Meet Rutger Neeleman, a student who proves that being a dedicated academic doesn’t mean you have to be all work and no play. With just a year left before he wraps up his studies, this 26-year-old is determined to shake up the world of research—and maybe even change a few lives of those around him along the way. You’d think all that brainpower would leave him wiped out, but Rutger’s got energy to spare. When he’s not deep in his books, you’ll find him at the piano, channeling his inner James Francies and hitting all the right notes with his band. When he’s not rehearsing for his next gig, he’s hitting the pavement, training for a half marathon, or catching up with friends over whatever topic has caught his interest that week. Rutger is living proof that life is best when you mix business with a little bit of fun—or in his case, a lot of it. Boring? Definitely not a word in his vocabulary.
Favorite ELAS: the Unicorn 🦄
A journey of curiosity
From crunching numbers to hitting the right notes — Rutger’s journey has been anything but ordinary. With a passion for exploring different fields, Rutger has tried his hand at several paths. He started with a Bachelor’s in Economics and Policy, dipped his toes into the world of music with a year at the Conservatorium, and then found his true calling in psychology, completing another Bachelor’s degree. Now, in his final year of a rigorous two-year research master’s program—because, as Rutger puts it, “What can you really learn in just one year?”—he’s being prepared to dive deep into the world of research as a fully-fledged investigator. Rutger’s diverse background and relentless curiosity are setting him up to make waves in the academic world.
But Rutger wouldn’t be Rutger if he wasn’t always on the lookout for something more. And more he found. Describing himself as ambitious, versatile, and a social go-getter, Rutger is the kind of guy who’s already thinking about his next big move before he’s even finished the last one. So, when he started searching for an internship, it didn’t take long for him to cross paths with Rens, someone just as enthusiastic as he is. The match was instant. Since September 2022, Rutger has been diving into work at ASReview—first for his thesis, and now as a student assistant.
From student to full-fledged teammember
What started as a thesis on improving the noisy label filter (NLF) procedure quickly turned into real-world application after successfully publishing his work. “Right now, I’m mostly involved in helping with various research projects going on here. One example is the FORAS project: the hunt for the last relevant paper. This project blends traditional systematic review processes with AI. Together with Bruno, our Brazilian post-doc, we completed the screening process. Bruno first labeled over 10,000 papers, and then I applied the noisy label filter procedure. Here’s how it works: Screener 1 (Bruno) labels everything as relevant or irrelevant. The NLF procedure uses the relevant papers as prior knowledge in ASReview, which then re-screens the irrelevant ones to find any that might actually be relevant. Essentially, if Bruno labeled something as irrelevant but ASReview thinks it might still be important, it flags those papers. This filter helps ensure that no crucial papers are missed, acting as a valuable check for a second screener. Using this method, I found 87 relevant papers that Bruno had initially overlooked. It really is a hunt for the last relevant paper!”
Currently, Rutger, Bruno, and the team are busy analyzing all their findings and preparing them for publication. And if that’s not enough, Rutger also organizes screenathons and eagerly co-authors papers analyzing the process of screening in a crowdsourcing environment. Is there anything he can’t do?!
Tech: Friend or Foe?
Rutger is a hard worker, that much is clear. But what really drives him at ASReview? Beyond his passion for making existing tools even better, he sees the relevance and impact of the work being done. “What attracts me most is that it’s a method that saves a ton of time. Researchers often get stuck in their routines, thinking that’s the best way to do things. But with ASReview, you can show them that they can save time without increasing mistakes—in fact, you actually make fewer! It’s fun to point out when people have biases like that. Everyone who starts using it becomes convinced that it works better. My cousin began doing systematic reviews but had never heard of ASReview. Once I told her about it, she was totally on board. There are others who were skeptical at first, but now they’re either convinced or you can see their internal struggle shifting.”
When it comes to whether technology makes us smarter or dumber, he sees it as a complex issue but takes a positive stance: “Used wisely, technology can make you smarter and save you time to focus on other projects. It’s about optimization, not replacement. Technology won’t replace humans; it just speeds things up, letting you concentrate on innovation.”
“What I love about working at ASReview is that there’s always something new happening with different projects, and it keeps things interesting. I really enjoy improving good initiatives and contributing to better research.”
The road ahead
While Rutger definitely faces his share of challenges with keeping track of everything, organizing, and planning in real time, his development is moving along at lightning speed. “I’ve learned so much about working in a team. It’s important to have a clear idea of what you want to do or achieve and to get it done effectively.” The team dynamics also help him learn quickly. “One specific skill I’ve picked up is how to be a team player in a multidisciplinary environment where different cultures and professions come together. At the start of my thesis, I had to reproduce a search, and our information specialist, Felix, was a huge help. He knew exactly how to navigate the different databases. I realized you don’t have to be the expert in everything. Having a solid foundation is useful, but it’s much more efficient to let others handle what they know best and trust their expertise. This way, you can focus on your own work without needing to understand every little detail. It’s all about synergy!”
There’s no doubt we’ll be hearing a lot more from Rutger, even if he prefers to stay humble. “Could I compare you to a young Rens, then?” He laughs: “No, that’s giving me too much credit—Rens won a Vici grant! I’m just getting started! But what I love most is improving existing things. That’s what really drives me. So in that way, we’re alike.” With ambitions to pursue a PhD after completing his master’s, it’s clear he’s destined for big things in the research world. And if we’re really lucky, we might just catch him rocking out with his band at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam one day. But until then, we’re happy to keep this positive force on board!
Want to join Rutger and be part of ASReview during your studies? We’re always searching for enthusiastic students who want to contribute to our success. Contact us to explore the opportunities.
