Savebase for PhD students
Give your literature review a memory beyond open tabs.
The difficult part of a growing literature review is remembering why each source mattered. Savebase helps PhD students collect publisher pages, methods explainers and recorded talks with notes tied to research questions. Keep discovery and reading context organized while your reference manager handles the formal bibliography and citation details.
Start with Free. See plan availability for advanced features.
From save to useful reference
Save selected text from an accessible paper page or methods article as a highlight with its source URL. Add the finding, limitation and supervisor question in a note, then tag screened abstract, read in full or needs follow-up. Each selected passage is a separate save, giving chapter-writing time a specific reference rather than a vague list of promising papers.
Request transcripts for supported saved tutorial videos and search for the method being explained. Add a note about how the example relates to your study design. Check the original documentation and assumptions before implementing a method; a tutorial does not establish that it fits your data.
Set reminders on readings that need attention before the next meeting. Enable reminder emails and write the question you want the source to answer. Use the meeting as a review point to update notes, resolve uncertainty and remove references that no longer belong in the chapter.
A small, annotated collection is a useful place to begin.
Savebase quick start →Create folders by research question or chapter and tags for reading status.
Save each supervisor recommendation with the question it should answer.
Schedule reading before the next meeting and transfer citation details to your reference manager.
Bring existing references through browser import or Pro file imports. Keep a portable record through JSON export.
JSON export includes active saved records and their notes, tags and folder names. It contains media URLs, not media files, and currently omits transcripts and automation settings.
Duplicate cleanup scans currently loaded posts, keeps the oldest record and permanently removes newer duplicates without merging their notes. Review the scan before confirming removal. See duplicate cleanup guidance.
Free includes any 2 of the 11 supported social platforms, up to 100 social posts, 5 folders and unlimited ordinary web links. Notes, manual tags, per-post reminders, JSON export and direct browser-bookmark import through the extension are included.
Pro unlocks all 11 social platforms, unlimited social posts and folders, dashboard file imports, on-demand AI Bulk Tagging, read-only ChatGPT/MCP access, Notion and Google Sheets sync, RSS, rules, webhooks, media backup and video transcripts.
Media backup must be enabled and successfully fetch eligible Instagram, Facebook, Threads or TikTok media. Request video transcripts when needed; new saves are not automatically transcribed.
Check current plans and limits →Savebase supports the reading habit around a thesis. It does not replace scholarly citation, paper screening or your supervisor's methodological review.
No. Savebase retains links and your reading notes, but it does not generate citation styles or manage a thesis bibliography. Keep those tasks in your reference manager, using Savebase for discovery, methods references and reading context.
Give each saved source a research question and a reading-status tag, then set a reminder for a small shortlist before your next meeting. Review whether it actually informs the chapter. Savebase provides organization and reminders; you still make the reading decisions.
Start with the next reference you want to use again.
Start your Savebase library