If you have been in your PhD program for more than a year and you cannot name — in one clear sentence — exactly what claim your thesis is making and what evidence will make it defensible, you are not alone. Most STEM PhD students never formally learn how to build a research strategy. They learn how to run experiments. They do not learn how to build an argument.

This guide is the document I wish someone had put in my hands in year two. It will not fix your data. But it will give you a framework for making strategic decisions about your research — so that every experiment you run from this point forward is aimed at something you can defend.