Draft a dissertation lit review from uploaded sources
A doctoral writer used NotebookLM, which cites only uploaded sources, to handle citations and draft a literature review without invented references.
What they did
After ChatGPT invented citations, the writer switched to NotebookLM so the model could cite only papers they had uploaded. They renamed files before uploading and gave one standing instruction for citation format, which changed NotebookLM’s bare numbered references into author-year citations; they then used a broader workflow to vet sources, organize them, get synthesis, and manually audit citations before export.
How it went
It cut down a lot of manual cross-checking and helped them draft dissertation literature review chapters without made-up references. It still was not for doing the actual analysis, and they say they had previously lost time rewriting work after false citations slipped through.
Worth knowing
The biggest catch was time: they say they had to rebuild work when bad citations got through, losing progress 60% into their dissertation timeline.
Labels
A doctoral writer used NotebookLM, which cites only uploaded sources, to handle citations and draft a literature review without invented references.
losing progress 60% into their dissertation timeline.
helped them draft dissertation literature review chapters without made-up references.
A doctoral writer used NotebookLM, which cites only uploaded sources, to handle citations and draft a literature review without invented references.
they say they had previously lost time rewriting work after false citations slipped through.
The “Material” label failed its quality check and is not used for selection.
Details
- Agents
- custom-built or unnamed agent
- Source
- Source date
- Aug 1, 2026
- Accounts
- 1
- In registry since
- Oct 15, 2026