The Workflow That Ended My Research Chaos: My Exact NotebookLM + Notion Setup

This is the exact setup I use to turn messy PDFs into organized, citable insights: NotebookLM does the reading; Notion keeps everything searchable, comparable, and ready for writing.

What you’ll achieve

• Summaries that reflect methods, results, and limitations—not fluff.
• A single literature hub with status, themes, and evidence tables.
• Faster journal club prep and manuscript drafting.

Tools you need

• NotebookLM for trustworthy, source-grounded summaries.
• Notion with MedNav templates: Literature DB, Summary, Evidence Matrix, Grant Tracker.

Step-by-step workflow

1. Collect: Add PDFs/URLs to NotebookLM by topic or project.
2. Interrogate: Ask focused prompts (see below) to extract methods, outcomes, bias risks.
3. Transfer: Paste outputs into Notion Summary template; tag by theme, population, intervention.
4. Synthesize: Build an Evidence Matrix view to compare studies side-by-side.
5. Decide: Use saved Notion views (e.g., “High-quality RCTs”) to inform manuscripts/grants.

Prompt recipes that work

1) "List PICOS for this study and include page references."
2) "Extract primary outcomes with effect sizes and CIs; separate by subgroup."
3) "Identify key limitations and potential biases; cite lines."
4) "Compare Studies A, B, C on design, sample size, endpoints; tabulate."
  

Notion database structure

• Literature DB: Title, Year, Study Type, Topic, Tags, Status, Quality, Link.
• Summary: Abstracted fields (Methods, Results, Limitations), Quotes with citations.
• Evidence Matrix: Linked DB view grouped by Outcome/Population.

Common pitfalls (and fixes)

• Over-trusting summaries → Always keep citations/line refs; spot-check PDFs.
• Tag sprawl → Standardize tags; maintain a tag legend in Notion.
• Copy-paste fatigue → Use Notion template buttons and keyboard snippets.

FAQ