UCLA
Graduate Writing Center

Productivity and Project Management

Students in the Library

Productivity References

Allen, David. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. New York: Viking, 2001. Print.
Suggests a method for processing tasks that “captures” all of the tasks that need to get done, determines which tasks need to be delegated or not done at all, and what actions need to be done to complete the remaining tasks. Emphasizes the importance of capturing all tasks so that there are not any open “loops” distracting one from their work. Recommends determining which tasks to tackle based on context, time available, energy, available, and priority.

Cirillo, Francesco. The Pomodoro Technique. Berlin: FC Garage GmbH, 2013. Print.
Recommends dividing work into twenty-five minute units with a five minute break, which he calls a “tomato” or “pomodoro.” Recommends working sets of four tomatoes throughout the day. Suggests using this method for tracking how long tasks take as well as the number and kind of interruptions that occur throughout the day.

Covey, Stephen R. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989. Print.
In the section devoted to time management, Covey argues that the tasks on which one should focus are those that are important but not urgent as they are often the tasks that will lead to long-term success. However, he notes that urgent and important tasks tend to take over. To minimize this effect, he observes that consistently working on important but not urgent tasks will help diminish the number of important and urgent tasks (which tend to be problems and crises).

Newport, Cal. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2016. Print.
Encourages spending concentrated amounts of time without interruption devoted to the tasks that are the most important for your career advancement. Also recommends diminishing the amount of shallow work done because it is of little value to career goals. Outlines a few different methods for incorporating deep work into a schedule, among them oscillating between periods of deep work and shallow work and devoting a few hours to deep work each day. Newport also has a Study Hacks blog where he shares additional insights into technology, work, and distraction.

Noy, S. (2024). Project management for researchers: a practical, stress-free guide to getting organized. University of Michigan Press.

Silvia, Paul J. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007. Print.
Focuses on the importance of a set writing schedule because making writing a habit lessens the need to find energy and motivation to do it. Outlines a number of “specious barriers” to writing that academics often employ, such as needing to do more research and the inability to find time. Argues that the latter points to the need to allot time rather than search for pockets of time to write. Offers two sets of writing task priorities, one for professors, the other for graduate students.

Expand the tabs below for additional tips, tools, and resources related to writing and research productivity for graduate students.

Productivity Tips and Tools

GWC Tips on working from home.

Time Tracking, Pomodoro Tools

To-Do Lists/Task Managers

  • Trello : Free, web-based project management app with to-do lists, syncing across team members for collaborative projects, notifications, and other features. (https://trello.com/)
  • Any.Do: Free to-do list with reminders, calendar integration, and syncing across platforms. (www.any.do/)
  • Productive: iOS habit tracker encourages users to make and stick to a routine for all kinds of tasks, whether writing, exercising, or flossing. Free basic version with a $3.99 upgrade. (www.productiveapp.io/ or on iTunes)
  • Habit List: Another mobile habit tracker app for iOS and Android. $3.99. (https://habitlist.com/)

Focus

Project Management Tools

Projects, Notes, and Draft Management

  • Trello: Project management tool with a free version
  • Kanban Flow: Online project management tool; free and premium versions. (https://kanbanflow.com)
  • Evernote: Syncs across multiple platforms; free and paid versions. (https://evernote.com/)
  • Scrivener: Software designed for writers of large and complex documents; used widely in academia. For both Macs and Windows; education license under $40; Scapple nonlinear text editor for under $15. (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php)

Citation Management Tools

File Management and Backup

  • UCLA Box: UCLA account allowing for up to 15 GB storage and file sharing online. Free to individual students. (https://ucla.box.com/)
  • Dropbox: Syncs across platforms; 1024GB of storage with free version. (https://www.dropbox.com)
  • SugarSync: Syncs across multiple platforms; copies existing folder structure. Free 30-day trial, then subscription-based. (https://www.sugarsync.com)
  • Google Drive: Syncs across platforms; enables sharing and collaboration. (https://drive.google.com/)