Research Timeline Generator
Master research project planning with this comprehensive timeline generator designed for graduate students, researchers, and project managers. Create detailed project timelines with tasks, milestones, and deadlines. Visualize your entire research project using an interactive Gantt chart that shows task durations, overlaps, and dependencies. Track progress with four status levels (Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Delayed) and organize work into phases like Proposal Development, Literature Review, IRB Approval, Data Collection, Analysis, and Writing. Perfect for dissertation planning, grant proposal timelines, thesis schedules, and research project management. Features dual-view mode with list and Gantt chart visualizations, powerful search and filtering by phase or status, statistics dashboard showing completion rates and total duration, and comprehensive export options. Export your timeline to CSV for sharing with advisors, JSON for backup and restoration, or print directly from the browser. Includes automatic localStorage persistence so you never lose your work. Calculate project duration automatically and see at-a-glance which tasks are on track or delayed. Essential for managing complex research projects with multiple phases and deliverables.
Key Features
- Create tasks with start and end dates
- Mark important milestones
- Track status (Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Delayed)
- Organize tasks by research phases
- Interactive Gantt chart visualization
- List view with detailed task information
- Search across all tasks
- Filter by phase or status
- Automatic duration calculation
- Statistics dashboard
- Completion tracking
- Timeline date range display
- Phase breakdown analysis
- Export to CSV
- Export to JSON (full backup)
- Import from JSON
- Browser localStorage persistence
- Duplicate tasks
- Quick status updates
- No login required
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a research timeline for my dissertation?
Research timelines prevent scope creep, help you meet deadlines, enable realistic scheduling, and demonstrate project feasibility in proposals. Committees and funding agencies require timelines showing you understand project phases, dependencies, and time requirements. Timelines also help identify potential bottlenecks (IRB approval, participant recruitment, data analysis) requiring advance planning. This tool creates Gantt chart visualizations showing task relationships and progress.
How detailed should my research timeline be?
Include major phases (proposal, IRB, data collection, analysis, writing) broken into specific tasks with 1-4 week granularity. Too general (only 3-4 phases) lacks actionability; too detailed (daily tasks) becomes unmaintainable. Include milestones (IRB approval, data collection complete, draft submission) and realistic buffer time for delays. This tool helps organize tasks by phase with duration tracking and status monitoring.
What are common timeline mistakes to avoid?
Common mistakes: (1) Underestimating IRB approval time (add 2-3 months), (2) Unrealistic data collection timelines (recruitment is slow), (3) No buffer time for revisions or delays, (4) Ignoring dependencies (cannot analyze before collecting data), (5) Not accounting for advisor feedback cycles. Build in 20-30% buffer time beyond best-case estimates. This tool helps visualize dependencies and calculate realistic total duration.