Student resources
Open research tools
Two free, open tools we teach in PRAXIUM research training: one for finding studies, one for learning how studies are reviewed.
OpenAlex Research Discovery Collaboration
OpenAlex: find research fast
OpenAlex is a free, open catalog of the world’s scholarly works, authors, journals and institutions, run by the nonprofit OurResearch. You don’t need an account to search it.
Search a topic
Open OpenAlex and type a focused topic, for example “sepsis early warning scores”. Use quotation marks for exact phrases.
Narrow the results
Filter by publication year, open access, or type of work so you only see recent, readable studies.
Follow the citations
Open a key paper, then look at what it cites and what cites it. This is a fast way to map a field.
Check the original source
OpenAlex is a catalog, not the paper itself. Always open the journal or preprint page and read the full study before you cite it.
More help: OpenAlex help center (opens in a new tab).
External resource
PREreview: learn to review preprints
PREreview is an open platform where researchers publish reviews of preprints and offer training in constructive, equitable peer review.
Learn what a preprint is
A preprint is a study shared publicly before peer review. Its findings have not been checked by a journal yet.
Read reviews by others
Browse published PREreview reviews to see how reviewers summarize a study, judge its methods, and give constructive feedback.
Practice with your mentor
Draft a review with your PRAXIUM mentor first. Only post a public review once your mentor agrees it is ready and respectful.
- Browse published PREreview reviews (opens in a new tab)
- PREreview resources and training (opens in a new tab)
Attribution: PREreview content belongs to PREreview and the reviewers who wrote it. Reviews on PREreview are generally shared under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, so credit the reviewer and link to the original review whenever you quote one.