Every resource a researcher needs, in one place.

Tools & skills to learn learn the craft

• MATLAB Onramp — free, interactive intro to MATLAB from MathWorks.
• The Carpentries — free lessons in coding, data, and Git, built for researchers.
• Python — the most useful general-purpose language for research computing.
• Real Python — practical, well-written Python tutorials.
• Learn LaTeX (Overleaf) — the standard for typesetting papers and theses.
• GitHub Skills — learn version control with Git and GitHub.
• Kaggle Learn — short, practical data-science and Python micro-courses.
• freeCodeCamp — free full coding curricula and projects.
• MIT OpenCourseWare — full MIT course materials, free.
• Khan Academy — foundational math, statistics, and science.
• Coursera — university courses; many auditable for free.
• edX — university-level courses from MIT, Harvard, and more.

Literature search & discovery find the papers

• Google Scholar — the default starting point for any search.
• Semantic Scholar — AI-powered search with citation context.
• Connected Papers — visualize how papers relate to map a field fast.
• ResearchRabbit — "Spotify for papers," builds citation networks as you read.
• Litmaps — track how a topic evolves over time visually.
• Elicit — AI research assistant for summarizing and screening papers.
• Consensus — AI search that surfaces what the evidence actually says.
• The Lens — free scholarly and patent search in one place.

Databases, preprints & open access get the full text

• arXiv — preprints in physics, CS, math, and more.
• bioRxiv — the preprint server for biology.
• PubMed — the standard for biomedical literature.
• Scopus — citation database, useful for h-index and gap analysis.
• Web of Science — cross-disciplinary indexing and citation tracking.
• CORE — the world's largest aggregator of open-access research.
• DOAJ — directory of vetted open-access journals.
• Unpaywall — legally find free PDFs of paywalled papers.
• JSTOR — deep archive of journals, books, and primary sources.

Academic writing & language write it well

• Overleaf — collaborative LaTeX, the standard for most STEM writing.
• Grammarly — grammar, clarity, and tone checking.
• QuillBot — paraphrasing and rewriting, with an academic mode.
• Writefull — language feedback trained on published research; great for LaTeX.
• Paperpal — an academic writing assistant for researchers.
• Hemingway Editor — flags dense, hard-to-read sentences.
• Academic Phrasebank — ready-made academic phrasing, by section (Manchester).

Reference management & notes stay organized

• Zotero — free, open-source citation manager. The default recommendation.
• Mendeley — reference manager with a strong PDF annotation workflow.
• Paperpile — clean reference manager that lives in Google Docs.
• Obsidian — networked notes; a favorite for a personal knowledge base.
• Notion — all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and databases.

YouTube channels learn by watching

Communities & blogs you're not alone

• The Thesis Whisperer — on doing a PhD and academic life (Inger Mewburn).
• Patter — practical academic writing advice (Pat Thomson).
• PhD Talk — productivity, writing, and career (Eva Lantsoght).
• The Professor Is In — the academic job market, demystified.
• PhDStudent.com — guidance from application to dissertation to after.
• r/PhD — candid peer discussion and support.
• r/GradSchool — grad-school life, advice, and commiseration.
• r/AskAcademia — questions answered by working academics.
• ResearchGate — profiles, papers, Q&A, and jobs.

Funding & fellowships pay for it

• ProFellow — searchable database of fellowships worldwide.
• Scholars4Dev — scholarships aimed at students from developing countries.
• DAAD — funding to study and research in Germany.
• Fulbright Foreign Student Program — US study for international students.
• Commonwealth Scholarships — UK study for Commonwealth citizens.
• WeMakeScholars — scholarship search and application guidance.
• EURAXESS — research funding and positions across Europe.

Careers & jobs what comes next

• Nature Careers — research jobs and career advice.
• Science Careers — postdoc and science positions worldwide.
• jobRxiv — a science job board, run by scientists.
• FindAPostdoc — postdoctoral positions across institutions.
• PostdocJobs.com — global postdoc and research listings.
• Academic Positions — international academic and postdoc jobs.
• HigherEdJobs — faculty, research, and admin roles (US-focused).

Wellbeing & mental health take care of you

• Dragonfly Mental Health — a global nonprofit cultivating mental health among academics.
• Find a Helpline — free, confidential crisis lines in your country.
• MentalHealth.gov — plain-language mental-health information and pathways to help (US).