7 insanely useful academic apps you've not heard about!

Andy Stapleton
17 May 202111:57

TLDRDiscover 7 innovative academic apps designed to enhance research and writing efficiency. Paper Digest uses AI to summarize articles, while Rightful improves academic writing through machine learning. Penelope.ai streamlines manuscript formatting for journal submission, and Lit Maps visually organizes research references. Biorender aids in creating professional images for scientific papers, Outlet facilitates the sharing of biological samples, and Kudos simplifies science communication, ensuring research reaches a broader audience.

Takeaways

  • 🔍 Discover new academic apps focused on enhancing research and institutional efficiency.
  • 📄 Paper Digest uses AI to summarize large articles quickly based on their DOI or PDF.
  • ✍️ Rightful is an app designed to improve academic writing by using machine learning algorithms.
  • 📄 Penelope.ai assists in formatting manuscripts according to specific journal requirements.
  • 🗺️ Lit Maps provides interactive citation maps and email updates for research literature tracking.
  • 🎨 Biorender is a tool for creating professional images and figures for scientific papers efficiently.
  • 🧬 Outlet.io facilitates the sharing of biological samples globally among researchers for collaboration.
  • 🚀 Kudos is a platform for effective and efficient sharing of research to broaden its reach and impact.
  • 📈 Emphasize the importance of visual tools in understanding and presenting research data and connections.
  • 🤝 Highlight the benefits of sample sharing for reducing the need to sample from the natural world.
  • 💬 Encourage communication and collaboration in science to ensure research is utilized and not wasted.

Q & A

  • What is the primary function of Paper Digest?

    -Paper Digest uses artificial intelligence to summarize large articles easily. Users can input the DOI or upload a PDF document, and the app will provide a summary, particularly helpful for papers that are in open access or have a PDF available.

  • How does the app Rightful help academics with their writing?

    -Rightful improves academic writing by using a machine learning algorithm that has been trained on numerous papers and journals. It serves as a model to assist users in writing the best paper possible, focusing on language, grammar, terminology, and technical jargon.

  • What is the purpose of Penelope.ai?

    -Penelope.ai streamlines the process of formatting academic papers according to journal requirements. It checks for common mistakes and ensures that manuscripts meet specific journal guidelines, including the correct number of columns, figure layout, and referencing style.

  • How does Lit Maps help researchers keep track of references and the research literature?

    -Lit Maps provides interactive citation maps and email updates for new links to the map. It helps researchers visualize connections between different pieces of literature, making it easier to manage and understand the broader context of their research field.

  • What is Biorender and who is it particularly useful for?

    -Biorender is a tool for creating professional images and figures for scientific papers, particularly in the biology and natural sciences. It simplifies the process of producing high-quality visuals that meet the expectations of modern scientific publications.

  • What does Outlet.io facilitate among scientists?

    -Outlet.io is a platform for the sharing of biological samples. Scientists can upload samples they no longer need and make them available to other researchers worldwide, promoting collaboration and reducing the need for additional sampling from the natural world.

  • How does GrowKudos.com support science communication?

    -GrowKudos.com allows researchers to share their research more effectively by creating a web page that tells the story around their work. This tool helps in disseminating research findings and ensures that science is not wasted by making it accessible and understandable to a broader audience.

  • What is the main challenge that the presenter faced with academic writing?

    -The presenter struggled with the technical aspects of academic writing, such as language, grammar, and terminology. They had to learn quickly, and their first supervisor during their PhD played a crucial role in teaching them the nuances of academic writing.

  • What is the significance of having high-quality images and figures in scientific papers?

    -High-quality images and figures enhance the clarity and professionalism of scientific papers. They help communicate complex information effectively and are expected by readers and publishers as standards have evolved beyond simple graphs or drawings.

  • How does the presenter encourage researchers to share their research stories?

    -The presenter advocates for the use of tools like Kudos or Verbalize.Science to capture and share research stories in a simplified language. This approach makes the research more understandable and memorable, increasing its potential for use and dissemination.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Discovering New Academic Apps

The paragraph introduces the viewer to new companies focusing on academic applications for researchers and institutions. The speaker shares their experience with Paper Digest, an AI-powered tool for summarizing large articles using the document object identifier (DOI) or a PDF document. The tool's potential is highlighted despite its current limitations. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of manual checks to ensure the paper's relevance and accuracy. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation to explore the app for its future potential.

05:00

📝 Enhancing Academic Writing with Rightful

This section discusses the challenges of academic writing and introduces Rightful, an app designed to improve the writing quality of academics. Rightful uses a machine learning algorithm fed with numerous papers and journals to help users craft the best possible paper. The app is recommended for those struggling with academic writing, as it can significantly assist in refining the language, grammar, and technical jargon. The speaker encourages users to explore Rightful to enhance their academic writing skills.

10:02

📑 Streamlining Manuscript Formatting with Penelope.ai

The speaker highlights the importance of adhering to specific formatting requirements when submitting manuscripts to journals. Penelope.ai is introduced as a tool that checks articles for common mistakes and ensures they meet journal requirements. It verifies the presence of essential elements like authors, abstracts, and correctly formatted references. The tool offers a free trial, and the speaker suggests trying it out to prevent tiny errors from hindering manuscript acceptance.

🗺️ Visualizing Research Literature with Lit Maps

The paragraph discusses the overwhelming task of keeping track of research literature and the connections between different works. Lit Maps is recommended as a fantastic app that combines interactive citation maps with email updates for new links. Although it may take some time to adjust to the interface, the visual representation of the literature can greatly aid researchers in staying updated with their field. The speaker encourages viewers to check out Lit Maps for its visual and intuitive approach to literature review.

🎨 Creating Professional Figures with Biorender

The speaker emphasizes the importance of high-quality images and figures in papers and introduces Biorender as a tool for creating professional visuals, particularly for those in the natural sciences. Biorender is likened to a Canva for science, allowing users to sign up for free and create figures easily. The speaker expresses a desire for the tool to expand into other areas and recommends it for researchers looking to enhance the visual component of their papers.

🔬 Collaborating on Biological Samples with Outlet.io

The paragraph introduces Outlet.io, a platform for the sharing of biological samples. Researchers can upload samples they no longer need and make them available to others worldwide, or request samples for their own research. This promotes collaboration among scientists and reduces the need for additional sampling from the natural world. The speaker encourages early career researchers, in particular, to use Outlet.io to break through collaboration barriers and enhance their research efforts.

💬 Effective Science Communication with Kudos

The speaker discusses the importance of science communication and introduces Kudos, a platform that allows researchers to share their work more effectively. The tool enables the creation of a web page to disseminate research findings, emphasizing the significance of getting research out into the world. The speaker also mentions their own startup, Verbalize.science, and encourages the use of such tools to ensure that scientific findings reach a wider audience and are not wasted.

🚀 Encouraging Further Exploration and Collaboration

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker invites viewers to share any lesser-known or new apps they use for academic purposes. They encourage viewers to comment with their recommendations and express a willingness to explore these in future videos. The speaker also reminds viewers to like the video if they found it helpful and promises to create more content to aid in research productivity and success.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Academic Apps

Academic Apps refer to software applications specifically designed to assist with scholarly activities such as research, writing, and data management. In the context of the video, these apps are new and lesser-known tools that can significantly aid researchers and their institutions in enhancing their academic productivity. The video highlights several such apps, emphasizing their innovative features and potential to streamline academic tasks.

💡Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and problem-solve like humans. In the video, AI is utilized in apps like Paper Digest to summarize large articles by using machine learning algorithms. This technology allows for the extraction of key points from complex texts, making it easier for researchers to manage and comprehend vast amounts of information.

💡Machine Learning

Machine Learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that focuses on the development of algorithms and statistical models that allow computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. In the context of the video, machine learning is employed in apps like Paper Digest to analyze and summarize academic articles, demonstrating how this technology can assist in managing the information overload faced by researchers.

💡Open Access

Open Access describes a publishing model where scholarly research and articles are made freely available to the public, allowing anyone to read, use, and build upon the research. This is significant in the video as it is a requirement for using certain features of apps like Paper Digest, which can summarize open access papers using AI, thus facilitating wider dissemination and consumption of research findings.

💡Academic Writing

Academic Writing refers to the process of composing and publishing scholarly content in a formal, research-based context. It is characterized by a specific style, rigorous structure, and adherence to strict formatting and citation guidelines. In the video, the app Rightful is introduced to help academics improve their writing skills by using a machine learning algorithm trained on numerous papers and journals, thus enhancing the quality of their academic papers.

💡Penelope.ai

Penelope.ai is an application mentioned in the video that assists researchers in formatting their manuscripts according to the specific requirements of academic journals. It checks for common mistakes and ensures that the text adheres to the formatting guidelines of the chosen journal, thus increasing the chances of manuscript acceptance.

💡Lit Maps

Lit Maps is an application that provides visual tools for researchers to track and understand the connections within the research literature. It creates interactive citation maps and offers email updates for new links to the map, helping researchers stay up-to-date with the latest research in their field. The visual representation of the literature allows for a better overview and comprehension of the research landscape.

💡Biorender

Biorender is a tool recommended in the video for creating professional-quality images and figures for scientific papers, particularly in the field of biology. It simplifies the process of producing high-standard visual content by providing templates and design elements that are specific to biological illustrations, similar to a 'Canva for science'. This tool is valuable for researchers who need to produce visually appealing and accurate figures for their publications.

💡Outlet

Outlet is an application mentioned in the video that facilitates the sharing of biological samples among scientists worldwide. It allows researchers to upload information about their samples and connect with others who may be interested in using or collaborating around those samples. This platform promotes collaboration, reduces the need for重复 sampling from the natural world, and helps in breaking down barriers to scientific collaboration.

💡Kudos

Kudos is a platform discussed in the video that aims to enhance the communication of research findings. It allows researchers to share their work more effectively by creating a web page that tells the story around their research. This tool is designed to help researchers disseminate their work more broadly and ensure that their science reaches a wider audience, thereby increasing its potential impact.

Highlights

Discover 7 new academic apps designed to enhance research and writing efficiency.

Paper Digest uses AI to summarize large articles quickly and easily.

Enter the DOI of a paper for instant summarization with Paper Digest.

Improve your academic writing with Rightful, an app that refines your paper using machine learning algorithms.

Penelope.ai ensures your manuscripts meet journal requirements by checking for common mistakes.

Lit Maps provides interactive citation maps and email updates for staying current with research literature.

Biorender is a tool for creating professional images and figures for scientific papers with ease.

Outlet.io facilitates the sharing of biological samples globally among researchers.

Kudos helps researchers share their work more effectively and broaden the impact of their research.

These apps are perfect for researchers and institutions looking for innovative academic solutions.

The apps showcased are focused on enhancing the research process and overcoming common challenges.

Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in the functionality of these academic apps.

These tools aim to save time and effort in the research and writing process.

The apps are designed to cater to specific needs within the academic and research community.

These innovative solutions can potentially change the way research is conducted and shared.

The presenter of the video discovered these apps through their own startup investigations.

The video encourages viewers to share lesser-known apps that they find useful in their research.