Research Support · Starter Kit
Planning & Beginning of Your Research
Everything you need to start a research project lives across many corners of the library site — this page collects it in one place. Identifying keywords and subject headings, running a literature search, managing references, writing a review, checking for plagiarism, publishing responsibly, tracking your impact, and finding funding — work through the sections below in order, or jump straight to what you need.
👇 Click a topic to jump straight to that section
✅ Your First Week — Do These Five Things
1 Register your ORCID iD — your permanent researcher identity.
2 Set up the NISER Web VPN so you can read papers from your hostel/home too.
3 Skim the Subject Guide for your discipline to see what's already curated for you.
4 Install Zotero before you read your first paper, not after your fiftieth.
5 Bookmark this page — you'll be back for the databases, grants, and tools below.
Getting Started
I am New to the Library
Orientation for new students and faculty — services, collections, and how to get set up.
OPAC — Library Catalog
Search the full print and digital collection of the Central Library.
User Guide
Step-by-step guides for using library services, catalogs, and resources.
Explore Library Spaces
Floor plans and study spaces — find a quiet corner or a discussion room.
General Services
Circulation, reprographics, and the standard services every member can use.
Resource & Subject Guides
Start by identifying the keywords, subject headings, and topics that represent your research area — these guides are organised by discipline.
Subject Guide
Curated print and e-resources by school: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, CS, Earth Sciences, HSS, and CMRP.
Collection and Resources
An overview of everything the library holds — books, journals, databases, and special collections.
Popular Science Collection
Accessible science reading to build broader context around your specialised topic.
Literature Search & Databases
Once your keywords are set, search the bibliographic databases and scholarly search engines the library subscribes to.
E-Databases
ACM, ACS, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Springer, Wiley, and more — full list of subscribed databases.
SciFinder-n
Comprehensive search across chemical and biomedical literature, substances, and reactions.
E-Journals (A to Z)
Look up a specific journal title to check access and find the direct link.
E-Books
Subscribed e-books and the current semester's course-linked titles.
Google Scholar
Free, broad-coverage search across articles, theses, and citations — pair it with the library's databases, not replace them.
TOC — Print Journals
Tables of contents for the library's current print journal issues.
Literature & Systematic Review
A systematic review works toward a solution by rigorously examining previous studies conducted or published by others. Use the sources below to get started.
Annual Reviews Collection
Synthesised, expert-written review articles across biomedical, life, physical, and social sciences.
Systematic Review — Monash University
A step-by-step guide to the systematic review process, protocols, and reporting standards.
Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis — UVic
Covers evidence synthesis methods, search strategies, and screening tools.
Reference Management & Researcher ID
Organise everything you read and get one identity that follows you across every paper you publish.
Zotero
Free, open-source reference manager — collect, cite, and organise sources as you read.
Mendeley
Reference manager with PDF annotation and a built-in academic social network.
ORCID iD
Register a free, persistent researcher identifier — link it to every paper, grant, and dataset.
Citation Styles
Guidance on APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, and other citation styles used across disciplines.
Writing & Integrity Tools
Polish and check your draft before it goes anywhere near a submission portal.
Grammarly
Institutional access for grammar, clarity, and writing checks on your drafts.
iThenticate
Plagiarism-similarity checking for manuscripts, theses, and papers before submission.
AI Assistance
Library guidance on using AI tools responsibly in academic research and writing.
Preprints & Repositories
Share early results, find theses, and see what NISER researchers have already published.
arXiv
Preprint server for physics, maths, CS, and quantitative biology/finance.
bioRxiv
Preprint server for the biological sciences.
Shodhganga
India's national repository of PhD theses and dissertations — see what's already been done.
IDR — Institutional Digital Repository
NISER's open repository of theses, papers, and research output.
NISER OpenVault
Open-access showcase of NISER publications, beyond paywalls.
NISER Publications (Research Papers)
Browse research papers published by NISER faculty and scholars.
Data, Code & LaTeX Tools
Free, widely-used tools for analysing your data, writing your code, and typesetting your paper or poster.
Overleaf (LaTeX)
Write and collaborate on papers, theses, and posters in LaTeX, with journal templates built in.
R & RStudio
Free statistical computing environment — the standard for data analysis in most research fields.
Python (Anaconda)
Python distribution with Jupyter notebooks pre-installed, for data analysis, plotting, and scripting.
Zenodo
Free repository for archiving research data and code with a citable DOI — many funders now expect this.
Publishing Wisely
Choose a legitimate journal and understand your rights and obligations before you submit.
Think. Check. Submit.
A checklist to verify a journal or publisher is trustworthy before you submit — avoid predatory journals.
E-Resources Usage Policy
What's permitted (and not) when downloading and sharing content from subscribed databases.
Open Access Publishing
Guidance on OA journals, article-processing charges, and where NISER has publishing agreements.
Remote Access & Delivery
NISER Web VPN
Access subscribed databases and e-resources securely from off-campus.
Document Delivery Service
Request articles or chapters the library doesn't subscribe to, sourced from partner libraries.
Current Awareness Service
Stay updated on new arrivals and developments relevant to your field.
Adaptive Ability Services
Accessibility support and assistive resources for library users who need them.
Research Impact & Visibility
Measuring Research Impact
Understand citation metrics, h-index, and impact factor, and how they're used.
Improve Research Visibility
Tips on author profiles and making your published work easier to find and cite.
Graphical Scopus Insights
Visual dashboards of NISER's publication and citation trends from Scopus.
IRINS@NISER
Maintain your researcher profile — publications, projects, and academic activity.
Featured Covers
NISER research that made it to a journal cover — a nice benchmark for standout work.
Open Access & More E-Resources
National Digital Library of India
A single-window platform aggregating academic content from across the country.
ONOS — One Nation One Subscription
India's national scheme providing unified access to major international journal collections.
Open Educational Resources
Freely available courseware, lecture notes, and learning material.
E-Learning Portals
Links to NPTEL, SWAYAM, and other online-learning platforms.
E-Magazines
Digital magazine subscriptions available to the NISER community.
Open Access Newspapers
Free-to-read newspaper archives and current editions.
Trial Access & New Arrivals
Trial Access
Databases and journals currently on trial — try them and send feedback before they're purchased.
New Arrivals
The latest books and titles added to the library's print collection.
QR Codes
Scan-to-access shortcuts placed around the library for quick lookups.
Grants & Fellowships in India
A starting list of major government funding schemes researchers in India can apply to, by career stage.
Apex Body
ANRF — JC Bose, Ramanujan, N-PDF
Anusandhan National Research Foundation's flagship schemes for senior researchers, international collaborators, and postdocs.
SERB
Core Research Grant (CRG)
Core project funding for individuals or teams in frontier science and engineering, typically up to 3 years.
SERB
SERB-POWER
Dedicated fellowship and research grants to support women researchers across all S&T disciplines.
DST
INSPIRE Faculty & Fellowship
Fellowships and faculty positions helping young researchers build independent research careers.
DBT
DBT Research Grants & BioCARe
Biotechnology research funding, BioCARe for women scientists, and Ramalingaswami re-entry fellowships.
CSIR
CSIR Fellowships & Grants
JRF/SRF fellowships and extramural research grants across science and engineering.
ICMR
Extramural Research Grants
Funding for biomedical and health research, including short-term studentships for students.
DBT / Wellcome
India Alliance Fellowships
Early-career to senior fellowships for biomedical and clinical/public-health researchers.
PMRF
Prime Minister's Research Fellowship
Direct PhD fellowship for outstanding students to pursue research at premier Indian institutions.
Eligibility, deadlines, and grant amounts change year to year — always confirm current details on the funding agency's own portal before applying.
Glossary for First-Time Researchers
Terms used across this page, in one place, so nothing above needs a separate search.
ORCID iD
A free, permanent ID number that stays linked to you across every paper, grant, and name change.
DOI
Digital Object Identifier — a permanent link to a specific paper, dataset, or preprint that never breaks.
Preprint
A paper shared publicly before peer review — fast, but not yet independently verified.
Peer Review
Independent experts check a paper's methods and claims before a journal publishes it.
Impact Factor
A journal-level average of citations per paper — useful context, not a measure of any single paper's quality.
h-index
An author-level number balancing how many papers you've published against how often they're cited.
Open Access
A paper anyone can read for free, without a subscription or paywall.
Predatory Journal
A journal that publishes almost anything for a fee, skipping real peer review — check with Think.Check.Submit before you pay.
Help & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common library questions.
Connect with Us
Reach the right team or librarian for your query.
Library Forms
All downloadable forms, including the book recommendation form.
Library Brochure
A quick printable overview of everything the Central Library offers.
