Research Notebook
The Research Notebook is your intelligent digital companion for capturing, organizing, and synthesizing research insights throughout your systematic review journey.
Overview
Great research involves countless insights, observations, and ideas that can easily be lost. The Research Notebook captures everything, uses AI to organize and connect your thoughts, and helps you turn notes into action.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Smart Capture | Quick note-taking with AI enhancement |
| Auto-Organization | AI categorizes and tags your notes |
| Cross-Linking | Connect related insights automatically |
| Synthesis Support | Turn notes into manuscript content |
Notebook Features
1. Smart Note Capture
Multiple ways to capture insights:
| Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| Quick Note | Fast text entry |
| Voice Note | Hands-free capture |
| Web Clipper | Save from browser |
| PDF Highlight | Extract from documents |
| Screenshot | Capture visual content |
2. AI Enhancement
Intelligent Notes: When you create a note, AI automatically suggests tags, identifies related notes, and extracts key concepts to make your insights more discoverable.
Auto-Generated Metadata:
- Topic tags
- Related papers
- Connected notes
- Key terms
- Sentiment/opinion detection
3. Organization Structure
Flexible organization system:
📓 Research Notebook
📁 Projects
📁 Diabetes-Exercise Review
📝 Initial thoughts on scope
📝 Interesting methodology in Smith 2020
📝 Data extraction challenges
📝 Synthesis ideas
📁 Other Project
📁 Methods Notes
📁 Paper Reviews
📁 Ideas & Questions
📁 Meeting Notes
Note Types
Standard Notes
Free-form text notes for any insight:
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| Title | "Interesting heterogeneity observation" |
| Content | Your detailed thoughts |
| Tags | #methods, #diabetes-review, #heterogeneity |
| Links | Connected to: Smith 2020, Analysis notes |
Paper Notes
Structured notes linked to specific papers:
- Key findings summary
- Methodology observations
- Quality concerns
- Quotes and page references
- Relevance assessment
Question Notes
Capture questions to investigate:
- Research questions to explore
- Methodology uncertainties
- Follow-up items
- Discussion points for team
Decision Notes
Document decisions and rationale:
- What was decided
- Why (rationale)
- Alternatives considered
- Who was involved
- Impact on review
Using the Research Notebook
Creating Notes
Quick Capture:
- Press
Ctrl/Cmd + Nanywhere in EvidAI - Type your note
- AI suggests tags and connections
- Save (notes sync automatically)
From Documents:
- Highlight text in any PDF
- Right-click → "Add to Notebook"
- Note created with paper link
- Add your commentary
Finding Notes
Search Options:
| Search Type | How |
|---|---|
| Full-Text | Search all note content |
| By Tag | Click or filter by tags |
| By Project | Browse project folders |
| By Paper | See notes linked to paper |
| AI Search | "Find my notes about heterogeneity" |
Connecting Notes
Build knowledge networks:
- Manual Links: Connect related notes
- AI Suggestions: Accept recommended connections
- Backlinks: See what links to this note
- Graph View: Visualize note connections
AI Features
Smart Summaries
Request summaries of your notes:
You: "Summarize my notes on methodology decisions"
AI: Based on your 12 notes tagged #methodology from the past month:
Key Decisions:
• Using random effects model due to expected heterogeneity (Dec 15)
• Will include observational studies in sensitivity analysis (Dec 12)
• Adopted GRADE for certainty assessment (Dec 10)
Outstanding Questions:
• How to handle missing outcome data (noted Dec 18)
• Subgroup analysis plan needs team discussion (noted Dec 16)
Would you like me to draft a methods section based on these notes?
Note to Content
Transform notes into manuscript text:
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Decision notes | Methods section paragraphs |
| Paper notes | Literature review content |
| Synthesis notes | Discussion points |
| Question notes | Limitations section |
Pattern Detection
AI identifies patterns across notes:
- Recurring themes
- Evolving understanding
- Potential gaps in thinking
- Contradictions to resolve
Collaboration Features
Shared Notebooks
Work with team members:
| Permission | Capability |
|---|---|
| View | Read notes only |
| Comment | Add comments to notes |
| Edit | Modify shared notes |
| Full | Create, edit, delete |
Comments & Discussions
Discuss notes with colleagues:
- Add comments to specific notes
- @mention team members
- Resolve discussion threads
- Track comment history
Activity Feed
See team notebook activity:
- New notes added
- Notes updated
- Comments and replies
- Tags and links added
Export & Integration
Export Options
| Format | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Markdown | Plain text backup |
| Printable compilation | |
| Word | Manuscript drafting |
| HTML | Shareable web format |
Integration Points
| Tool | Integration |
|---|---|
| Manuscript Writer | Import notes as content |
| Study Compare | Link notes to comparisons |
| Meeting Transcription | Connect to meeting notes |
| Protocol Builder | Reference decision notes |
Best Practices
Effective Note-Taking
- Capture Immediately: Note insights when they occur
- Be Specific: Include context and references
- Use Consistent Tags: Develop personal taxonomy
- Review Regularly: Weekly review of recent notes
Building Knowledge
Tip: The most valuable notebooks are those reviewed and refined regularly. Schedule 15 minutes weekly to review notes, add connections, and consolidate insights.
- Link related notes together
- Consolidate similar insights
- Archive resolved questions
- Update evolving thoughts
Team Coordination
- Establish shared tagging conventions
- Define notebook folder structure
- Set expectations for note sharing
- Regular team notebook reviews