# Marginalia

> Expert-curated collections of scientific papers, where domain experts annotate each paper with a verdict, a difficulty level and personal commentary.

Marginalia is a platform where domain experts build curated reading lists of scientific papers. Each paper carries a verdict (Must read, Worth reading, Skim, Niche, Skip), a difficulty level and the curator's own commentary. Content spans astronomy, psychology and adjacent fields.

Every collection has three views. Curated (the default) shows only the papers the curator annotated, in their recommended reading order. Essential shows the curator's top picks. Latest shows all papers newest-first. Append `?view=latest` or `?view=essential` to any collection URL.

This file is the compact index: one line per collection and per digest, plus the 30 most recent reviews. The exhaustive listing of every paper in every collection and digest, and of every review, is at https://readmarginalia.com/llms-full.txt.

## Collections
- [Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Planetary Science](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-in-planetary-science): 16 papers on Astronomy, curated by Valerio Carruba. A companion collection for the ACM 2026 talk by Valerio Carruba — 2026-07-03, updated 2026-07-04
- [Qualitative Methods: Content Anasysis](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/qualitative-methods-content-anasysis): 14 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Essential methodological works on qualitative content analysis: procedural frameworks, coding approaches (inductive, deductive, conventional, directed, summative), reference… — 2026-03-28
- [Self-Determination Theory by Deci and Ryan](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/self-determination-theory-by-deci-and-ryan): 13 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. This collection includes articles devoted to self-determination theory. This theory operates with the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and points to the key role of… — 2026-03-19
- [Dynamics of unstable main belt asteroids](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/dynamics-of-unstable-main-belt-asteroids): 7 papers on Astronomy, curated by Ivana Milić Žitnik — 2026-03-17
- [The Yarkovsky effect](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/the-yarkovsky-effect): 15 papers on Astronomy, curated by Ivana Milić Žitnik — 2026-03-17
- [Binary asteroids](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/binary-asteroids): 9 papers on Astronomy, curated by Ivana Milić Žitnik — 2026-03-17
- [Secular resonances](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/secular-resonances): 31 papers on Astronomy, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Secular resonances appear when the slow precession of a small body's orbit comes into sync with one of the eigenfrequencies of the planetary system. Unlike mean-motion resonances… — 2026-03-11
- [Dynamics of Near Earth Objects](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/dynamics-of-near-earth-objects): 7 papers on Astronomy, curated by Valerio Carruba. A curated collection of fundamental papers on the dynamics of Near-Earth Objects. — 2026-03-08, updated 2026-03-10
- [The Belief in a Just World](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/the-belief-in-a-just-world): 41 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. In this collection I gather (mostly) psychological studies devoted to people’s fundamental belief that the world is just. This construct, it seems to me, quite strongly affects… — 2026-02-26
- [The Reproducibility Crisis in Psychology](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/the-reproducibility-crisis-in-psychology): 12 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. We are used to treating science as a source of knowledge that can be trusted a priori. But is this really the case? How much can we trust the results of psychological studies when… — 2026-02-14
- [Measuring the unmeasurable: Psychometric tools for Existential Concerns](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/measuring-the-unmeasurable-psychometric-tools-for-existential-concerns): 15 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Key psychometric instruments for measuring existential concerns: meaning in life, existential isolation, and existential anxiety. — 2026-02-12
- [Mean-motion resonances in the Solar system](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/mean-motion-resonances-in-the-solar-system): 20 papers on Astronomy, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. A curated collection of essential papers on mean-motion resonances in the asteroid belt, TNO, and beyond. — 2026-02-10
- [Narrative coherence in life stories](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/narrative-coherence-in-life-stories): 14 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. The essential papers that built our understanding of how people turn lived experience into coherent stories - and why that coherence matters for identity. From Linde's life… — 2026-02-10
- [LLMs in dynamical (and general) astronomy](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/llms-in-dynamical-astronomy): 10 papers on Astronomy, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. How large language models are transforming astronomical research in celestial mechanics and dynamical astronomy. — 2026-02-10, updated 2026-08-17
- [The von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai resonances in the Solar system](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/the-von-zeipel-lidov-kozai-resonances-in-the-solar-system): 36 papers on Astronomy, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. A curated list of essential manuscripts (both theoretical and empirical) dedicated to the von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai resonances (also known as the Kozai mechanism) in the Solar System… — 2026-02-10, updated 2026-08-17
- [LLMs in qualitative psychology](https://readmarginalia.com/collections/llms-in-qualitative-psychology): 21 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Emerging applications of large language models in qualitative psychological research methodology as well as the critics. — 2026-02-01, updated 2026-08-02

## Digests
- [Nobody Understands Me, Statistically Speaking](https://readmarginalia.com/digests/existential-q2-and-3-2026): 2 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Existential isolation in 2026: entrapment, depression, wartime doomscrolling, a U-shaped need for uniqueness - and two more questionnaires validated in two more countries. — 2026-08-27
- [Mean-motion resonances: Q1 and Q2 of 2026](https://readmarginalia.com/digests/mmrs-2026-q1-q2): 1 paper on Astronomy, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Six months of mean-motion resonance research - where small bodies get trapped, transported, and occasionally betrayed by Pluto. — 2026-06-08
- [Measuring Existential Concerns: new discoveries in 2025-2026](https://readmarginalia.com/digests/psychology-digest-20260410): 8 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. New Instruments and Validations in Existential Psychology, 2025-2026 — 2026-04-10, updated 2026-04-12
- [Mean-motion resonances in 2025](https://readmarginalia.com/digests/mmrs-in-2025): 7 papers on Astronomy, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Mean-motion resonances in 2025: theory, surveys, and a few surprises from the main belt to the Kuiper belt. — 2026-02-12
- [Existential Digest](https://readmarginalia.com/digests/existential-digest-2026-02): 4 papers on Psychology, curated by Evgeny Smirnov. Meet the new collection on scales measuring existential concerns — 2026-02-11, updated 2026-02-15

## Expert Reviews
- [Exploring the Roles of Existential Loneliness and Need for Uniqueness in the Relationship Between Existential Isolation and Depressive Symptoms](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/7d8f1910-2a13-452d-8b43-f5375675305f/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Worth reading. Existential loneliness partly links existential isolation to depressive symptoms, while both low and high uniqueness needs predict risk. — 2026-08-27
- [Psychometric properties of the existential concerns questionnaire among spanish older people](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/8ebd4679-3b7b-455e-946f-a1f73ab0cccf/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Worth reading. Spanish validation supports a second-order Existential Concerns Questionnaire model for assessing distress in older adults. — 2026-08-27
- [Cross-Cultural Validation of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Evidence from Indonesian Students](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/51dfa025-0f81-45cf-89b0-faf7cd683ed9/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Validated Indonesian MLQ reliably measures presence and search for meaning across student sex and education groups. — 2026-08-27
- [Phenomenology of digital loneliness in war conditions: between algorithmic hyperpresence and existential isolation](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/9a422a92-fdd6-40bd-977f-47390de3f643/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Phenomenological synthesis links passive social-media use, FOMO, and phubbing to digital loneliness during war. — 2026-08-27
- [Existential Quest Scale](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/a39e9aef-9a8c-4df5-b8e2-9617215e1919/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Skip. Introduces the Existential Quest Scale, an instrument for assessing existential questing. — 2026-08-27
- [Existential isolation and suicidal ideation among college students: The mediating effect of entrapment and the moderating effect of authenticity](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/1bea0223-c4c5-4a42-b745-1a2db4af9aaa/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Skim. Authenticity may buffer the pathway from existential isolation to suicidal ideation through feelings of entrapment in college students. — 2026-08-27
- [Against the Rejection of Large Language Models in Qualitative Research](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/3e322ef3-903b-4639-bf29-3f1286111f08/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Must read. Critical review argues against blanket rejection of large language models in reflexive qualitative research. — 2026-08-02
- [Compact binary systems waveform generation with a generative pretrained transformer](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/ee01f8d9-2edd-4d82-bbfa-9754aa668cb4/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Generative pretrained transformers are applied to produce gravitational-wave waveforms from compact binary systems. — 2026-08-02
- [Evaluating multimodal commercial and open-source large language models for dynamical astronomy: a benchmark study of resonant behavior classification](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/e8631370-0e42-4ec8-b76a-b91c8e857cc3/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Must read. Benchmark shows multimodal LLMs can classify orbital resonances from images with high accuracy without fine-tuning. — 2026-08-02
- [Deep Learning and Methods Based on Large Language Models Applied to Stellar Light Curve Classification](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/8ef5a71e-c293-4bbb-b58a-bb9b152bef85/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Skip. StarWhisper LC adapts language-model variants to classify stellar light curves at about 90% accuracy with little feature engineering. — 2026-08-02
- [AstroMMBench: A Benchmark for Evaluating Multimodal Large Language Models Capabilities in Astronomy](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/f803f1fb-a8ec-4f1c-b19f-f4d5c28e1d61/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. AstroMMBench tests multimodal LLMs on 621 expert-reviewed astronomy image questions across six subfields. — 2026-08-02
- [At First Sight! Zero-shot Classification of Astronomical Images with Large Multimodal Models](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/8cd817e6-dbba-415e-b3e1-b935fe447332/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Worth reading. GPT-4o and LLaVA-NeXT classify galaxy images and artifacts above 80% accuracy using prompts alone. — 2026-08-02
- [Achieving GPT-4o level performance in astronomy with a specialized 8B-parameter large language model](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/e998f894-947b-4b64-928e-44bbea5495cd/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Worth reading. AstroSage, an 8B astronomy LLM, matches GPT-4o on AstroMLab-1 through domain-specific training. — 2026-08-02
- [Designing an Evaluation Framework for Large Language Models in Astronomy Research](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/8ac20e8c-98b7-4b56-94d4-d388bd8341fe/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. A proposed framework evaluates how astronomers use and assess an arXiv-grounded RAG chatbot in real research settings. — 2026-08-02
- [Astronomia ex machina: a history, primer and outlook on neural networks in astronomy](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/df3c9eb6-2638-41cc-8433-b3da1aa16d94/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Review advocating open, astronomy-specific GPT-like foundation models for multimodal astronomical data. — 2026-08-02
- [The ethics of using generative AI for qualitative data analysis](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/a5c48856-b191-499d-8c26-5b80334cd3f0/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Ethical guidance for using generative AI in qualitative data analysis. — 2026-08-02
- [Artificial intelligence and qualitative research: The promise and perils of large language model (LLM) ‘assistance’](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/2cb61c90-d19f-4bb8-a8f0-7785a4501649/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Critical assessment of how LLM assistance could reshape qualitative research, including both benefits and risks. — 2026-08-02
- [Why We Should Reject to Reject the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Qualitative Analysis: A Response to Jowsey, Braun, Clarke, Lupton, and Fine (2025)](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/382c2c1d-974a-49b1-8b35-686ecf33ad92/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Worth reading. Position paper argues that metaphysical objections should not categorically exclude generative AI from qualitative analysis. — 2026-08-02
- [We Reject the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Reflexive Qualitative Research](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/100cdcfd-f794-4486-b7ed-e517c4166fa3/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Must read. 419 qualitative researchers reject GenAI for reflexive analysis as methodologically incompatible and socially unjust. — 2026-08-02
- [Prompt Engineering for Large Language Model-Assisted Inductive Thematic Analysis](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/cef96f7c-96e6-41f0-998f-ab2f1aa0464a/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Skip. A four-step prompt-engineering framework aims to make LLM-assisted thematic analysis more rigorous and reproducible. — 2026-08-02
- [Getting Started with Artificial Intelligence Assisted Qualitative Analysis: An Introductory Guide to Qualitative Research Approaches with Exploratory Examples from Reflexive Content Analysis](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/fb430bf0-23c4-4fcd-810f-e23196b0073e/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Worth reading. A framework helps qualitative researchers align LLM-assisted analysis with their research values and methods. — 2026-08-02
- [A Practical Guide and Assessment on Using ChatGPT to Conduct Grounded Theory: Tutorial](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/0db2c7ee-6ce9-4695-afe4-a34f832e51d1/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Tutorial evaluates ChatGPT 4-Turbo for grounded theory, finding faster, more diverse coding but weaker contextual depth than humans. — 2026-08-02
- [Scaling hermeneutics: a guide to qualitative coding with LLMs for reflexive content analysis](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/27dcae09-3fb6-4426-863a-1605c8aa9058/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Must read. A hybrid workflow shows how LLMs can scale qualitative coding while retaining human-led reflexive interpretation. — 2026-08-02
- [CollabCoder: A Lower-barrier, Rigorous Workflow for Inductive Collaborative Qualitative Analysis with Large Language Models](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/5a88990b-f1af-4391-b0db-2522dfb44ebf/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. CollabCoder proposes an LLM-supported workflow to make rigorous inductive collaborative qualitative analysis more accessible. — 2026-08-02
- [Reflecting on LLM Support in Reflexive Thematic Analysis: An Exploratory Study](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/48f2318e-b061-4960-a2e9-29c0642b347a/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Skip. Testing finds base LLMs offer limited help for reflexive thematic analysis and cannot replace human interpretation. — 2026-08-02
- [Large Language Models in Qualitative Analysis: Comparing Traditional and Researcher-Interpreted Approaches](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/cecc1da3-6968-407b-9d45-ba15c9dfa5bf/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. Open-source LLMs can speed qualitative coding but still produce many repetitive or context-poor codes. — 2026-08-02
- [Prompts, Pearls, Imperfections: Comparing ChatGPT and a Human Researcher in Qualitative Data Analysis](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/58aaaebd-3434-453a-a2c1-c10bc2984f3b/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. ChatGPT broadly matched human qualitative themes but needs careful review, especially when generating codes and theory-linked interpretations. — 2026-08-02
- [ChatGPT for Automated Qualitative Research: Content Analysis](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/18c366a0-af4f-45e2-9e71-40c70d9766b4/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. ChatGPT showed fair-to-strong reliability for assisting qualitative content analysis, especially when building inductive coding schemes. — 2026-08-02
- [Comparing the Efficacy and Efficiency of Human and Generative AI: Qualitative Thematic Analyses](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/43f3804d-302b-4bad-88ae-68d1e523b79c/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. ChatGPT and Bard produced similar themes far faster than humans, but weaker coding agreement supports hybrid qualitative analysis. — 2026-08-02
- [Performing an Inductive Thematic Analysis of Semi-Structured Interviews With a Large Language Model: An Exploration and Provocation on the Limits of the Approach](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews/0b648305-fbfc-4f74-833d-6259766a13d8/smirik): Reviewed by Evgeny Smirnov. Niche. GPT-3.5 can recover most human-identified themes from interview data, suggesting a viable but bounded role for LLMs in inductive thematic analysis. — 2026-08-02

## Experts
- [Evgeny Smirnov](https://readmarginalia.com/experts/smirik): Evgeny is a researcher who thinks across boundaries - trained in mathematics and physics, drawn to the philosophical depths of psychology and the vast scales of celestial…
- [Gabriel Caritá](https://readmarginalia.com/experts/gabriel-carit): Domain expert and curator
- [Ivana Milić Žitnik](https://readmarginalia.com/experts/ivana): Ivana Milić Žitnik is a research associate at the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade and serves as the chair of the Group for dynamics of planetary and stellar systems. She…
- [Safwan Aljbaae](https://readmarginalia.com/experts/safwan-aljbaae): Domain expert and curator
- [Valerio Carruba](https://readmarginalia.com/experts/valerio-carruba): Valerio Carruba is an Italian astrophysicist based in Brazil and an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at "Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), campus of…

## About
- [About Marginalia](https://readmarginalia.com/about): Mission, philosophy and the story behind the platform
- [How It Works](https://readmarginalia.com/about/how-it-works): Guide to collections, digests, reviews and expert notes
- [All collections](https://readmarginalia.com/collections): Browse every published collection
- [All digests](https://readmarginalia.com/digests): Browse every published digest
- [All reviews](https://readmarginalia.com/reviews): Browse every published expert review

## Optional
- [llms-full.txt](https://readmarginalia.com/llms-full.txt): Exhaustive companion: every paper of every collection and digest, and every expert review, with dates
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