diff --git a/apps/website/content/blog/dg-news-august-2026.mdx b/apps/website/content/blog/dg-news-august-2026.mdx new file mode 100644 index 000000000..131d1dc94 --- /dev/null +++ b/apps/website/content/blog/dg-news-august-2026.mdx @@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ +--- +title: "DG News: August 2026" +date: "2026-09-03" +author: "Discourse Graphs Team" +published: true +tags: + - newsletter +description: "Advanced node search ships in the Obsidian plugin, our Slack hits 100 members, a new explainer on mapping claims and evidence, and dispatches from the frontier on iterative research synthesis." +--- + +Hi again everybody, and welcome to the August issue of the Discourse Graph newsletter. August is more than out-of-office email auto-responders and preseason football in the discourse graph universe — it's when we lock in and tackle some of our biggest projects. + +## New in the Obsidian discourse graph plugin: advanced node search + +We've shipped a dedicated search interface for discourse nodes to support growing discourse graphs: [node search](https://discoursegraphs.com/docs/obsidian/core-features/node-search) surfaces discourse nodes only, with advanced filtering features. + +Advanced node search in action, filtering discourse nodes in the Obsidian plugin + +## Our community is growing! + +Our [Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/discoursegraphs/shared_invite/zt-37xklatti-cpEjgPQC0YyKYQWPNgAkEg) just reached 100 members! [Join us](https://join.slack.com/t/discoursegraphs/shared_invite/zt-37xklatti-cpEjgPQC0YyKYQWPNgAkEg) for quick updates, tips, and troubleshooting. + +## Ask the docs: mapping claims and evidence + +Learn how to use discourse relations to synthesize across different sources in this [short explainer](https://discoursegraphs.com/docs/obsidian/fundamentals/mapping-claims-and-evidence), live from our website documentation. + +A discourse graph with multiple sources of evidence linked to claims via discourse relations + +## Dispatches from the frontier: a series on how discourse graphs are improving scientific research + +We've deployed discourse graph tools in labs across cell biology, biophysics, and human-computer interaction — 6+ labs including the [OASIS Lab](https://joelchan.me/lab/) at the University of Maryland, the [MATSUlab](https://sites.uw.edu/matsulab/) at the University of Washington, the [Holehouse Lab](https://www.holehouselab.com/) at Washington University School of Medicine, and the [Allen Institute for Cell Science](https://alleninstitute.org/cell-science) — as well as to individual researchers around the world. Our question: how can discourse graphs be used to accelerate research? + +In our July issue we shared [how discourse graphs can enhance experiment planning and interpretation](https://discoursegraphs.com/blog/dg-news-july-2026). This month, we'll look at how discourse graphs can be used for iterative synthesis of research results. + +### Better in-progress synthesis + +**Claim:** Papers demand linear arguments. But science-in-progress is a mess of partial results, competing hypotheses, and tentative claims. Discourse graphs let researchers synthesize without rushing to linearization. + +**Evidence:** A cell biology postdoc at the University of Washington used hypothesis candidates to strengthen the argument structure of his manuscript outline. + +The outliner view of a Roam Research discourse graph showing multiple preliminary hypotheses nested under a primary claim, each supported by figures + +**Evidence:** A lab PI rapidly constructed an initial synthesis of conclusions for a talk by assembling discourse nodes created across multiple lab members' notes — the lab graph accelerated a breadth-first search across their recent work. Other lab members used the shared discourse nodes to organize their research into a comprehensive narrative using classic story structure tools. + +Freytag's pyramid used to structure a scientific narrative, the same story structure used to understand Romeo and Juliet applied to cellular biology + +**Evidence:** A PhD student at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research used her graph to tabulate important results and conclusions that weren't immediately relevant to her manuscript-in-progress but were useful for ongoing work. + +**Evidence:** A biophysics researcher used his discourse graph to "remain in the cloud" to synthesize next steps while pondering a set of confusing and sometimes contradictory results from his ongoing experiments. + +Pathfinding on a biophysics discourse graph, mapping promising routes through complex research terrain + +**Claim:** Discourse graphs help you capture what matters before you know what the final story is. + +Tune in next month when we explore how our pilot users are using discourse graphs to bring newcomers to a lab up to speed on cutting-edge research! + +We'd love to hear from you about how you've been using discourse graphs to accelerate your research. Please [contact us via email](mailto:discoursegraphs@gmail.com) to share your experiences! + +## Contributions + +- If you're interested in contributing to the project, please read our [guide on GitHub](https://github.com/DiscourseGraphs/discourse-graph/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) for how to do so. +- We are also open to sponsors, collaborators, and grant opportunities. Please [contact us via email](mailto:discoursegraphs@gmail.com) regarding any of those. + +Thanks for reading and joining us on this journey to make science and research easier and more accessible for everyone. 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