Short answer
Narrow your scope to one topic window, then rank candidates by immediate relevance plus review signal. This lets you decide faster what to read now versus later.
How to Triage Research Papers Faster
The goal is not perfect certainty. The goal is a high-quality reading queue you can execute consistently every week.
Five-step triage workflow
- Start with a topic and collect candidate papers from one trend window.
- Scan title and abstract for direct relevance to your current objective.
- Check community reviews and comments to estimate practical usefulness.
- Assign each item to read now, read later, or skip.
- Export your read-now list into a fixed weekly reading plan.
Where to run this workflow
FAQ
How long should paper triage take?
For most triage runs, set a hard cap of 20-30 minutes. A time limit prevents over-analysis and forces prioritization.
What if everything looks relevant?
Use one primary decision filter, such as immediate project relevance. If two items tie, prioritize the one with stronger review signal.
Comparison: Attendemia vs Google Scholar