Why Every PhD Student Needs Better Project Management Software

Doing a PhD is often described as running a marathon, but unlike a race, there’s rarely a clear roadmap. Between managing experiments, writing papers, collaborating with supervisors, and juggling administrative tasks, it’s no surprise that many PhD students struggle to stay organised. That’s where project management software for PhD students comes in.

The Problem: Research Isn’t Managed Like Other Projects

While research is inherently uncertain, that doesn’t mean it has to be chaotic. Traditional tools like spreadsheets, emails, or shared drives quickly become cluttered and hard to maintain. Most project management software out there — like Asana, Notion, or Trello — is designed for corporate teams, not for the nuanced workflows of academia.

PhD research involves literature reviews, experiments, datasets, collaborations, ethics approvals, and manuscript submissions. Trying to fit all of that into a generic task tracker is frustrating and often discouraging. What’s missing is project management software built specifically for PhD students and researchers — something that understands the lifecycle of a research project from proposal to publication.

The Solution: ResearchDock

At ResearchDock, we’re building exactly that — a project management platform designed for PhD students, supervisors, and research groups. It helps structure your research, manage collaborations, and keep your projects aligned with your academic goals.

Here’s how ResearchDock makes research management simpler:

• Project templates for PhD supervision — track milestones like confirmation, progress reports, and thesis submission.
• Literature integration — automatically link papers, notes, and references to the projects they relate to.
• Collaborative workspaces — invite your supervisors, co-authors, and collaborators, even if they’re at different institutions.
• Manuscript tracking — manage drafts, comments, and journal submissions all in one place.

The goal is simple: make project management software for PhD students that actually works the way research works.

Why It Matters

Better project management doesn’t just make life easier — it improves outcomes. Supervisors can monitor progress across multiple students without micromanaging. Students can see their trajectory clearly, reducing anxiety and improving accountability. Research groups can collaborate seamlessly across institutions, without losing data or version control.

In short, the right project management software for PhD students doesn’t just organise your research — it empowers you to do better research.

Join the Next Generation of Research Management

If you’re a PhD student, supervisor, or research administrator looking for a smarter way to manage projects, try ResearchDock. It’s built by researchers, for researchers!