1๏ธโฃ Start by identifying the ๐ด๐ผ๐ฎ๐น. These questions will guide your literature collection and writing of the review:
โ Why this problem?
โ What has been done before and where's the research gap?
โ What other methods exist, and why could the chosen method fill the gap?
2๏ธโฃ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ relevant literature to answer the above questions by starting from a root paper, branch out and then narrowing down to your theme.
I'd suggest @rsrchrabbit for this step. (I've already made a reel about this and you can find it in my recent story/highlights.)
3๏ธโฃ Skim and capture key ideas by reading the ๐๐๐ - Abstract, Introduction & Conclusion - from the collected papers.
4๏ธโฃ Reorganize your thoughts and create a narrative flow with my '๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ'. (Also in the already mentioned reel! Do you want to know more about this tool? Drop a ๐ in the comments, )
5๏ธโฃ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด the review! Brain dump all the things you've read. No editing, just writing.
๐Writing a literature review feels daunting for the first time. But it is a skill that is developed with practice and time!
So keep reading & writing!
If you found this helpful, please retweet๐ the first tweet and help this reach a wider audience!โค๏ธ
โจ๐This is a part of my #QApensieveSeries on Instagram, where I create posts to answer questions from my followers๐
If you want me to post on a particular topic, comment your question below!โฌ๏ธ And consider following me here and also on IG (instagram.com/thephdpensieve/)!
Here's the link to the reel mentioned in steps 2 & 4!
After trying to integrate all my writing into one app, I couldn't choose one.
As researchers our writing needs are diverse & so here's my #writing system for anyone who needs!
Our systems can be as simple or as complex as our needs are. So the best system is the one that works for you!
Here are all the apps I use for my writing & why I chose them:
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐๐
People in my field and lab mostly use LaTeX for most documents. Especially ones that need impeccable formatting/ with lots of in-text citations. Online app for
๐น๐๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง
๐น๐๐ฆ๐๐ด๐ต๐ถ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฐ
Zotfile lets you
- sync Zotero library across devices through any cloud storage you use.
- Extract annotations from pdfs annotated with other software!
- rename all the pdfs in any format you prefer, save & sync them with your cloud.
Whenever you add a new paper to synced Zotero collection, a new file is created in a linked Notion database.
Any note you create for that paper will be automatically sent to that file!
1. Maintain a #PhDjournal๐
Experiments, results, failures, meetings w/ guide, seminars, weekly plans, proposal brainstorming, talk prep - everything related to your PhD in one notebook.
(coursework & journal notes can be separate, but I used the same note. 1 note/year for me)
2. Read a lot of journal articles. A lot.
It is the best way to take your research forward!
(I wanted to try the #365papersChallenge, but couldn't keep up. I read way fewer papers than I want myself to. This could be my sign from the universe to step up!) #journalclub
Have you ever searched for "How to do a #LiteratureReview quickly/in 1 day/3 hours"?
And then spend the entire time getting lost in searching/ wallowing in tangential directions?
From my fair share of struggle with literature reviews, I devised a technique that helped me do *quick* literature surveys, especially when I needed to
- write a #grant#proposal
- improve a half-written #manuscript
- learn a new method/theory
So, here you go...
1๏ธโฃCollecting literature: Research Rabbit App
My go-to tool for literature discovery+visualize connection b/w them. (very essential for writing your LitRev, as you will need to draw connections between different works.)