Welcome to the first issue of The Maker Log.
If you're here, you're probably an educator or researcher who's curious about AI — not the hype, not the fear, but the practical reality of what these tools actually do when you sit down and use them.
That's exactly what this newsletter is about. Every week: one real workflow, one useful tool, one honest take. No fluff.
Let's get into it.
How I Use Claude for Literature Reviews
Here's something nobody tells you in your PhD program: a huge percentage of research time isn't thinking — it's logistics. Finding papers, reading abstracts, extracting the same five pieces of information from every study, trying to remember what paper said what.
I started using Claude to handle the logistics. The thinking is still mine. But the time it takes has dropped dramatically.
Step 1: Dissect each paper in under 2 minutes
Paste the abstract into Claude with this prompt:
"Read the following paper excerpt and return: (1) core research problem, (2) methodology, (3) key findings in 3 bullet points, (4) limitations, (5) one quote worth keeping."
Step 2: Find the gaps
Feed 4–5 summaries into Claude and ask:
"Based on these summaries, identify: what questions haven't been answered, which populations are understudied, and one specific research gap feasible for a small team."
Step 3: Write the synthesis paragraph
Ask Claude to synthesize your summaries into a literature review paragraph — weaving ideas together, not listing papers one by one.
The output isn't perfect. But it's a first draft you can edit — infinitely better than a blank page.
One honest limitation: Claude doesn't know your field the way you do. You are always the expert. Use it as a research assistant, not an oracle.
Tool Spotlight: NotebookLM
Google's NotebookLM lets you upload your actual papers and ask questions directly about them — it cites specific passages in its answers. Pair it with Claude: use NotebookLM for source-grounded Q&A, use Claude for synthesis and writing. Free to use.
From the Maker Bench
My 3D printer is currently in shipment. When it arrives, I'm going to document everything — the learning curve, the failures, the first successful print, and how I use AI to accelerate the process. Stay tuned.
Free Resource
I put together a prompt pack — 10 Claude prompts I use for research, writing, and teaching. It's free. Every prompt is copy-paste ready with usage notes and tips.
→ Download: The Researcher's Claude Toolkit — https://themakerlog.gumroad.com/l/wspbxm
Thanks for being here for issue one. If this was useful, forward it to one researcher or educator who'd appreciate it — that's how this grows.
See you next week.
— The Maker Log