Write with Overleaf

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Goal: make a PDF report, add references, and share the source with your supervisor.

1. Start a project

  1. Open Overleaf and sign in. Use your university account if it has Overleaf access.
  2. Ask your supervisor for the report or journal template. Use that template when one is provided.
  3. For a ZIP template, choose New Project > Upload Project and upload the ZIP. For a simple practice report, choose New Project > Blank Project.
  4. Name the project clearly, for example 2026-Aryo-weekly-report.
  5. Open the main .tex file. It is often called main.tex. Change the title, author, and date.
  6. Click Recompile. Check that the PDF shows your changes.

Check: you can change one sentence and see it in the new PDF. Follow the first-project guide for the current interface.

2. Write one section at a time

For a blank practice project, start with this small file. Keep the supplied document class when you use a journal template.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\title{My Research Report}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Research Question}
Write the problem and explain why it matters.

\section{Method}
Explain the data, model, and steps.

\section{Results}
Report what you found. Add the units for each number.

\section{Next Steps}
List the work for the next week.
\end{document}

Upload figures into an images folder. Use clear file names such as model-error.png. Add a caption and explain the result in the text. See Overleaf’s short LaTeX lesson.

3. Add references

  1. Open the paper’s publisher page. Export its BibTeX record.
  2. Create references.bib in your Overleaf project. Paste the record into it.
  3. Check the title, authors, year, and DOI against the publisher page. Fix missing or wrong fields.
  4. Use a short unique citation key, such as smith2026forecast.
  5. Keep the reference system already used by the template. Do not mix biblatex and natbib commands.

For a blank practice project, add these lines before \begin{document}:

\usepackage[backend=biber,style=numeric]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

Cite a record in the text, using its real key:

The method follows earlier work \cite{smith2026forecast}.

Add \printbibliography before \end{document}. Recompile. Confirm that the citation has a number and the reference appears. Read the bibliography guide if it does not.

4. Fix errors

Click Recompile. Read the first error in the log and fix that error before changing other parts.

5. Share and save

  1. Recompile after each small edit. If it fails, open the error log and fix the first error. Check for a missing }, missing file, or wrong citation key.
  2. Open Settings > Compiler if the template requires a particular compiler or TeX Live version. Use the template’s instructions; do not change these settings at random.
  3. Click Share. Invite your supervisor by email. Give Viewer access for reading or Editor access for joint writing. Check your account’s collaborator limit before adding more people.
  4. Keep access set to Only invited people for an unpublished report. Use comments for questions.
  5. Download the PDF for reading. Also download the source ZIP as a backup; the PDF alone does not contain the editable project.

Official help: compile and read errors, compiler settings, sharing, and download source and PDF.