Practical guide
How to create a research digest
Build a research digest around questions, methods, and canonical records. Resolve identifiers, label preprints and later versions, group commentary under the work it discusses, and keep enough method detail to judge relevance.[1][2]
Why this gets difficult
Research alerts often count versions, press releases, commentary, and papers as separate discoveries. Without resolving the underlying work, a digest can exaggerate volume and hide publication stage.[1][2]
A practical way through
- Define the topic, population, method, date range, and evidence types the digest should include.[1][2]
- Resolve DOI, repository, publisher, and database records before treating alerts as separate work.[1][2]
- Extract the research question, design, sample, outcome, and stated limitation from the readable primary source.[1][2]
- Route selected items to read, cite, replicate, discuss, or monitor rather than a general backlog.[1][2]
An example
The situation: A preprint, conference entry, journal article, and press release refer to the same study under slightly different titles.[1][2]
What changes: Identifiers and author metadata are reconciled, the publication stage is stated, and the press release is attached as commentary rather than counted as new evidence.[1][2]
What you get: The researcher sees one evolving study record with its current status and the exact reason it may matter.[1][2]
What to watch for
Sources worth keeping
How Scottie helps
Scottie can monitor selected research feeds, journals, institutions, and newsletters, reduce duplicate alerts, and rank the work against a disclosed research priorities.[3]