The problem
When I'm researching something online, I often find myself doing the same sequence of actions over and over.
Find something useful → open another tab → search for the source → copy the information → find a citation generator → save the source somewhere → go back to the original page.
None of those individual actions are particularly difficult. The problem is the constant switching between them.
Eventually, the research process becomes less about actually researching and more about managing all the tools around the research.
The idea behind Research Wheel
Research Wheel started from a simple idea: what if the tools you need for research were available directly beside the information you're already reading?
Instead of constantly leaving the page, Research Wheel puts research actions into the browser itself.
Highlight something, middle-click, and use the available research tools without having to completely change your workflow.
What Research Wheel can do
🔎 Search for research
Search sources such as Google Scholar and PubMed without manually opening another research tab.
💬 Save quotes and notes
Save useful pieces of information while you're reading so they don't disappear into a pile of browser tabs.
📚 Generate citations
Generate citations in formats including APA, MLA, Chicago, and BibTeX.
🌐 Translate webpage text
Research often crosses languages. Research Wheel provides translation tools directly within the workflow.
📌 Keep your research together
Save sources, quotes, and findings inside a persistent research workspace instead of relying entirely on open tabs.
Why local-first?
Research can involve sensitive information, unfinished ideas, private notes, and sources that you don't necessarily want being tracked.
That's why Research Wheel is designed around a local-first approach.
The goal is to make the tool useful without turning the research process into another source of tracking and analytics.
Research Wheel is free and open source, allowing the project to be inspected and improved by others.
Why a browser extension?
Research already happens in the browser.
Articles, papers, documentation, search results, archives, videos, and other sources are already there. Creating another separate application for research can simply introduce another place to manage.
Research Wheel instead tries to make the browser itself a better research environment.
Launching Research Wheel
Research Wheel is now being launched publicly on Product Hunt.
This launch is an opportunity to put the idea in front of people who research, study, write, investigate, and spend a significant amount of time working with information on the web.
I'm especially interested in feedback about the workflow. The goal isn't to add as many research features as possible. It's to make the process of finding, saving, and citing information less fragmented.
🚀 Research Wheel on Product Hunt
Check out the launch, try Research Wheel, and let me know what you think.
View the Product Hunt Launch →