrix makes this process that bit easier. I won’t go into too many details as there are already loads of resources out there going into the details of writing up a review, but here’s a brief overview of my own process:

Identify your research themes

Using your literature matrix, review each research theme or question and decide which ones you are going to focus on. These will form the different sections of your literature review and help you write your thesis statement(s). You can also think about how your questions link to ensure that you’re telling a coherent story with your review.

Choose and summarize literature related to each theme

For each section, gather up the most important related literature and summarize the key points of each source. A good literature review doesn’t need to cover all the literature out there, just the most significant sources. I try to stick to around 10 or fewer key sources per section.

Critical evaluation of sources

This is where you utilize the ‘questions for critical engagement’. Make sure you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the studies you’re writing about. By doing this, you can establish where our knowledge is lacking which will come in helpful later when establishing a research gap.

Analyse each source in relation to other literature

Try to make sure that you are telling a coherent story by linking between your sources. You can go back to the literature matrix here and use it to group similar studies to compare and contrast them. You should also discuss the relevance of the source’s findings in relation to the broader field and core papers.

Situate your research in a research gap

This is where you justify your own research. Using what you have laid out in the rest of the review, show that there is a research gap that you plan to fill and explain how you are going to do that. This should mean that your thesis flows nicely into the next section where you’ll cover the materials and methods you used in your research project.

In some ways, a literature review never really ends. As you can see in the flowchart at the beginning of this post, I regularly update and revise my literature review as well as refining my research questions. At this point in my PhD, I think that most of my research questions are quite well defined, so I’m mostly just adding any newly published work into my review. I don’t spend much time reading literature at the moment but I’m sure I’ll return to it more regularly when I’m in the write-up phase of my PhD. There is a balance to be had between reading and writing for your literature review and actually getting on with your own research!

Here’s the link to my Notion Literature Review Template . You can duplicate it and adapt it however you want, but this should save you some time setting up the initial databases if you’d like to use my method for organizing your own literature review.

Here are some resources on how to do a literature review that I’ve found useful during my PhD:

The Literature Review: Step-by-Step Guide for Students
3 Steps to Save You From Drowning in Your Literature Review
How to write a literature review
How to become a literature searching ninja
Mind the gap
7 Secrets to Write a PhD Literature Review The Right Way

If you like my work, I’d love your support!

11 thoughts on “Doing a literature review using digital tools (with Notion template)”

Thank you so much for your insight and structured process. This will help me a lot kicking off my Master Thesis.

The perfect method to organize the literature that I have read and will read in the future. I am so glad to have found your website, this will save me from thrashing around in the swamp of literature. I was already feeling the limits of my memory when I was doing my master thesis and this will be so helpful during my PhD.

Thank you so much for this detailed post! Lily 🙂

Thank you very much for this. I’m doing my undergrad atm and reading a lot of papers. This seems like an excellent way of tracking everything.

Thank you, you made my beginning less stressful. I like your system and i helped me a lot. I have one question (more might come later), What do you mean by " journal club with my supervisor."

This piece is really really helpful! I started from this one and went through the rest blog writings. I agree on many points with Daisy. I had an unhappy experience of PhD two years ago and now just started a new one in another country. I will take it as an adventure and enjoy it.

This is an AMAZING template. I've found this so helpful for my own workflow. Thank you so much!

I found this post really helpful. Thank you.

thank you very much!

Hi! Thank you very much for posting this guide and sharing your notion template! I do have a question—do you manually enter the references into Notion, or is there any way to speed up the process? Ta x

How I Use Notion as a PhD Student (With Template)

Updated: Dec 12, 2023

For the most up-to-date version of this template, click the button to head to my new website

Or check out my other PhD template – the Ultimate PhD Notion Template

Here's the YouTube video I made about this Notion setup:

I discovered Notion about a month ago, and it has honestly changed my life, both at my PhD and personally. If you don't know what Notion is, it's self-described as an "all-in-one workspace", but is basically a program / app where you create databases and pages to store any and all kinds of information. Personally, I use it to track the books I'm reading, my recipes, and I've even set up my Christmas planning in there. I also use it for organising my Instagram and blog, and keeping track of my overall career progress.

But most importantly, I now use Notion on a daily basis for my PhD. So if you're interested in how I use Notion in my PhD, then keep on reading! And if you're just interested in my template at the end, then scroll down to the bottom where I'll leave a link to it.

(For the purposes of this post I'm going to talk you through the PhD template I made instead of my own actual PhD pages, as they contain unpublished information and cannot actually be shared. However, it's important that you know they are identical to each other, just the template has the sensitive information removed!)

In a PhD, there is a lot to keep track of. Things to do and things you've done, papers to read and papers to write up. So it helps to have a space to keep track of all these things. I originally had a million and one excel spreadsheets and word documents, but once I discovered Notion, I realised how much easier it was to have it all stored in the one place! And one of the best things about Notion is it's free for students!

I start my overarching PhD page with a header of a brain, because as you all probably know, I'm studying neuroscience. Then my little emoji of choice for the page is a graduation cap. One of the things I love about Notion is the widespread use of emojis, where every page can be assigned an emoji. I then have a quote about doing a PhD which I found to be quite funny, alongside a countdown to my PhD submission date. I made this countdown using this website I found called Indify, which specialises in making free Notion widgets that you can embed into your page. I've left my countdown in the template, but if you want to use this template for yourself, you can either remove the countdown entirely, or go to Indify and create your own!

As you scroll down, I have my list of different pages, which I'll go through with you all in just a moment. But they basically cover everything you need to know or keep track of.

Scrolling down further, you reach my tasks planner. I use Google Calendar for my overall diary but I do like to just have a space for planning out my PhD tasks. First up on my tasks section is the Calendar View, where I can see everything laid out for each day. For illustrative purposes, I've put in a few example tasks that I may need to do for my PhD in the month of September so you can see what it would look like.

Next we have the "Task Inbox", which was inspired by a YouTube video I watched on creating a "Getting Things Done" (GTD) Dashboard! I did modify this a little bit from the video, but if you're interested in the original source of the idea, here's the link!

But basically, when you need to add a new task in, you click for a new item in the inbox. You then enter all the information you need in, including the due date and whether it's a high priority task, and once you assign it to a specific project in the last column, it disappears from the inbox. You won't then see that task again unless you look forward on the calendar or unless it's due that week in which case it'll show up in the "Tasks Due This Week" table.

I've added some example tasks to the week to show what it may look like when you have some tasks in your "Tasks Due This Week" section. Notice "random task 2" is missing? That's because I've ticked it as "Done", at which point it automatically removes it from the table. That way, I only see my to do list for the week with items that haven't been done yet!

At the very bottom of this front page, is a link to the master list page for the tasks, in case you want to view all the tasks you've created, past, present and future.

And that just about covers my main dashboard for my PhD template! Now onto the individual specific pages from further up the page.

First up we have "Meetings / Seminar Notes". This is a pretty self explanatory one. Every time I have an important meeting, I type up my meeting notes that I took on my iPad into Notion. I can then tag for specific meetings, the meeting date and who was in attendance. This last feature is particularly great, because I could then say for example filter for all meetings where my supervisor was or was not present.

If you go into each meeting's page, you can then take or type up your notes. I've created a few different templates for different types of meetings / seminars, but you can take this one step further. If you know a particular set of people are always in your team meeting for example, you can edit the "Team Meeting" template so that it automatically lists those people as being in attendance when you use that template.

I also need to shout out to Jacqueline Beaulieu's Youtube channel , which has talked about using Notion as a student multiple times. In particular, I want to mention the video I've linked below, which was the genius behind some of the templates in this part of my PhD workspace.

The next page is pretty self-explanatory too, in that it's where I store my various protocols. As scientists, we can use a lot of different techniques, and it's easy to lose track of the protocols for it. So I use this section to make a page per protocol, and write it up so I have them stored in one place!

Next up is the "New Papers to Read" page. I use this as a dashboard to put in new papers that have come out that I'm yet to read but need to read. I've left in two papers from my HUGE reading list, one research and one review, so that you can see what it would look like with papers inputted in. At the very end of the table is a spot for the URL, so you can easily link, but you could also make a file heading and upload the PDF instead so you already have that ready to go for later.

Following on from this is a "Publication Record" page to store all of your publications. Simply write up each citation and embed the papers beneath, and voilà , you have an easy place to find all the papers you've published! This may seem like overkill, but you don't know how many times I've searched for my own publications in Google Scholar because I needed to find something out from them...

Next is the "Thesis Figures Tracker". This might be my favourite page of the whole thing! Basically, I use this page to keep track of my figures in my thesis within each chapter. The headings for this table are: "Finished?", "Chapter", "Figure Title", "Image" (which is basically a place to upload your figure), "Data or Schematic?", "Created on?", "Date Started", "Date Completed", "Based on..." (for if you've based your figure on another papers and need to cite), "Figure Legend" (yes/no), "Scale Bar" (yes/no), and "Comments". This may sound a lot, but it really helps you keep track of what stage your figures are up to.

But the pièce de résistance is when you view the figures tracker in "Board View" rather than "Table View". This allows you to actually visualise all of your figures, as the figure images you upload become the display pictures, and you can see all the information you need beneath!

The last main page is "Literature Notes", which is exactly what it sounds like, a place to make notes on the literature. I've put in an example article so you can see what it looks like, but basically the headers are "Title", "Authors", "Year", "Journal", "Type of Article", "In vitro or in vivo", "Species", "Tissue", and "File" (so you can upload the PDF if you want to).

If you actually go into the article's page, there is a template to use, with headers for summarising the paper, noting what the key findings were, and writing down your critiques of the paper. Overall, this part of the template is great for new PhD students, but if you're already established and have written the bulk of your lit review, it may not be of much use!

Finally, we have the pages for specific papers. These are all the same as each other, so I'll just go through one of them.

Within each paper, you have a space to write the paper title, and the core aims / hypotheses. Then there are two pages within, a figures tracker and an experiments tracker.

The figures tracker is much the same as the thesis figures tracker, with the same headings and the same "Board View" effect option. This is just a way for you to keep track of the figures for each paper, so that you don't lose track.

Last but not least is the experiments tracker, which is useful for keeping track of experiments. You can go into each experiment's page and write down the information about the experiment you need, such as antibody concentrations or suppliers / manufacturers. Then when you come to write up the paper, you have all that information at hand.

My favourite thing to do is view this database in "Board View" again, so that I can just glance at it and see which experiments are at which stage in the experimental process. I've made the tags so they're applicable to my immunohistochemistry experiments, but you could change them to be whatever you need them to be!

UPDATE 16/1/21

I've now added a "word count" page to my Notion template! It's really easy to use, and it's just a way to keep yourself accountable for how much writing you've achieved each day. You can find it under the main "pages" section on the template, and it's really simple to fill out. My goal is to write 500 words a day over the rest of my PhD, as I'm now in my final year and need to be making daily progress on writing up.

In the template, I've added some example days of writing so you can see how to use the template. Basically, you put the word count for each of your papers / chapters in for each day. For example, on day 1 you had only written 100 words of your first PhD paper, but on day 2 you had a total word count of 200. Don't add in these columns the amount of words you wrote each day, just the total word count you can see for each document.

Then, at the end of the table, it will tally up your total word count across all your documents. In the next column, just write in what the word count was the day before, and then in the next column it will automatically calculate how much you've written specifically that day. Since my goal is to write 500 words a day, I've included a formula checkbox that ticks itself when I've hit my writing target.

It's important to note however that you can change that word goal if you'd like. Just go in to edit the formula, and change the "500" value to be whatever you'd like your word goal to be. Then it'll automatically tick the box when you've hit your daily target!

UPDATE 1/3/22

I've now also added two professional development pages to my Notion template - "Opportunities" and "Professional Contacts"! These pages are there to simply make your life easier when trying to optimise your CV and network connections ready for applying for work when you graduate from your postgraduate degree. Let's start by looking at the "Opportunities" page...

This page is great because it is a place for you to store all professional opportunities you encounter. I've made it to encompass volunteering and internships, although you can edit the tags to include any other opportunity types that are applicable. The opportunities are grouped into two sections, "Apply Now" and "Future Opportunity". This means that not only do you have somewhere to store opportunities that you want to actively apply for, but if you also stumble across something that would be great maybe more towards the end of your degree that you don't want to forget about, then that can also be housed here!

Inside each page, you can then also include any extra things you need to know, such as any eligibility requirements or anything you may need to apply for the opportunity, eg. your resume, cover letter, academic transcripts, etc. There is also a place to directly link to where the opportunity is being advertised, as well as attach a relevant file, eg. an advertising flyer.

The other new page in this template is the "Professional Contacts" page. This is the place to collect and store information about all of the important professional contacts you meet during your studies and beyond. This includes their name, their association, their field of work, their relationship to you, and two emails (in case you have both a professional and a personal email for certain people). There is also a checkbox that you can tick if you have connected with them on LinkedIn, as well as a checkbox that you can tick if you believe they would make a good referee for you on future job applications. Finally, there's a place to record the last date you contacted each person to ensure you don't leave it too long before reaching out, as well as a place to write a brief update from the last time you spoke.

So that's it for my Notion PhD Dashboard. I hope that me stepping through my Notion was of some use to you all! If you have any questions, or any improvements you want to suggest, definitely reach out to me! I'm always happy to talk all things Notion.

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for, the template download! When you access the template, just go to the top right hand corner and click "Duplicate" to copy it into your own Notion account!

To access the most up-to-date version of this template, head over to my new website at:

Amazing explanation of Notion and such a helpful template to get me started. Thanks so much, Lily. ☺️

Thank you sooooo much for this. I am just starting my PhD and this is just brilliant. Well done you and thank you again.

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How to take Research Notes

How to take research notes.

Your research notebook is an important piece of information useful for future projects and presentations. Maintaining organized and legible notes allows your research notebook to be a valuable resource to you and your research group. It allows others and yourself to replicate experiments, and it also serves as a useful troubleshooting tool. Besides it being an important part of the research process, taking detailed notes of your research will help you stay organized and allow you to easily review your work.

Here are some common reasons to maintain organized notes:

Keeps a record of your goals and thoughts during your research experiments.
Keeps a record of what worked and what didn't in your research experiments.
Enables others to use your notes as a guide for similar procedures and techniques.
A helpful tool to reference when writing a paper, submitting a proposal, or giving a presentation.
Assists you in answering experimental questions.
Useful to efficiently share experimental approaches, data, and results with others.

Before taking notes:

Ask your research professor what note-taking method they recommend or prefer.
Consider what type of media you'll be using to take notes.
Once you have decided on how you'll be taking notes, be sure to keep all of your notes in one place to remain organized.
Plan on taking notes regularly (meetings, important dates, procedures, journal/manuscript revisions, etc.).
This is useful when applying to programs or internships that ask about your research experience.

Note Taking Tips:

Taking notes by hand:.

Research notebooks don’t belong to you so make sure your notes are legible for others.
Use post-it notes or tabs to flag important sections.
Start sorting your notes early so that you don't become backed up and disorganized.
Only write with a pen as pencils aren’t permanent & sharpies can bleed through.
Make it a habit to write in your notebook and not directly on sticky notes or paper towels. Rewriting notes can waste time and sometimes lead to inaccurate data or results.

Taking Notes Electronically

Make sure your device is charged and backed up to store data.
Invest in note-taking apps or E-Ink tablets
Create shortcuts to your folders so you have easier access
Create outlines.
Keep your notes short and legible.

Note Taking Tips Continued:

Things to avoid.

Avoid using pencils or markers that may bleed through.
Avoid erasing entries. Instead, draw a straight line through any mistakes and write the date next to the crossed-out information.
Avoid writing in cursive.
Avoid delaying your entries so you don’t fall behind and forget information.

Formatting Tips

Use bullet points to condense your notes to make them simpler to access or color-code them.
Tracking your failures and mistakes can improve your work in the future.
If possible, take notes as you’re experimenting or make time at the end of each workday to get it done.
Record the date at the start of every day, including all dates spent on research.

Types of media to use when taking notes:

Traditional paper notebook.

Pros: Able to take quick notes, convenient access to notes, cheaper option
Cons: Requires a table of contents or tabs as it is not easily searchable, can get damaged easily, needs to be scanned if making a digital copy

Electronic notebook

Apple Notes
Pros: Easily searchable, note-taking apps available, easy to edit & customize
Cons: Can be difficult to find notes if they are unorganized, not as easy to take quick notes, can be a more expensive option

Combination of both

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How to use Notion Note-taking Application for Research

posted on June 28, 2020 August 10, 2020
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An Introduction to Notion Note-taking Application for Research.

Article Outline

Why Notion?

Creating a new page, creating an inline table.

Generating a Linked Database Table

Code Embedding

Recently, I have started using a beautiful app called Notion . Yes, you guessed it, this is a note-taking app and I really like the flexibility this application offers. From the past 3 years, I have been an Evernote user but I did not like the rigid folder structure where one could only able to create a sub-level notebook. I believe Evernote is still good for many users because it is mature and well developed but the Notion application is one step ahead of every other competitor.

I am a Transportation System Engineering Ph.D. student at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (Department of Civil Engineering). I work in the field of pedestrian safety. Those who are in the academic field definitely knew about the headache of managing literature. If your literature is not well managed it could cause a big headache during article or thesis write-up.

Now, in the era of digital note-taking, there are plenty of candidate apps you could find on the internet. I recently started using Notion for managing my research work . So let me demonstrate how you could also manage your literature/research smoothly.

This is my Notion Home Page.

Note: Notion is free for students and educators. You just need to sign-up using an academic email address.

Let’s start with the Notion. Everything in Notion is a block even if it is a text or image. There is no drop-down menu but you could call the menu using a forward slash “ /” . For creating a new page just select page from the forward-slash menu and it will create a blank page .

This is an example of a blank page , where you could add a meaningful title, an icon or a cover.

Once you create a page, you can create a table by calling table inline using the forward-slash “ / ”. The table contains a name, tags and files field by default. Here is a gif of how to create an inline table.

You could add more field based on your requirement. It could be text, number, select/multi-select option, date, person, files and many more.

Here you can see, I have customized my master literature table . You could add as many as rows or columns you want as per your requirement.

One thing to note that in the first column “ Article Title ”, each row contains a notion page which you can open to write about the literature review in detail. You could include study objective, location of the study, primary findings and many more.

Here you can see I have opened the Article 1 as separate page for further editing.

Next, you can edit the page in more detail for detailed record keeping. Here, you can see I have added details about the study location, Model used and Outcomes .

Creating a Linked Database

One of the best features of Notion is that you can create sub-table using linked database feature. For example, I have created a master literature table and tagged each journal with meaningful keywords (see the above figure’s Tags column). I could call this table from any new page and filter out the table articles based on keywords/tags.

Say, you planned to write an article regarding worldwide road accidents statistics. Earlier, during the literature review, you had tagged all your accident-related articles (read) in the master literature table. So, rather skimming through your 100 of literature you entered in the master literature table. You could create a new page in Notion and call your master literature table there and filter out articles based on your keywords/tags. In this way, one could create separate study tables on different pages using a linked database.

The obvious question would be why not filtering and reading out from our master literature table. This could be one option but very traditional. By using old fashioned tricks you could not leverage the potential of linked database.

The main advantage of having a linked database table inside a new page is that once you start reading more papers and start updating your master literature table, your linked database also automatically update itself if you tag it with specific keywords.

For example, say in future I start reading more accident-related literature and added them to my master literature table with accident keyword, then it would also reflect inside other pages where I have linked that master literature table with accident filter. Isn’t it awesome?

Here, I have added a small video clip to illustrate, how you could create a linked database.

For demonstration purpose, I have created two linked database page. One for New Reads and another for Pedestrian Accidents Stats .

Let’s open the accidents stats linked database table, see below Table (a). You can see, there is an arrow on the top left side, indicating that the table is linked to the original literature table using a linked database feature. Now, if I add another article to my master literature table with “ accident ” tag then this article will appear to Pedestrian Accident stats table too and vice-versa.

Note : You can create a linked database based on any column. Here in my case I can create a linked database based on journal priority type, say only five stars journals (most important reads).

The next feature that I like the most is code embedding . Notion supports code embedding for a significant number of programming languages. As a researcher, I have to develop plots and models using R and Python. So, this feature helps me manage and search embedded codes.

To add code just call the forward-slash “ / ” menu and type code . This will create an empty code block.

To change it to another language, just click the bottom right side arrow. This will pop up options for different languages.

Here you can see popular languages like R, Python, Ruby and PHP.

In the figure below I have presented an example of R code embedded inside notion’s block.

Here is a video from Notion’s YouTube channel on advanced features. Here you could learn about

Database views
Adding content to databases with templates
Connecting databases with relation & rollup
Linking Databases to create advance dashboards

There are plenty of features available in the Notion that would make your research work smooth and hassle-free.

Notion offers:

Ready to use templates
Table of content
Numbered and toggled list
Callout (for highlight or message)
Link to page (linking one page to another)
Inline Equation
Different table view (Board, Gallery, List and Calendar)
Audio, image and video upload
Web-bookmark
Embedding (Pdfs, Google map, Google drive, Tweet, Github Gist and many more)
Math equation (like latex)
Mentioning page inside a write-up

Here, I have shown only two major features i.e., the linked database and code embedding that I personally enjoy most. You could explore more watching Notion for beginners YouTube videos.

I hope this would help.

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12 Expert Tips for Organizing Your PhD Research work

Revolutionize Your Research Workflow with These Expert Organization Tips

1. set clear goals, 2. develop a research plan, 3. create a schedule, 4. use a project management tool, 5. prioritize your tasks, 6. break down large tasks into smaller ones, 7. manage your time effectively, 8. stay organized, 9. communicate with your supervisor, 10. seek support, 11. stay motivated, 12. take breaks, 50 tips to oranize phd research work.

The journey of pursuing a PhD can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be overwhelming at times. One of the keys to completing the PhD degree successfully is being organized and managing your time effectively.

Organizing PhD work can be a challenging task, but with proper plan and execution, one can effectively manage their time and progress. In this article, iLovePhD presented twelve practical tips and strategies to help you stay organized and productive during your PhD journey.

Whether you’re just starting or in the middle of your PhD journey, these tips will help you stay on track and make the most out of your time as a research scholar.

Tips to Revolutionize Your PhD Research Workflow

The first step in organizing your PhD work is to set clear goals for yourself. Define the objectives of your research. Develop a clear and realistic plan for your PhD work, including milestones and deadlines for each task.

Once you have set your goals, develop a research plan that outlines the steps you need to take to achieve them. Your research plan should include the research questions you want to answer, the methods you will use to collect data, and the analysis techniques you will use to draw conclusions.

Create a schedule that outlines the tasks you need to complete each week and the deadlines for completing them. Make sure you allocate enough time for each task and don’t forget to include time for reviewing and revising your work.

Consider using a project management tool like Trello, Asana, or Notion to help you organize your tasks, set deadlines, and to help you to stay on track.

Prioritize your work based on the importance and urgency of each task. This will help you to focus on the most critical work first.

Also Read: Suffering PhD Scholars in Academia

Divide large tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks. This will help you to work more efficiently and achieve progress more quickly.

Manage your time effectively by allocating specific time slots for each task. Avoid multitasking, which can reduce your productivity and increase your stress levels.

Keep your work organized by using folders, files, and notes. This will help you to easily find and access your work and prevent you from losing important documents. Use tools like Zotero or Mendeley to manage your references.

Regular communication with your supervisor is crucial for staying on track with your PhD work. Schedule regular meetings with your supervisor to discuss your progress, get feedback, and ask for help if needed.

Seek support from your peers, and other professionals when necessary. This can help you to overcome challenges and move forward in your research

Stay motivated by setting realistic goals for yourself and celebrating your achievements.

Taking regular breaks is important to avoid burnout and stay focused. Make sure to schedule time for self-care. Engage in activities that you enjoy to maintain your mental health and well-being.

Organizing your PhD work is essential to ensure that you can work efficiently and effectively toward your research goals. It is an ongoing process, and you may need to adjust your plan as you go along.

Develop a system for managing your data.
Use a literature review matrix to stay organized.
Prioritize self-care to avoid burnout.
Use a task management tool to stay on top of deadlines.
Keep a research journal to track progress and ideas.
Stay organized by using folders and labels.
Create a clear and concise research plan.
Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable ones.
Use a citation management tool to keep track of sources.
Take breaks to avoid fatigue and maintain focus.
Back up your data regularly.
Use templates for reports and presentations to save time.
Stay on top of emails and communication.
Use an agenda or planner to schedule meetings and deadlines.
Collaborate with others to share ideas and resources.
Use software tools to help automate repetitive tasks.
Take advantage of library resources and research guides.
Use charts and graphs to visualize data.
Use cloud-based storage to access your work from anywhere.
Stay organized by color-coding notes and files.
Use checklists to ensure you complete all necessary tasks.
Make time for exercise and other forms of self-care.
Keep track of important dates and events.
Break down complex information into easy-to-understand summaries.
Use mind-mapping software to brainstorm ideas.
Take notes during meetings and discussions.
Create a filing system for physical documents.
Use an annotation tool to mark up documents.
Set aside designated time for writing.
Prioritize your most important tasks first.
Use keywords to organize your literature reviews.
Stay focused by eliminating distractions.
Use a backup system to protect your work.
Use templates to maintain consistent formatting.
Utilize peer feedback to improve your work.
Stay up-to-date on research trends and developments.
Use time blocking to schedule your day.
Maintain a consistent schedule to establish a routine.
Use a timer to help with time management.
Stay organized by using bookmarks and tags.
Make use of keyboard shortcuts to save time.
Take breaks to stretch and move your body.
Stay hydrated and well-rested for optimal productivity.
Use online forums to connect with other researchers.
Take care of your mental health to stay focused and motivated.
Keep your workspace clean and clutter-free.
Use a dictation tool to speed up your writing.
Create a backup plan in case of unexpected issues.
Use technology to stay organized on the go.
Celebrate your progress and accomplishments along the way!

By implementing the tips discussed in this article, you can establish a structured approach to your work that will help you stay focused and motivated. Be flexible and keep working towards your goals, and you will be on your way to completing your PhD successfully.

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9 Note-Taking Tips For PhD Research

Taking notes when writing a PhD dissertation or thesis is one of the most important yet daunting tasks for any PhD student.

How you take notes can either make or break your PhD experience.

Luckily, there are some useful tips from previous PhD students that can make this task easier and simpler and make the writing of the PhD dissertation or thesis less tiresome.

This post is a collection of top 9 note-taking tips that have proved to be most useful and effective for majority of PhD students.

1. Choose a note-taking medium that works best for you

Some people work best with the good old paper and pen, while others are more comfortable with digital apps.

The medium doesn’t matter as long as it works for you.

2. Take notes as you read

Every time you read a material, take notes simultaneously. Do not wait to take notes afterwards as the human mind is bound to forget important points.

The reading should be active rather than passive. Active reading ensures that you critically analyse what you are reading and place it in the larger context of your own research and the research done by others.

Ask yourself questions such as:

How does this material support my own research? How relevant is it to what I am doing? Where does it fit in my own paper (does it support my background to the study or fits better in the research methodology)? How does the material relate to what others have written on the same topic? Do the findings support others’ findings or do they contradict them? If the findings contradict previous research, what could explain the contradiction?

For a PhD student, active reading and note-taking is a necessity because you are expected to contribute to the body of knowledge in your field of study.

3. Include full references in your notes

The notes for each material read should start with the reference in the reference style recommended by your school or department.

Referencing your notes cannot be overemphasised.

This will save you lots of time when you start inserting in-text citations and compiling reference lists or bibliographies in your dissertation. You won’t have to worry about where certain notes came from and will save you the headache of going back to look for the correct reference.

4. Include some direct quotes

Direct quotes are useful in some cases as long as they stand out and are not just mere general knowledge. They may include: statistics or data that are relevant to your own research, some interesting findings from the research or the author’s unique interpretation of an issue, etc.

Always include the page number of the material where the quote was borrowed from. Direct quotes have to be referenced together with the page number.

5. Have a system for differentiating your own thoughts from the author’s writings

This is useful for avoiding plagiarism.

It is advisable to write the notes in your own words as much as possible. But sometimes it is impossible to avoid noting down exactly what is in the material even if it will not be used as a direct quote. This is especially the case if you want to remember some points the author made in the material for future reference without having to re-read the material again.

In this case, you need to put a system in place that helps you differentiate your own notes from the writings of the authors. You can use for instance a colour coding system where your own notes are marked by a colour of your choice, the author’s writings are marked by a different colour and the direct quotes are marked by a separate colour.

If you go by a colour coding system, then having key for the different colours used in your notes will be useful to avoid confusion as you go along.

An example of key for colour codes would be:

Red = own notes Blue = author’s writings Yellow = direct quotes

6. Make sure to digitise manual notes

Both pen-and-paper methods and digital methods have their pros and cons.

One advantage of using the pen-and-paper method is that it makes it easier to have clarity of thought. You can also easily add your own comments or insights to the notes.

“Plan in Analog — spend time in analog before jumping to digital” ― Carmine Gallo, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

The downside to pen-and-paper method is that the notes can easily get lost or rendered useless, for instance, by spillage.

The other downside to pen-and-paper method is the inability to find something easily. It is time-consuming to peruse through hundreds of pages looking for specific things. Whereas in digital media you can easily use the control F function to find whatever you are looking for.

It is therefore important to digitise manual notes using Microsoft Word or note-taking apps

7. Organise your notes by topics and sub-topics

Instead of organising your notes by authors (like we do in annotated bibliographies ) or by dates, it is best to organise them by topics and sub-topics.

For instance, have a folder for the introduction chapter and create separate files for each sub-topic under the introduction chapter such as: the background to the study, the problem statement, research gap etc.

Do the same for each of your proposal’s or dissertation’s chapters including literature review, research methodology, results and discussion, and lastly the conclusion chapter.

This kind of notes’ organisation will come in handy when writing the proposal or the full dissertation. It will save you time spent going through the notes looking for notes that fit in each of the chapter and their sub-topics.

8. Integrate note-taking with dissertation writing

What I mean is: do not spend a whole year reading materials and taking notes only without writing drafts of the dissertation (or the proposal).

Always write something towards your dissertation on a regular basis.

As an example, you may decide that every Friday you will write 500 words of your dissertation to start with, and then increase the number of words you write as you progress along. So every Friday make use of the notes that you have made at that point and write a sub-topic of your dissertation.

If in the first year you write at least 500 words per week, you will have written at least 26,000 words of your dissertation at the end of the first year. You will then realise that after a while you are able to write 1,000 words and even more in one sitting. The more you write, the easier the writing task becomes.

Keep in mind though, that whatever you write at the beginning is just a draft that you will revise a number of times before it becomes PhD-standard material.

Another important thing to do when writing the drafts of your dissertation is to build the bibliographies or reference list simultaneously, rather than waiting to do this task at the end of your PhD program. Not only will this strategy save you time and headache but it will help you avoid many mistakes in the referencing at the end.

While building your bibliography or reference list be mindful of the required referencing style and always refer to the referencing style manual, even if you are building it with digital softwares such as Zotero. The digital softwares are not always accurate therefore the human eye is a necessity.

9. Build mind maps as you take notes

Mind maps are visual illustrations of the relationships between various concepts. While building the mind maps, include the sources in the notes for easy referencing.

You can build mind maps manually (using pen and paper) or digitally using available mind mapping tools for the different operating systems (such as SimpleMind Pro for MacOS).

Final thoughts on Note-Taking for PhD Students

Effective note-taking habits and strategies form the foundation for an A-graded PhD dissertation. While some students prefer the good old manual tools, more have embraced the digital world. However, each of these platforms has its pros and cons. The best thing would be to have a blended system that incorporates both worlds. This post provides useful tips for taking notes that feed into PhD research thereby making the writing task less daunting.

How to Take Notes Effectively using OneNote (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Grace Njeri-Otieno

Grace Njeri-Otieno is a Kenyan, a wife, a mom, and currently a PhD student, among many other balls she juggles. She holds a Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Economics and has more than 7 years' experience with an INGO. She was inspired to start this site so as to share the lessons learned throughout her PhD journey with other PhD students. Her vision for this site is "to become a go-to resource center for PhD students in all their spheres of learning."

Ph.D. Student and Dissertation Planner Notion Template

Notion is a notetaking and organization app and is the BEST one I have found for Ph.D. students! Notion allows you to create beautiful and easy work with pages and templates for almost anything! I have been using Notion to organize my Ph.D., dissertation, and other aspects of graduate school research and life. I like using Notion as a student because I like having a digital copy of all my work and digital space to organize my to-do lists and notes, manage projects, and track my Ph.D. progress!

In this post, I’m sharing with you how to use Notion as a PhD student and giving you a tour of the PhD student and dissertation planner Notion template! I created the Ph.D. Student Notion template so you can easily track your research progress, coursework completion, and Ph.D. milestones. A Ph.D. degree is a complex process that varies greatly between programs, so I wanted to make a Ph.D. Notion template that allows you to manage required classes and a range of research-related tasks that go toward your degrees, such as publications, dissertation chapters, presentations, and more!

This template is a space for only Ph.D. and dissertation work, so no personal life content is included. If you’re more interested in a “second brain” style Notion template that encompasses personal life and Ph.D. life, check out the All-in-One Graduate Student Notion Template. This template keeps everything grad school-related and personal life organized in Notion! It also has over 20+ pages of professional and personal development resources and trackers. I also designed the research notebook template , which is only for managing research projects.

Now, let’s take a tour of the Ph.D. and Dissertation Planner Notion Template!

What is Notion?

Notion is freemium software that allows you to create pages, templates, and databases for organizing information. This app is more than a basic note-taking app! It allows you to customize your pages and databases to what you need to work smarter and more efficiently. Notion is available across devices, so you can always access your Notion from your phone, computer, or tablet. Notion offers several subscription levels. The free version offers all basic tools for using and creating Notion templates. The premium subscriptions offer more tools and functionality for small and large team or even entire organizations. The free software is sufficient for individuals, but if you work on a small team, like with a research group, the Plus subscription offers features like unlimited file uploads and more!

In addition to signing up for Notion, you can add on the Notion AI tool as well. This newly launched tool integrates the power of AI into your Notion workspace. I’ve enjoyed using Notion AI for summarizing, paraphrasing, brainstorming, and organizing my thoughts. The AI tool is seamlessly integrated into Notion and works very well!

Why do I love using Notion for my Ph.D?

I’ve been using Notion for several years and have found it to be one of the best (and most fun) software for note-taking and organizing. Firstly, it’s fun to organize and design your template! You can easily create your own Notion aesthetic and design pages to fit your needs. I also love how I can use it across all my devices. It’s also very affordable for students, as there is a free version. Notion also offers add- on tools like, Notion AI , which is fairly priced at just $8 a month.

The Ph.D. Degree and Dissertation Planner Notion Template Features

Ph.d. milestones at a glance.

The most powerful part of the Ph.D. student Notion template is the Ph.D. milestones at a glance! This is where I can store my relevant Ph.D. work, such as projects, conferences, manuscripts, and dissertation chapters. Each database element below contains a template for me to log my progress, take notes, and store information!

Interconnected Databases: Link Papers, Protocols, Lab Notebook, and Tasks to Ph.D. Milestones

This Notion template uses the relation property feature in databases to link databases together. Relations are used for:

Linking papers from the literature review template to the protocols or lab notebook databases.
Linking protocols to the lab notebook and Ph.D. milestones databases
Linking tasks to lab notebook and Ph.D. milestones databases

Daily and Weekly Tasks

The daily and weekly tasks databases are built to automatically populate tasks labeled with today’s date or for tasks within one week. Setting up the databases in this way makes priority tasks visible on the homepage.

All Tasks List

To have everything available in the daily and weekly task lists, there is an “All Tasks” database. This is where I import all of my Ph.D. milestone tasks, from experiments to writing goals to scheduling meetings. Then, I use the relation property in Notion databases to relate the task to the milestone in my Ph.D. milestones at a glance database. This way, I can see all of my tasks in list form and view them if I click on one of my PhD milestones.

Automated Buttons for Creating New Entries Easily

One of my favorite features Notion recently added to its functionality is the automated buttons! These buttons allow you to add entries to databases easily, so I included them in the template so you can easily add new protocols, papers, and tasks to the template without leaving the main homepage!

Weekly Schedule and Time Blocking

The last part of the Ph.D. student Notion template is the weekly schedule database for time blocking the week! I like using the time-blocking method to keep my week organized. In time-blocking, I designate specific times for tasks such as research, writing, studying, etc. I will add these to my weekly schedule in between fixed events such as classes, meetings, and other recurring weekly events.

Degree Tracker and Coursework Organizer

Another central section of the Ph.D. student Notion template is the degree tracker and coursework organizer. Here, I have a database where I imported all of my classes for my degree, and then, using the relation property, I related the courses to the degree database (located on the homepage) so I can see the progress bar change as I complete classes. Like with the Ph.D. milestones at a glance database, I use the coursework database to store anything related to each class. I click on the class and use the page that appears to take notes, store information, etc.

Research Project Manager – Research Lab Notebook

The research lab notebook is located on the research page in the menu bar. The lab notebook is designed for creating daily entries like you would in a paper and pen lab notebook. Each entry lets you link to other databases and fill in your daily goals, schedule, and results.

Meeting Notes

Lastly, there is space for storing your meeting notes since there are always so many meetings during a Ph.D.!

This Notion template for grad school is much simpler than others I’ve made and seen online. I think it’s nice sometimes to have the Ph.D. work in a separate Notion template so it doesn’t get mixed up with other things. This way, when I go on this template, it’s only coursework and research-related tasks! If you’re looking for a template that allows you to plan and organize everything in your grad school life, consider checking out my all-in-one grad student Notion template!

How can I get the Ph.D. Planner Notion Template?

This template is a premium template, so it is for sale on the She Science Gumroad Shop or Etsy Shop . Once you purchase, you have lifetime access to the template and will receive any major updates via email!

Is there a subscription cost?

The Research Lab Notebook Notion Template can be used with a free Notion account.

How Much is the Ph.D. Planner Notion Template?

The Ph.D. Degree and Dissertation Planner Notion Template is $9.

How do I get my Notion Template?

After your purchase, you will receive a PDF eBook with a link to lifetime access to the template and a guide on how to use the template.

Are you ready to plan and organize your Ph.D. in Notion?

The Ph.D. Degree and Dissertation Planner Notion Template is here to help track and organize your Ph.D. progress!

✓ Maximize your productivity

✓ Track your progress ✓ Manage your projects

Shop She Science’s Notion Templates

Simple dashboard.

She Science’s simplest template!

✓ Coursework page

✓ Project organizer

✓ Literature review tracker

✓ Meeting notes template

✓ At-a-glance homepage

Lab Notebook

Template for research project management

✓ Daily lab notebook database

✓ Automated task tracker

✓ Protocols manager

All pricing is in USD. Notion account required.

Ph.D. Planner

Track and organize your Ph.D. milestones, including coursework, research, and dissertation writing.

✓ Degree tracker

✓ Coursework manager

✓ Research project manager

✓ Task lists and agenda

✓ Meeting notes page

✓ Literature review page

All-in-One Grad Student

Ultimate template for your entire graduate school life, including research, course, personal life, and more!

✓ Everything in the Ph.D. Planner!

✓ Habit tracker

✓ Goal tracker

✓ Writing tracker

✓ Professional network manager

✓ 10+ personal life pages

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Personal Finance Advice and Budgeting Tips for Ph.D. Students

supportive. informative. community.

Join the community for just $5/month, jun 20 2.17 one notebook to rule them all - research notebooks.

i have never felt jealousy like i did the day i heard about research notebooks.

but my jealous can be your gain - learn all about why keeping a notebook might help you develop more insights into your research process! i give flexible examples, and reflection questions to help you see what things you might want to record in yours!

resources mentioned

dr. raul pacheco-vega's everything notebook

LaTeX example

Notion example

the community

I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!

Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!

Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!

I have never experienced jealousy like I did when somebody described their research notebook to me. And so i have done the hard work of translating it into a tool that any phd student can use. On this week's episode of

📍 Welcome to Grad School is Hard, But... A Thrive PhD podcast. I'm Dr. Katy Peplin and this is a show for everyone who's doing the hard work of being a human and a scholar. And in season two, I'll introduce you to various tools that might make the hard stuff from writing to managing your time to taking care of your brain just a little bit easier.

And make sure you check out the link in the show notes for a brand new summer planning template, all available for you for free. Now. Let's get into it.

The first time I heard of a research journal, I was talking to a client who worked in a wet lab and was required to keep a research journal that stayed in the lab at all times. They kept track of the experiments that they ran, the reagents that they used, all kinds of good stuff. They kept notes about preliminary findings.

It seems like a dream to me, especially as a humanities PhD. First of all, the idea of a lab was immensely appealing a place to go and do your research instead of just on the couch. But mostly I really loved this idea of being required to keep track of what I did during the day, the steps I took, the literature I reviewed the sources I consulted. How helpful would that be?

And as someone who can regularly lose whole days or weeks to research tangents or record of what I did sounded so good and so useful. Now several years later as a coach, I recommend research journals to a lot of my clients. And now by extension to you, dear listeners on this podcast. There are as many ways to keep a research notebook as there are research projects. So infinity number of ways,

but most methods boil down to two key functions. One that it's in a singular location. Digital or analog where you get in the habit of checking in and checking out at the start and end of each work session. And feature number two, it's a way to capture the day-to-day of your research process.

Experiments, run materials, use boxes, process literature, read, et cetera, so that you can go back and refer to it when, and if you need it. And that's it. A notebook where you keep everything all in one place and that everything, or the steps of your research.

Perhaps the most famous of these research notebooks methodologies is Dr. Pacheco Vegas, everything notebook. I'm going to include a bunch of links in the show notes where you can learn more about his method. But basically he buys a specific notebook. He color codes, everything, there are pens, there's a system and it's a notebook that holds everything. It doesn't matter what research project he's working on, what stage of the project he's in, everything goes into this notebook and when he fills it up, he archives it.

And so he knows that everything literally that has influenced or touched his research process is in one of those notebooks somewhere. How helpful. I will say that you should explore his method for yourself. He does a much better job of explaining it than I do, but for me, the idea of the everything notebook became a little bit overwhelming.

I often had multiple projects on the go and I just can't be trusted to keep the same notebook and the same pens. And remember. From day to day, the specific, detailed color coding system that he uses. But if you're looking for something a little bit more flexible, I've got ideas and tips for you.

First of all in the digital realm, there are also lots of helpful examples of how and why you might keep a research notebook or a research journal. Some are run in LaTeX, some are based in notion and I will include those links in the show notes. As usual. I think that the specific tool that you use is so much less important than the intent or the function that you're using that tool for. Lots of tools can store information in a way that's linked in searchable. So it's really important is getting clear on what you want to keep track of.

So to that end in today's short and sweet research journal exploration. I have a few reflection questions that might help you. Guide the creation of what a research journal or notebook could look like for you. So. Sit down. Maybe pause this podcast and sit with these questions. Question number one.

What are the types of information that you most wish that you could recall after a long day or week of work? What are the things that slip your mind? What are the things that would be most useful? What are the things that you most wish. Would be automatically, or at least had a system to be captured.

Question number two. What are the types of information that are hard for you to reconstruct? Is it where your time goes? Is it hard for you to know what you worked on from day to day? Is it all just one big blur of a draft? Is it hard to know what specific things that you worked on, you started the day in one document you ended in one document and you're not really sure what happened in between.

Is it hard for you to remember? Or what is it hard for you to remember or reconstruct what motivated you to pull a certain source in the beginning or to make a certain experimental choice or the settings on the lab equipment that you were using? What's the kind of information that is hard for you to reconstruct after the fact, even if it seems really clear in the moment.

Research question number three. Would it be helpful for you to narrate? In a place where you can access them afterwards. Rather than just in your mind, the process that you follow during the course of your research. So many times I'm working with clients and they, I say, okay, you're sitting down with a new chapter, explain to me your process. And they can't really, they have.

It's vague sense that they start with an outline. They do some amount of research, but mostly it's a process that's driven by anxiety. That they do a whole lot of research that feels relatively unbounded. And then all of a sudden the deadline comes up and boom. They're anxious, they start to write. So would it be helpful for you to narrate the choices that you're making on a more day-to-day basis so that you can decide if you want to keep doing them or not?

Is it that you always need to pull every source in the library of Congress catalog? Heading of your specific research question. Every time you sit down, do you always need to read every article or did it work pretty well when you started writing a little bit earlier?

That's the kind of data that you can analyze. If it's written down in a research notebook.

And last but not least. How accurate are your perceptions of how you spend your research and writing time? Would a more concrete record help you counteract any inaccuracies? For my own sake. I am a deeply inaccurate judge of where all of my time goes.

Which is why I rely on a variety of different tools, whether those are time-tracking tools or a research notebook to help me remember what I did in any given day. Because if you ask me either, I'm going to misremember the amount of time that I spent on each thing. Or I'm going to forget things altogether.

So if you find that it would be helpful for you to have a more accurate record. Maybe for more accurate planning, then you might want to explore or research notebook.

And if these are the kinds of concrete tips that sound cool to you, then I really encourage you to check out the community. It is $5 a month. It's full of articles, resources, a coaching call library. There's actually a private podcast feed there, but mostly it's a place for graduate students to show up and say, Hey.

What is this thing called a citation manager, or how are you managing to balance syllabus creation with everything else that you're trying to do this summer? We've got challenges. There are prizes. There's all kinds of support in there and I encourage you to check it out. Otherwise, I will see you right back here next week.

Thank you so much for listening.

📍 Thank you for listening to Grad School is Hard, but... You can find more information and resources in the show notes and at thrive-phd.com. Every month, I'll select one reviewer for a free 45 minute session with me. So please subscribe, rate, and review to help spread the word about the show. Thanks so much and I'll see you again soon!

Jun 27 2.18 i'm back, baby! - coming back to your desk after time away

Jun 13 2.16 wait, do i know everything, or nothing - bouncing between student and expert.

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CORRESPONDENCE
02 April 2024

How can we make PhD training fit for the modern world? Broaden its philosophical foundations

Ganesh Alagarasan 0

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati, India.

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You have highlighted how PhD training assessment has stagnated, despite evolving educational methodologies (see Nature 613 , 414 (2023) and Nature 627 , 244; 2024 ). In particular, you note the mismatch between the current PhD journey and the multifaceted demands of modern research and societal challenges.

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Global top-5 notebook brands see February shipments rise over 10% monthly and yearly, says DIGITIMES Research

Credit: DIGITIMES

DIGITIMES Research's study on the global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, and the top-3 ODMs' shipments in February 2024 (shipment volumes do not include detachable models) showed their combined shipments enjoyed a 10% month-on-month increase and a 13% year-on-year increase.

The shipment increases can be accredited to the rising shipments of brand vendors' new notebooks powered by Intel's latest CPUs. The shipment increases are also due to strong demand from Europe and emerging markets, according to DIGITIMES Research's newest update on global notebook shipments.

Among the top-5 notebook brands in February, Lenovo, the leading brand, performed the best with a 36% month-on-month increase in shipments, driven by a push to meet its annual targets. Hewlett-Packard (HP) saw a 10% on-month increase due to volume shipments of its new models. Dell's growth was modest at 6% due to conservative attitudes among enterprise customers, the report's figures show.

The top-3 ODMs saw a 6% on-month increase in their combined notebook shipments in February, with Quanta performing the best with a 9% on-month increase, mainly due to increased orders for new notebooks from its major customers HP and Apple.

If Inventec and Pegatron are included, the combined notebook shipments of the top-5 ODMs in February grew 3% compared to the same period in 2023, not as strong as the top-3's growth, mainly because Asustek's order pull-ins from Pegatron were not as robust as in 2023.

Looking ahead to March, Lenovo's push to meet its annual shipment targets, along with some channels stocking up early in response to subsequent price increases for new products, are favorable factors. Coupled with the usual season pattern in March, the total shipments of the top-5 brands are expected to increase dramatically in March.

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Doing a literature review using digital tools (with Notion template)
At this point in my PhD, I think that most of my research questions are quite well defined, so I'm mostly just adding any newly published work into my review. I don't spend much time reading literature at the moment but I'm sure I'll return to it more regularly when I'm in the write-up phase of my PhD. There is a balance to be had ...
How to Use Notion as a Research Lab Notebook for Ph.D. Research
Each task or experiment can be labeled with the project, the goals, the due date, and the status. Get the Research Lab Notebook NOtion Template. After you input this information, if the date is "Today" the tasks will populate the Today's Tasks and Experiments Table. And if the date is "Today or within one week from today," it will ...
How to organise your PhD notes
To write my notes, I use Evernote. To make it more organised, I create a notebook based on the research category. Within a notebook, I create a note dedicated to research article that I am reading ...
Why I use Notion to organize my PhD research
Maya Gosztyla. Maya Gosztyla uses Notion to help to organize her work as a PhD student in biomedical sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Credit: Nicholas Behnke. We researchers ...
PDF Guide to using OneNote as a Research Notebook
University of Glasgow: Guide to using OneNote as a research notebook v1.3 DRAFT. November 2019 8. Collaborative working and sharing content 8.1 Share an individual notebook 30 8.2 Add new project leaders or team members to a Class notebook 31 9. Export your notebook 32 10. Using OneNote as a research notebook 10.1 Organise your notebook 33
How I Use Notion as a PhD Student (With Template)
Here's the YouTube video I made about this Notion setup: ORGANISING NOTION AS A PHD CANDIDATE: Notion template for PhD students. I discovered Notion about a month ago, and it has honestly changed my life, both at my PhD and personally. If you don't know what Notion is, it's self-described as an "all-in-one workspace", but is basically a program ...
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One of the hardest things in maintaining a lab notebook is deciding when to write a thorough entry and when to write a cursory one. I always start by writing down a minimum amount of information for every experiment. This generally includes date, time, location, protocol parameters, where the data is stored, and—if I'm using code—the script ...
A Guide To Research Logbooks
For example, a Figure on page 26 would be called F.26, even if it's not the 26th figure; similarly an equation on page 89 would have the reference E.89. If you have multiple figures on one page you can of course have additional numbering: In F7, for example, we'd have F.11-1 and F.11-2. F7 - Using page numbers as references means you'll ...
How to Boost your Productivity for Scientific Research
The 5 folders in my Zettelkasten. They generally collect different sources of information: MOC: Contains all the Maps of Contents to navigate the Zettelkasten. Projects: Contains one note for each side-project of my PhD where I log my progress and ideas.These are also linked to notes. Bio and ML: These two are essentially the main content of my Zettelkasten and they could in theory be fused ...
Considerations for implementing electronic laboratory notebooks in an
Alongside millions of new research publications each year 1 is the creation of millions more laboratory notebook entries. These contain important metadata, reflecting the nuance of experimental ...
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How I organize my research notes as an Oxford PhD student to write research papers really quickly and efficiently! I show you how I use Onenote to organise m...
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Taking Notes By Hand: Research notebooks don't belong to you so make sure your notes are legible for others. Use post-it notes or tabs to flag important sections. Start sorting your notes early so that you don't become backed up and disorganized. Only write with a pen as pencils aren't permanent & sharpies can bleed through.
How to Use Notion to Organize Your Research, Classes, and Grad School
Research Lab Notebook Notion Template . Since research is the biggest aspect of grad school, I decided to develop the research lab notebook Notion template to focus on just research and experiments. This template is designed for project management and for logging daily research activities.It includes a database for daily entries and a functional task list to categorize and track your progress ...
How to use Notion Note-taking Application for Research
Notion supports code embedding for a significant number of programming languages. As a researcher, I have to develop plots and models using R and Python. So, this feature helps me manage and search embedded codes. To add code just call the forward-slash " / " menu and type code. This will create an empty code block.
12 Expert Tips for Organizing Your PhD Research work
Organizing your PhD work is essential to ensure that you can work efficiently and effectively toward your research goals. It is an ongoing process, and you may need to adjust your plan as you go along. 50 Tips to Oranize PhD Research Work. Develop a system for managing your data. Use a literature review matrix to stay organized.
9 Note-Taking Tips For PhD Research
This post is a collection of top 9 note-taking tips that have proved to be most useful and effective for majority of PhD students. 1. Choose a note-taking medium that works best for you. Some people work best with the good old paper and pen, while others are more comfortable with digital apps. The medium doesn't matter as long as it works for ...
Ph.D. Student and Dissertation Planner Notion Template
In this post, I'm sharing with you how to use Notion as a PhD student and giving you a tour of the PhD student and dissertation planner Notion template! ... Research Project Manager - Research Lab Notebook. The research lab notebook is located on the research page in the menu bar. The lab notebook is designed for creating daily entries like ...
How To Organize a Research Notebook
Start by adding page numbers if your research notebook doesn't already have them. Next, reserve the first several pages of your notebook for a table of contents. Thi s will help you record experiments and research as you go, making all of your information easy to find later on. As you fill out the rest of the notebook, include entry dates and ...
2.17 one notebook to rule them all
i have never felt jealousy like i did the day i heard about research notebooks. but my jealous can be your gain - learn all about why keeping a notebook might help you develop more insights into your research process! i give flexible examples, and reflection questions to help you see what things . work with me. summer camp. community.
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I decided to use OneNote mainly because I could separate my dissertation project notes from other, more general notes in the form of notebooks. This allows me to keep my notes separate while copying entire pages (and even sections) to other notebooks. I also liked its hierarchical structure to organize my thoughts and the ease with which I ...
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12. Reply. Atkinsondr. • 2 yr. ago. If you consider any electronic version notes, I'll suggest you look into Notion and Obsidian. Right now, during the holiday, I finally have time to try Obsidian, which was recommended by many of my PhD friends. I'm still in the early stage of using it, but I find it pretty useful.
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Academic Research templates. Advance your scholarly work with Notion's Academic Research templates. Organize literature reviews, track research progress, and collaborate on publications. Essential for academics, researchers, and students in pursuit of organized, impactful research endeavors. Get Notion free.
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Figure 9: My Idea for PhD Research Sketchnote (Baff 2020) Made with Procreate Using Sketchnotes in PHD Research and Academic Practice International Journal of Management and Applied Research, 2020 ...
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You have highlighted how PhD training assessment has stagnated, despite evolving educational methodologies (see Nature 613, 414 (2023) and Nature 627, 244; 2024). In particular, you note the ...
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•Ass 1 is hopefully an easy on ramp - a Jupyter/IPython Notebook •Ass 2 expects you to do (multivariate) calculus, so you really understand the basics, introduces PyTorch, and you build a feed-forward network for dependency parsing •Ass 3 and Ass 4 use PyTorch on a GPU (Google Cloud)
Capturing the brain impacts of Intimate Partner Violence
With previous research expertise in sports-related concussion, Symons is well placed to expand her work now in IPV. Her PhD studies focused on the neurological consequences of engaging in Australian rules football, and saw her investigating biochemical, structural and cognitive biomarkers of concussion.
Global top-5 notebook brands see February shipments rise over 10%
DIGITIMES Research's study on the global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, and the top-3 ODMs' shipments in February 2024 (shipment volumes do not include detachable models) showed their ...