Free Workshop
Research Idea Clinic:
How to Read an Academic Paper (Without Getting Lost)
Join Jonas Katona, Managing Editor of Convergence Journal and a PhD candidate at Yale University, as he breaks down how to read academic papers without getting overwhelmed.Learn how to approach papers strategically, what to focus on, what to skip, and how to extract key ideas without getting lost in technical detail. Understand how strong students move from confusion to clarity when engaging with real academic work.You’ll also see real research ideas reviewed live, with direct feedback on how effectively students are engaging with existing papers and where their thinking needs to sharpe
Register Now
Register Now
26th February 2026
8 PM ET
Zoom
Evaluate your research idea the way scholars do, before committing to it!
Join this session to test your idea, identify gaps, and refine it before starting.
You Will Learn:
01
How to read academic papers without getting overwhelmed or stuck on every detail
02
What to focus on, and what to skip, to quickly understand a paper’s core idea
03
The most common mistakes students make when reading academic research
04
What Jonas thinks of your idea – through brief 1:1 feedback on whether it’s worth pursuing and what to fix.
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Jonas Katona
Managing Editor of Convergence Journal and a PhD candidate at Yale University
Jonas Katona is the Managing Editor of Convergence Journal and a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Applied Mathematics Program at Yale University. He has over three years of experience mentoring high school students through Indigo Research and two years with Veritas AI. Jonas has a strong background in STEM education and outreach, having previously worked with Berkeley Engineers & Mentors to engage K–8 students, served as a course liaison and lead tutor at UC Berkeley’s Student Learning Center, and supported peers as a mentor in the university’s Department of Mathematics.
Alex Yu
Academic Advisor, Indigo Research
Alex graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada with a bachelor's degree in Statistics and Mathematics, and later received a master's degree in Project Management from Northeastern University in the United States. He has mentored numerous students on interdisciplinary research projects, helping them successfully apply to top universities in the US and the UK.
How Indigo Research Works
Indigo Research mentors high school students to produce exceptional, publishable research. With a curriculum designed by Harvard and Oxford graduates, students work with top university faculty or PhD fellows, building intellectual depth and boosting their academic profile.
Our students achieve real outcomes – journal publications, competition wins, and admissions to the world’s leading universities. Indigo students have a 15% Ivy League acceptance rate – over three times the global average – and a 24% acceptance rate to Oxford and Cambridge.
