Research is an incremental and iterative journey with unknown challenges ahead. That said, assistance is also abundant for those who know where to look. To simplify matters, we have dissected the travel into 13 stages.

There are different tools at different stages, from identifying the research topics to sharing your work with targeted global audiences. There are some of them that you can use for free! Here is a map to help you navigate through these stages:

These tools are selected based on the following three key criteria:

1. Accessibility
- Tools featured include free access, paid subscription, and some of which the institutions commonly subscribe

2. Trustworthiness
- The making of the tools requires insider involvement, particularly those with adequate knowledge of the scholarly dynamics for continuous improvement and optimization

3. New Technology
- Leveraging emerging technologies such as machine learning, blockchain technology, social media, and many more are crucial to eliminate and overcome existing limitations of the research journey

As exciting as it may seem to have ample options available at a click, it is a challenge to identify the best tool that suits you.

These tools come with their uniqueness and require time to familiarize and master them. The upcoming issues will be looking into each stage individually for you to understand how the featured tools could assist you in your research journey.

Keep an eye on our future issues!