Angela Priest

Alma.Me

At Alma.Me, we help PhDs kick start their careers in industry through on-demand courses, online communities, networking, and resources to help them make the transition from academia to industry with confidence.

Co-Founder and COO

Groyu

At Groyu, we empower businesses to grow by acknowledging the fundamental importance of people across all aspects of business operations. We use a practical approach rooted in psychology, lean six sigma, agile, and project management best practices to help companies achieve scale, empowering their teams with streamlined processes and sound operational strategies to drive results.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Led a digital marketing company's organizational structure and customer onboarding overhaul, propelling an exceptional 63% improvement across critical metrics, accelerating the customer onboarding process by 78% (from 67 days to 15 days), doubling productivity, and cutting rework loops by 75%.

- Guided a CPG startup with a results-oriented approach and practical solutions to avert the decline of organizational values, advised the formation of a change management committee to drive the values' integration, articulation of corresponding behavioral guidelines, and narrative storytelling approach to promote buy-in.

Managing Director

wejo

Headed strategy, corporate development, and innovation functions, as an integral part of the senior leadership team, offering strategic guidance to foster growth in a big data, SaaS company while directly reporting to EVP, Strategy, and Innovation.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Championed and sponsored the successful pilot of an agile innovation approach, driving accelerated R&D with a 75% reduction in ideation and validation cycle time, from six months to just six weeks.

- Represented the organization in various industry events and company investor day as a company spokesperson, playing a key role in generating potential investment capital worth $50M.

Senior Vice President Strategy & Innovation 

GutCheck

Served as a pivotal member of the senior leadership team, overseeing the company's operations, continuous improvement efforts, and business analytics. Acted as a strategic advisor on operational synchronization for all business units while directly reporting to the CEO. Developed and executed a laptop refurbishment program during the pandemic, effectively managing the laptop shortage.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Orchestrated the timely procurement and integration of 80 new devices, inclusive of system installations, leading to the elimination of daily service incidents, previously averaging three per day.

- Led the centralization and integration of an enterprise-level supplier procurement with a competitive bidding process, and standard contract terms for performance to better manage risks and costs while controlling for redundant purchasing.

Vice President, Operations and Business Solutions 

Provided leadership and guidance to 34 team members and 12 offshores, overseeing supplier procurement, business process improvement, and business analytics. Offered expert advice and insights to the executive team while reporting to the Executive Vice President, Client Solutions and Insights. Engaged in close collaboration with the executive leadership team and internal stakeholders to create annual budgets and business strategies in alignment with organizational objectives.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Boosted customer satisfaction and retention by introducing an improved post-order customer engagement approach, leading to a substantial 33% expansion in average deal size, while sustaining a commendable 63% gross margin and achieving significant savings of over $500K.

- Architected the integration of customer success and customer delivery teams, leading the design of new roles and functional processes to support a streamlined customer service team.

Sr. Director of Operations, Client Solutions and Insights

Directed and mentored 22 team members and 12 offshores with key responsibilities in supplier procurement, business process improvement, and business analytics. Spearheaded process improvement initiatives for the customer success team following the integration of research operations.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Drove a substantial productivity boost, scaling monthly revenue 188% without incurring additional costs through streamlining processes, optimizing ways of working, and strategically rebalancing the tenure of talent on the team.

- Utilized customer feedback to bolster department effectiveness by establishing a three-year strategy and aligning manager and individual objectives (OKRs), resulting in an 84% client satisfaction rate and adaptation to aggressive growth objectives.

Senior Director of Research Operations

J.D. Power

Supervised and coordinated quality and process improvement initiatives for a large, globally distributed team of 100+ professionals handling project management, research execution, and field management. Served as a trusted advisor to the CEO, CFO, and Executive Vice President of Global Research Operations, contributing to informed decision-making and organizational success.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Established and enforced key performance indicators and reporting procedures to ensure timely identification and resolution of critical failures, resulting in enhancing operational visibility by 43%.

- Streamlined resolution process and ownership for reoccurring quality issues and operational failures by conducting impactful Kaizen events on B2C ratings and B2B flagship products, including U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, Automotive CX and IQS Studies, and others.

Senior Manager, Performance Improvement

Served as Chief of Staff, driving the development of a team consisting of 21 highly competent Project Managers and implementing performance improvement processes to improve quality and streamline B2B business processes.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Played a key advisory role, contributing to a $1.1B valuation exit for the prior parent company.

- Facilitated the professional development of project managers through hands-on leadership, contributing to a 50% promotion rate to PMO leadership roles within a two-year timeframe.

- Directed the standardization of corporate operational metrics, leading to improved accountability, enhanced objectivity, and validated information by Project Managers, which resulted in a substantial annual revenue recovery of $5M+.

Senior Project Manager, PMO Operations Lead / Chief of Staff

Oversaw the design and execution of research projects for diverse clients in retail, automotive, and public sectors, ensuring the alignment of research methodology with project objectives and deliverables.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Spearheaded the development of a robust standard operating framework and procedures for the research business unit to drive operational excellence, leading to significant improvements in efficiency and consistency.

- Identified new opportunities for research projects, propelling the growth and expansion of the research business unit.

Research Manager

Administered the design and planning of new syndicated research programs in the Government, Healthcare, Pharmacy, and Retail sectors. Managed a team comprising four interns and two direct reports, providing effective leadership and guidance.

Highlights of accomplishments:

- Drove a culture of continuous improvement by actively seeking opportunities to refine research methodologies, processes, and deliverables, leading to elevated quality standards in customer programs.

- Supervised the successful launch of new syndicated research programs, meticulously coordinating timelines, resources, and logistics for a seamless implementation.

Research Supervisor

Lieberman Research Worldwide

Designed and guided market research, providing advisory services to clients in the entertainment industry.

Vail Resorts

Gathered market research data, performed analysis, and issued weekly reports to guide strategic decision-making related to the guest experience and brand perceptions.

Market Research Interviewer

UCLA Anderson Executive Education

Drove the implementation and refresh of database systems to support executive education programs.

Database Administrator

I'm a data geek and process nerd who loves to build people up and help them grow. For 20 years, I've been turning chaos into order at companies across all stages of growth to ensure that their teams flourish. I'm now throwing my passion for helping people into helping PhDs, PostDocs, and Mid-Career Researchers get jobs in industry. My goal is simple: to help brilliant minds thrive outside the academic world and make real impact in their new careers.

Check out my website to learn more: www.alma.me

Dear Employers - A PhD isn't entry level.

They've already spent years solving complex problems independently.

Start them where their skills below (and please pay them accordingly).

PhD Career Guide | Hiring Manager | 20+ Yrs Building High Performing Teams | COO @ Alma.Me

Dear Employers - PhDs doing REAL work during their degree programs.

Designing and running experiments, innovating new methods and techniques, working equipment, managing data, mentoring, presenting, writing papers.

Oftentimes, they're partnering with companies and other organizations because that's how their work is funded.

And we all know how much of that research and "academic" work is actually used in commercial products.

Please don't disregard that experience in your hiring decisions, just because it was in another environment.

Dear Employers - Please don't confuse lack of industry titles with lack of experience.

PhDs have led teams, budgets, and projects.

But academia uses much more standard, generalized titles.

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Jobseekers are constantly hearing about everything bad going on in the job market. Here are a few things to know:


💡 Companies are still hiring.

4 people in our job search program have gotten jobs in the past month alone.

💡 But, they are being more cautious in their hires.

It's not enough to just have the skills. You have to also have the personality, temperament, and disposition to fit in with the team.

💡 There are always fewer open positions at the end of the year.

It's budget season. Many companies slow hiring while they get next year's budget's approved.

💡 But, hiring generally picks up at the start of every year.

Now is a great time to get your resume and job search strategy going, so that you can be ready to hit the gas in the new year.

If I could give PhDs one piece of advice to improve their job search, it would be this:

Work on your communication skills.

- In academia, complex language is a signal of rigor to your peers.
- In industry, complex language is viewed as a barrier to action for your stakeholders.

Your job is not to prove you're smart (they know you are or you wouldn't have a PhD).

Your job is to persuade people to hire you. Clarity is the tool of persuasion.

In industry, you will have a lot of non-technical stakeholders.

So, if you're not making it through the interview process or you keep getting passed over for other candidates, ask yourself:

Am I communicating what I've done in a language that everyone in the room understands?

Because clarity builds connection and connection is what gets you hired.

👉 If you want to learn how to communicate your value clearly and confidently in interviews, apply for our job search accelerator program:

www.alma.me

We can help you translate your academic experience into a story that hiring teams understand.

#phd #careers #jobsearch

One of the PhDs we helped get a job called me after he started his new position. 

"I feel like I can't get my work done because of how many discussions I have to have about everything."

That's one of the biggest mindset shifts PhDs face when they transition out of academia. 

The shift can be jarring.

Academia is an individual sport. 
Industry is a team sport.

Each requires different skills and a different mindset.

In academia, your success often depends on your individual output: your projects, your publications, your results.

In industry, success depends on collaboration: how you work across functions, share knowledge, and move things forward together.

You're no longer just the expert on your project. You're part of a larger team working toward a shared goal.

Once he learned about this difference, it was smooth sailing. He no longer felt like he was underperforming and could better integrate himself in the team.

👉 In our job search program, we help PhDs make this transition smoothly, learning how to communicate, collaborate, and show the impact they can bring as part of a team.

Apply here: www.alma.me

Why do some PhDs get hired and others don't, even when their skills are the same?

In 20 years of hiring, I see the same pattern over and over:

The candidates who connect with the humans in the process are the ones who get hired.

Here's what that looks like:

A tenured professor joined our job search program for help transitioning to industry. She was applying for a data scientist role at a startup in the digital learning space.

During our mock interview, I asked her:

💬 "Why do you want this job?"

Her first answer?

💬 "I have the skills. I check all the boxes."

Fair answer, but it wasn't enough.

So I asked:

💬 "Sure, but why do you WANT to do this work?"

She paused. Then said:

💬 "I'm a neuroscientist and a teacher. I've spent my career thinking and
studying how people learn. This role would keep me doing that, just in a
new way."

And that's the shift.

From blending in with every other candidate to being personally aligned with the company's mission.

Needless to say, the recruiter moved her to the next round.

Not just because of her skill set.
But because she made it human.

What most PhDs don't realize is:

- Most recruiters and hiring managers don't have a PhD
- Some have never hired a PhD before
- And many don't actually know what a PhD entails 

So when you lead with your degrees and publications, you may accidentally create distance instead of connection.

The best candidates don't just share what they can DO.
They share why it MATTERs to them.


#phd #careers #jobsearch

What a great end to the week! 3 of the PhDs we're working with got a job in the past week and 2 others are starting their new positions the first week of Dec. So, for all you jobseekers out there, don't lose hope. Companies are still hiring. Your offer might be just around the corner.

One of the PhDs we worked with was spending 3-4 hours tailoring her resume and cover letter.

This meant that she couldn't get into early applicant pools and she lowered her chances of getting her resume seen.

Here's how we got her down to a 30-minute application to improve her results:

1. Define 1 role she wanted to target. Helped her pick her lane and not try to fit every job description.
2. Identified the common skills and requirements across companies for that role to focus her core message.
3. Wrote her resume to center around those themes.
4. Showed her how to adjust her resume in two minor areas to tailor for each company.

That's it.

She now had a resume that could be used universally across companies but FELT specific to each one.

When people say "tailor your resume," this is what they mean.

Not random mass applications, but targeting your resume for your best fit role.

With this approach, you can apply for 3-5 high quality roles per day in less than 2 hours. And voila, now you can compete in your job search at scale.

👉 In our job search program, we help PhDs streamline their applications, build high impact resumes, and apply more strategically, so they can spend more time getting interviews. 

Check it out on our website: www.alma.me

#phd #jobsearch #careers

"I don't know how I would have gotten an offer without your advice."

One of the data science PhDs we worked with recently landed her dream job at nearly 2x the salary she thought was possible.

Before working with us, she hadn't gotten a single interview.

Here's what we advised:
1. Stop applying to entry-level roles and aim for more senior positions.
2. Reframe her resume to highlight applied skills instead of describing tasks
3. Apply consistently and strategically, not in occasional bursts
4. Focus on industries where she had relevant subject matter expertise

When you align your applications with your value, instead of downplaying your expertise, your results will shift.

👉 Are you a STEM PhD struggling to get job interviews?
Apply for our job search program: www.alma.me
We accept 2 new PhDs each week.

"I matched all the skills, applied, and never heard back. Now the role was reposted. What does this mean?"


It's one of the most frustrating things to see.

You apply for a job that's a perfect fit, get no interview, no response, then a few weeks later, the same job pops up again.

It can make you wonder, "Was I not good enough? Did they just not like me?"

Here are a few of the ACTUAL reasons companies repost roles:

* It's an evergreen posting to keep the pipeline warm for future openings
* They're keeping backups in case the first round of candidates falls through
* The ATS or job board automatically closed the post and it needs a refresh
* The role evolved and needs a new level, focus, or skill set
* No one fully met the requirements
* Too few strong candidates to run a full, competitive interview cycle
* They're widening the pool to validate the current finalists
* Compliance rules require the role to stay open for a set amount of time
* HR needs to repost for audit/equal opportunity reasons
* An offer fell through and the search restarted
* Hiring was paused (e.g., budget freeze). Reposting means it's reapproved.

So, try not to take the repost personally.

Keep applying. Odds are the repost is unrelated to your application.

👉 Our job search program helps PhDs understand how hiring really works and position yourself so the right people notice you.

You can apply here: www.alma.me

We accept 2 new PhDs each week.

#phd #jobsearch #careers

Over the past year, we've worked with PhDs, postdocs, and even tenured professors. And no matter how far along they are, they tend to find us at one of four stages:

1️⃣ "I have no idea how to land a job in industry."
They feel lost and overwhelmed.
We help them bring structure and strategy.
Helping them be confident in their search with a clear plan.

2️⃣ "I've been applying for months and not getting interviews."
We help translate their experience into the right language, target roles (and levels) that actually fit.

3️⃣ "I'm getting interviews, but they always go with someone else."
We train them to connect their academic experience to what hiring manager are really looking for and to communicate that confidently.

4️⃣ "I'm interviewing, but I don't feel confident."
We focus on mindset: owning your value, knowing what you bring to the table, and learning how to navigate conversations (and offers) with confidence.

But all of them have one thing in common:

They recognize they're struggling. And they don't want to do it alone anymore.

No matter the stage, we meet you where you're at.

👉 If any of these stages sound like you, or if you're just ready for structure, clarity, and support in your job transition, check out our job search program.

Apply here: www.alma.me

We can help you find your path after academia and help you build confidence in what comes next.

#phd #careers #jobsearch

Most PhDs who come to me for help want to upskill.

But skill is rarely the problem when PhDs transition into industry.

It's communication.

Communicating your value to a new audience, in a new language.
Both in you resume and during the interview.

Learn how to frame the experience you already have in an industry context if you want to get better results. 

This often means simplifying.

👉 Join our job search program (www.alma.me) and learn how to communicate your value clearly and confidently in a way that gets you hired.

#phd #jobsearch #careers.

Having hired and built high performing teams for 20 years, here's what companies usually look for (and how it's different from academia):

💡 Academia is driven by the pursuit of fundamental truth.

In academia, hiring is often focused on publications, awards, achievements, presentations, grants, etc. 

This demonstrates your ability to create knowledge that the university uses to build their reputation and institutional presence.

In other words, your work needs to be polished, precise, and defensible.

The CV is the record that creates that defensibility.

⏩ Industry is driven by the pursuit of creating value.

Hiring is focused on your ability to create impact (i.e., drive action and forward progress). This means creating recommendations, product features, or inform decisions that save time, money, or improve quality.

Speed and impact > precision.

The industry resume is that demonstrates (through examples) your ability to create value.



#phd #jobsearch #careers

🩺I take researchers from goals to published results 🇮🇳 🇬🇧 Founder II Academic Writing Mentor || AI researcher || Homeopath ✅️Need Research Solutions❓️ Go to my ABOUT section.🔻

I specialize in testing AI tools for literature reviews, academic writing, editing and statistical analysis, sharing insights that enhance research productivity and workflow.

As a PhD in Life Sciences, I am passionate about guiding academics and PhDs from research concept to completion, ensuring they have the right tools, methodologies and mentorship to succeed.

🎯 How I Help Researchers & PhDs??

Through 

🟪 RESEARCH MADE CLEAR 🟪

I offer consultancy services in:

✅ Scientific Writing & Editing: Ensuring clarity, coherence and impact in research papers.
✅ PhD Mentorship & Research Methodology: Supporting scholars in thesis writing, research design, and proposal development.
✅ Data & Statistical Analysis: Providing expertise in biostatistics, data analysis and result interpretation.
✅ Faculty & Student Development: Training in AI-powered research tools & ethical considerations.
✅️ Webinars & Workshops: How to use AI tools for Literature Review, research writing and Research Management, ethically.

🔍 My Experience & Research Contributions:

With 10+ years of experience across multidisciplinary research projects, I have:
📌 Led & coordinated multiple research trials and longitudinal surveys as a Research Manager.
📌 Published 8+ peer-reviewed papers in evidence-based medical writing.
📌 Developed the MAPNI questionnaire—a validated tool assessing perceived stigma towards mental illness in India.
📌 Taught Research Methodology & Biostatistics as an 'Assistant Professor', mentoring 500+ academic professionals in thesis & dissertation writing.
📌 Supervised successful scholarship applications for the Short-Term Studentship in Homoeopathy (STSH, CCRH, India).

📢 Let’s Connect
✅️Need expert guidance in research writing, AI tools or statistical analysis?
✅️Looking for collaborations, training sessions or mentorship?

💌 Email: dps@researchmadeclear.com
📩 DM me here on LinkedIn!

Dr Priya Singh PhD💜MD (Hom.)

Most PhDs overcomplicate qualitative research.

I suggest my mentees to follow these guidelines for doing strong qualitative research:

1. Start with a focused question, not a vague topic

 Bad: “I want to explore leadership.”
 Better: “How do first-time managers in X context make decisions under pressure?”

The clearer your question, the easier every next step becomes (interview guide, coding, themes).

2. Talk to the right people, not just the available ones
 
Your sample should be:
Directly connected to your research question
Able and willing to share experiences
 
Don’t just recruit whoever says yes. Be intentional.

3. Design interviews like a conversation, not an interrogation

Use:
Warm-up questions (“Tell me a bit about your role…”)
Open questions (“Can you walk me through…”)
Gentle probes (“Can you tell me more about that?”)
 
Your goal is to help participants tell stories, not give one-word answers.

4. Record your decisions as you go
 
Keep a simple research diary:
Why you changed a question
Why you added/dropped a code
What surprised you in the data

 This becomes gold later when you write methods, reflexivity, and limitations.

5. Transcription: good enough > perfect

Capture:
What was said
Key emotions (laughs, long pause, sighs) when they change meaning
 
Perfectionism in transcription can drain your energy before the real analysis starts.

6. Coding isn’t about “finding the right answer”
 
Think of coding as labeling pieces of meaning:
First round: messy, descriptive labels (what is being said?)
Later rounds: more focused (what does this mean in relation to my question?)

 You’re moving from labels → patterns → themes.

7. Your themes must answer your research question
 
A theme is not just a topic like “communication” or “stress”.
 A strong theme sounds like an insight:
“Feeling unsupported by seniors increases self-doubt in new PhDs.”
 
Ask yourself for each theme: “So what? What does this explain or reveal?”

8. Use quotes wisely – not as decoration

A good quote should:
Be short and sharp
Clearly illustrate the point you’re making
Be followed by your interpretation
 
Don’t let quotes do all the work. Your job is to connect them to the story.

9. Aim for clarity, not complexity, in your writing
 
If your methods and findings can’t be understood by a smart Master’s student, they’re probably too complicated.
 
Avoid filler phrases like “It is important to note that…” – be direct and specific.

PS:  What part of qualitative research do you struggle with most –
 interviews, coding, or writing up themes?

Share in the comments.

REPOST to help others.

Guide to using Qualitatuve Research Methodology

The biggest research mistake?
Choosing a topic before choosing a problem.

A well-crafted research question is not just a sentence… it is the backbone of your entire research project.

Here are simple, practical tips to help you write research questions that are clear, focused, and worth answering:

1. Start with the Problem, Not the Literature Dump 
Don’t begin by thinking, “What topic should I choose?”
 
Start by asking: “What real-world problem or gap actually needs to be solved or understood?”

Your research question should grow from a problem that genuinely puzzles you.

2. Make Your Question Answerable 

A great research question is:
 ✔ Specific
 ✔ Narrow
 ✔ Observable
 ✔ Measurable (even in qualitative research, “measurable” means “can be explored through data”)

Avoid questions like:
 ✖ “Why is education important?”
 That’s an essay, not research.
 
Instead aim for:
 ✔ “How do first-year teachers experience the shift to AI-assisted classrooms?”

3. Choose the Right Question Type
Ask yourself: What exactly do I need to know?

For quantitative studies → your question usually aims to:
• Compare groups
 • Test relationships
 • Measure an outcome
Examples:
 ✔ “Does training frequency predict employee retention in startups?”
 ✔ “Is there a difference in burnout levels between remote and on-site nurses?”

For qualitative studies → your question usually aims to:
• Explore experiences
 • Understand meanings
 • Unpack processes
Examples:
 ✔ “How do women describe their decision-making process after receiving an infertility diagnosis?”
 ✔ “What challenges do teachers face when integrating assistive technology for autistic learners?”

4. One Question = One Direction
A common mistake: asking questions that are trying to do too many things at once.
Keep your RQ laser-focused.

If you feel tempted to add “and” again and again — split it into sub-questions.

5. Make Sure Someone Actually Needs the Answer
A strong research question has impact.

Ask yourself:
 👉 If I answer this, who benefits?
 👉 Does this move the field forward?
 👉 Will this help someone make better decisions?
If the answer is “not really,” revise it.

6. Let Your RQ Guide Your Entire Design
This is the part most students underestimate.
 Your research question should naturally lead to:
 • Your methodology
 • Your sampling decisions
 • Your analytical strategy
 • Your hypotheses (if quantitative)
 • Your interview questions (if qualitative)
If your question doesn’t point clearly to the method, there’s a mismatch.

7. Don’t Aim for Perfect — Aim for Clear
Research questions evolve.

Refining your RQ is part of the research process, not a sign that you're doing it wrong.

PS: What’s one mistake you made when framing your first research question — and what did it teach you?
Share in the comments.

REPOST to help others.

Guide to writing RQ and hypothesis

How to cut your literature review time from 6 weeks to 6 hours (without missing the important papers) ?

Most PhD students don’t struggle with ideas 
They struggle with information overload.

You open databases for 10 minutes… and 3 hours + 27 tabs later, you’re still not sure what the field actually says.

This is where this Literature Review Agent + Research Tracer together can be genuinely helpful, without replacing your brain.

How I tell my mentees to use them:
1. Go to https://lnkd.in/eiHTBi36
2. Start wide with the Literature Review Agent. 

Type your topic
✅ It searches through over 200 million academic papers to highlight key works in your field and identify research gaps. 
✅Instead of spending weeks wondering if you've covered the foundations, you get a clear map of the landscape in minutes.

Treat this as a map of the territory, not the final word. Mark which themes actually match your research question.

3. Then zoom in with Research Tracer
Once you know the main themes, use Research Tracer for:

✅Tracing how ideas evolved over time
✅Seeing which papers started a line of work – and which ones challenged it
✅Spotting newer trends and shifts you might miss with manual searching 

Start with the Literature Review to understand the big picture and spot the gaps. 
Then use the Research Tracer to follow the thread of specific concepts that matter to your work. 

You can even feed it your rough notes (up to 2,500 characters) and it'll find papers in the same domain to compare against what you've written.

📌 Even with both agents, you still need to:
Read the important papers yourself (methods, limitations, not just the abstract)
Check that citations actually support the claims
Decide which debates matter for your thesis
Rewrite all AI outputs in your own words and voice

Think of these agents as research assistants who help with the heavy lifting of searching, tracing, and organising so you can spend more time thinking, critiquing, and writing.

If you’re a PhD or early-career researcher:
 👉 Use AI to cut down search time, not thinking time.

Try it here: https://lnkd.in/eiHTBi36
 40% off the first month only valid for the Liner Pro monthly plan.
 Use code: 2025priya1 for the final discounted price.

PS: How many literature reviews have you started over because you weren't sure you'd covered everything?

Share in the comments

REPOST to help others

How to write a review that journals actually want to publish??

Review studies look straightforward… until you start one.

Very quickly, you realise they demand more organisation, more clarity, and more discipline than almost any other research design.

Here are a few things I wish, I knew earlier about literature reviews, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses:

1. Your review is only as strong as your question
Most researchers jump into searching before sharpening their question.
 
But a vague question = vague search = vague conclusions.

A tight question instantly tells you:
what to search,
what to ignore,
and which type of review makes sense.
Think of the question as your GPS, if it's unclear, expect detours.

2. Build your “evidence pipeline” before you search
A good review is 50% planning, 50% execution.

Before touching a database, set up:
where you’ll store papers,
how you’ll label and code them,
who checks what,
and what happens if you disagree on a study.

This upfront setup saves you from chaos later.

3. Don’t aim for perfect, aim for transparent
Review studies often trigger perfectionism: “what if I missed a paper?”
 
Instead of perfection, focus on clarity.
If your process is:
logical,
well-documented, and
reproducible,
…your review holds up even if you refine it later.

Transparency beats perfection.

4. The magic happens after you extract the data
Most beginners think the hard part is screening.

It’s not.
The real challenge begins when you have 40–80 papers and must turn scattered findings into a clear story. 

That requires:
pattern-spotting,
grouping ideas,
comparing contradictions,
and identifying what the field still doesn’t know.

This is where your analytical voice shines.

5. Use your review to discover, not just to summarise
A high-quality review doesn’t simply restate what others said.
 
It tells the reader:
what’s missing,
where the evidence is thin,
where the field is confused,
and what the next research step should logically be.

The purpose is not to show everything you read, but to create clarity for someone who hasn’t read any of it.

6. Design your review for your future self
Reviews take months.

Document decisions as if someone else will continue your project tomorrow:
Why did you exclude that study?
Why did you choose that database?
Why did you change your keywords?

Your future self will thank you.

7. And finally: pace yourself
Review studies can be surprisingly draining.

Set:
weekly screening goals,
a time limit for reading each abstract,
and clear “stop” criteria.

Slow and steady > burnout and backlog.

PS: Do you prefer reading 100 papers before you write or writing as you read?
Share in the comments.

REPOST to help others.

How to find the papers you didn’t even know you were missing?

Most researchers don’t struggle with finding papers.

They struggle with making sense of the papers they’ve already found.

You collect PDFs, bookmark links, highlight paragraphs…
but when it’s finally time to connect the dots, the literature feels scattered and overwhelming.

That’s exactly where AnswerThis (YC F25) Canvas surprised me.

It’s not just another AI tool — it’s a full research system:
Search → Analyse → Chat → Map → Write all in one clean interface.

How I used it for a citation map:
I started with a simple research question.
 
Canvas instantly generated a literature review with real citations, then surfaced additional studies I hadn’t even thought to include.

This is where it gets genuinely useful:
 you can filter, trim, and refine the papers until you’re left with exactly the set you want to analyse.

Then, with one click, you can run a bibliometric snapshot showing:
Which years had publication spikes
Which keywords dominate the field
Who the influential authors are
Which studies have shaped the conversation

And my favourite part?

You can visualise how 50+ papers connect —
which ones are central, which ones sit on the edges, and which foundational studies you might have overlooked.

It’s like watching your literature review untangle itself.

Try this workflow, here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/e_HfEfN8 

PS: Would a citation map change how you approach your next paper or PhD chapter?

Share in the comments

REPOST to help others.

Google quietly released a new AI-powered research tool

Google Scholar Labs, an experimental AI-powered feature that actually understands your research question and brings back papers with context. 

If you’ve ever spent hours searching, clicking, and still missing key literature… this tool might change your workflow.

In my new video, I break down:
✨ What Scholar Labs is
 ✨ How the AI-powered search works
 ✨ A full demo using real research questions
 ✨ When to use it (and when not to)
 ✨ How to save hours in your literature review

If you’re a PhD student, early-career researcher, or anyone doing academic writing — this is worth knowing.

🎥 Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eNintd5Q

PS: Do you think AI will become a standard part of academic literature searching in the next 2–3 years?
Share in the comments.

REPOST to help others.

The biggest determinant of PhD success? 

Not your GPA. Not your topic. Not your supervisor. 

Your resilience.

When I look back at my own PhD, I remember a moment that completely changed how I understood progress.

It wasn’t during a breakthrough.
It wasn’t after a great supervision meeting.
It wasn’t even when a chapter finally clicked.
It was during a period where I had completely burned out... a quiet afternoon where I sat staring at my laptop, unable to even open the document.

At that moment, I didn’t need a productivity strategy.
I didn’t need a new writing tool.
I didn’t need a better timeline.
I needed recovery.

And no one had ever told me how crucial that was.

Over the years, supervising students, I’ve realised something powerful:

The students who finish strong are the ones who know how to come back after they fall.

Because in a PhD, you will fall.

Not once.
Not twice.

But repeatedly, and in ways that feel personal.

You will go through:
 • intellectual droughts
 • confidence crashes
 • emotional exhaustion
 • rejection after months of effort
 • life moments that interrupt everything
 • days when every sentence feels wrong

📌 The overlooked skill that carries you through a PhD is:
Knowing when to pause.
Knowing how to restore your mind.
Knowing how to speak to yourself with kindness when you feel behind.
Knowing the difference between discipline and self-punishment.
Knowing that rest is not time lost, it is part of the process.

🔥 My message to PhDs today:
Your capacity to keep going will not come from working harder.
It will come from restoring your ability to think, feel, and function.

Because research is not a sprint.
It’s not a marathon either.

It’s a long, uneven landscape full of climbs, dips, plateaus, and unexpected storms.

Success belongs to those who learn how to rest without quitting.

PS: What does recovery look like for you and when was the last time you allowed yourself to do it without guilt?

Someone else reading the comments might need your answer.

Share in the comments

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“How do I start this sentence?” 

If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen wondering, you are not alone.

Academic writing involves both good ideas and finding the right language to communicate them with clarity and precision.

This guide of starter phrases for all major sections of a research paper, and it reminded me how powerful syntactic scaffolding can be.

Thank you for sharing Muhammad Muneeb

Sometimes, we don’t need new ideas, we just need the right sentence structure to express them.

This resource offers such practical, ready-to-use phrasing 👇 

Save this for later. 

REPOST to help others

The EduTech Guide: AI Transformations in Learning | Your AI guide to the digital world | Follow me to learn how you can use AI to 10x your productivity and accelerate your career.

100 starter phrases for research writing.

I personally found this guide very useful for writing.

This guides you how to write each of the following sections.

- Introduction
- Literature review
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion 
- Conclusion

#phd #research #writing

Research writing

Biomedical science finally gets an AI built just for its complexity

Meet the SciSpace BioMed Agent 
What impressed me most is how purpose-built it is.

With 150+ biomedical software integrations and 100+ specialized tools, 
it can automate tasks that normally require multiple platforms and a lot of manual effort.
 
Clinical workflows, 
variant interpretation, 
literature review, 
experimental design, 
drug discovery… all in one place.

The original SciSpace Agent still handles broad research across all disciplines.

But BioMed Agent is built only for biomedical work, from genes and pathways to patients, drugs, and trials. 

It understands the language, the complexity, and the workflow.

To test it, I asked a real research question:
 👉 “Show me recent studies, biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and ongoing clinical trials for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.”

And it delivered — structured, clear, up-to-date insights within seconds.
 
I also tried the new biomedical illustration feature 

I simply prompted it to create a clinical trial phases diagram… and it generated a clean, publication-ready figure instantly.

For someone who has spent years making figures for papers and lectures, this felt like magic.

If you’re in biomedical research, this isn’t just another tool.

It genuinely feels like having an AI co-scientist—one that saves you hours, reduces cognitive overload, and helps you focus on the work that actually matters.

🔗 Try SciSpace BioMed Agent : https://lnkd.in/eieAfd-5
Use code:
DPSBIO40: offer 40% off on annual plan
DPSBIO20: offer 20% off on monthly plan

DPSBIO30: offer 30% off on annual plan (Indian users)

PS: If AI could automate ONE step of your biomedical pipeline this week, what would you choose?

Share in the comments

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#scispace #scispacebiomed #aiinresearch #biomedicalscience #researchtools #phdlife #drugdiscovery #clinicalresearch

❓ Mam...“How do I use AI to support my research without letting it override my own thinking?”

Most researchers I mentor ask this similar question now 👆 

I believe the answer lies in the workflow.

Recently, I experimented with AnswerThis (YC F25) simply to understand how such systems might support early-stage exploration, especially the thinking before writing phase. 

That exploration led me to sketch a simple, ethical framework that any researcher can adapt.

A Suggestive Framework for Using AI in Early Research Thinking:

Draft → Extract → Evaluate → Interpret → Rewrite

1. Draft (AI for scaffolding only)
Tools like AnswerThis (YC F25) can generate a very rough first draft or outline based on a research question.
 
This isn’t the end product.
It’s a starting structure.
 
It helps researchers see how the field might be framed before they begin shaping it themselves.

2. Extract (AI for organising information)
One feature I found quite useful was the ability to extract limitations, gaps, and future directions from the papers AI itself cited.

It’s simply about accelerating the information-gathering phase so you can spend more time thinking and less time manually hunting for recurring themes.

3. Evaluate (human verification is essential)
Every AI-generated insight must be checked against the original papers.

Accuracy, nuance, context 
that responsibility remains yours.
 
AI can summarise, but it cannot read like a researcher.

4. Interpret (the core intellectual work)
Your analysis determines:
✅ which gaps are meaningful
✅how ideas connect
✅what questions matter
✅where a study could contribute

This is where your voice, expertise, and originality shape the argument.

5. Rewrite (claim the draft as your own)
Even if AI helps produce scaffolding, the final text should be your reasoning, your words, your structure.

This framework matters, as:
It keeps the researcher at the centre.
 
It uses AI for the parts that slow you down — summarisation, structuring, organising 

while protecting the parts that define scholarship:
judgment, interpretation, and argumentation.

For me, this reframes AI not as a shortcut, but as a thinking partner during early exploration.

If you want to try the workflow with AnswerThis, go here: https://lnkd.in/e_HfEfN8 
For discounts on subscription, use 'PRIYA10'

PS: Are you experimenting with tools like AnswerThis for early drafts or deep dives?
What boundaries or workflows help you keep the research rigorous and ethical?
Share in the comments.

REPOST to help others.

Follow for more research workflows.

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