When entering research, it’s natural to feel a bit lost with all these platforms, because each serves a different purpose in the research ecosystem. Here I talk about the purpose of each:
1. GitHub
What it is: A platform for hosting and sharing code, software projects, and data (with version control using Git).
Purpose for researchers:
- Share simulation codes, analysis scripts, computational tools.
- Collaborate with others on research software.
- Showcase coding projects on your CV.
Example use in physics: Upload your Python code for a causal set simulator so others can reproduce or extend it.
2. Google Scholar
What it is: A search engine for scholarly papers and a profile system for researchers.
Purpose for researchers:
- Track your publications and citations.
- Create a public academic profile that shows your research impact (h-index, i10-index).
- Easily searchable by other researchers.
Example use in physics: Someone searching "causal set quantum gravity" may find your paper and see your profile.
3. ORCID
What it is: A unique researcher ID system.
Purpose for researchers:
- Provides you a unique persistent identifier (like a DOI, but for people).
- Ensures your publications are correctly attributed to you (avoids name confusion).
Example use in physics: If your name is "Samreet Dhillon," ORCID prevents confusion with others with the same name.
4. arXiv
What it is: The main open-access preprint server for physics, math, CS, etc.
Purpose for researchers:
- Upload preprints before journal publication.
- Quickly share results with the global physics community.
- Build reputation (many landmark papers first appeared on arXiv).
Example use in physics: I you finish a paper, upload it to arXiv and researchers worldwide can read it instantly.
5. Zenodo
What it is: An open-access repository (developed by CERN + OpenAIRE).
Purpose for researchers:
- Archive datasets, software, presentations, posters, and even GitHub repos.
- Assigns a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), making your non-paper outputs citable.
Example use in physics: You can link your GitHub project to Zenodo, which will generate a DOI for you and you can cite your code in a paper.
6. ResearchGate
What it is: A social networking platform for researchers.
Purpose for researchers:
- Share papers (sometimes preprints).
- Ask/answer research questions, connect with other researchers.
- Track metrics (reads, citations, followers).
Example use in physics: Uploading your accepted paper, discussing cosmology with peers, getting noticed by collaborators.
⚠️ Note: It’s not considered as “official” as Google Scholar or arXiv.
TL;DR
- GitHub → Share your code & simulations.
- Zenodo → Make your code/data citable with DOIs.
- arXiv → Share preprints with the physics community.
- Google Scholar → Showcase your publication record & citations.
- ResearchGate → Network and discuss, but less official.
- ORCID → Unique researcher ID, mandatory for long-term credibility.