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10 Best Apps for PhD Students | 2024

Best Mobile Applications for Researchers

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10 best android apps for phd students, 10 best ios apps for phd graduate students, best apps for phd students, what is the mendeley app, how to use it for research, 2. flipboard, what is a researcher app, what is plagiarism checker app, what is google keep app, what is curiosity app, how to use it for research , what is paperity app, what is slack app, what is dropbox, what is camescanner app, you might also love, video: 10 types of plagiarism.

There are millions of mobile applications available in the Android play store, but still, there are very few useful apps only available for researchers. We analyzed more than 50 applications and identified the 10 most appropriate applications for researchers based on daily activities like research collaboration, data collection, document reading, updating real-world issues related to their domain, resource gathering, daily schedule maintenance, and journal reading. This post gives an explanation to use the top 10 Useful Mobile Apps software 2024 for PhD Scholars that are really the best apps for PhD Students.

Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose   – Zora Neale Hurston

Here are 10 of the best Android apps that can be extremely helpful for graduate students in their academic pursuits. I’ll also provide some insights on how these apps can benefit you.

• These apps are essential for creating, editing, and presenting documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Store and sync your documents, making them accessible from any device. Collaboration features are a plus for group projects.
• A reference manager and academic social network. It helps you organize your research, collaborate with peers, and discover the latest research.
• An excellent note-taking app that allows you to capture and organize ideas, research notes, and web clippings.
• Another robust reference manager that simplifies the process of collecting, organizing, and citing research materials.
• Enhance your writing by checking grammar, spelling, and style. It’s an indispensable tool for proofreading.
• Manage your projects and tasks effectively. Great for keeping track of deadlines and staying organized.
• Boost your productivity by using the Pomodoro technique. Stay focused and limit distractions during study sessions.
• Access a wide range of educational content in various subjects, making it a great resource for learning beyond your coursework.
• Turn your smartphone into a portable scanner. Scan and digitize documents, notes, and books for easy reference.

Here are 10 iOS apps that can be incredibly helpful for graduate students:

• An excellent note-taking app that allows you to write, draw, and annotate PDFs.
• A reference management tool that helps you organize and cite your research materials.
• A writing assistant can help you improve the clarity and correctness of your writing.
• Another powerful reference manager with a mobile app for on-the-go access to your research library.
• A versatile note-taking app that syncs across devices and allows you to organize your thoughts and research.
• If you struggle with staying focused, this app helps you stay on track by growing virtual trees when you avoid your phone.
• A comprehensive digital notebook that’s great for organizing your research notes.
• Access a vast database of scholarly articles and research papers.
• A project management app that can help you organize your tasks and deadlines.
• If your research involves multiple languages, this app can help you learn and practice them.

These apps cover a range of functions, from note-taking and reference management to productivity and language learning. They can be valuable tools for graduate students in various disciplines.

1. Mendeley

Mendeley is a free reference manager and PDF reader crafted especially for researchers. It helps you to organize your literature in a proper manner so you could effectively use it during your thesis writing or dissertation. Mendeley is available in both mobile and desktop applications, It will help you to read your collected articles wherever you go.  

• Create a free account at www.mendeley.com and download a desktop version in your system.
• Add all your Journals , Magazines, Book Chapters, Thesis , and other materials in an organized manner.
• Segregate the files based on year, author, publication, and domain using TAG option.
• Download the Mendeley mobile application and log in with the same account.
• Allow the application to synchronize with your account.
• Now you can see all the files that you saved on your desktop that will appear in the mobile application.

Organizing Resources is the first step towards the solution

What is Flipboard App?

Flipboard is the most popular mobile application used by millions of people every day, It helps you to keep yourself updated with your domain-related information and also read the daily news, blog posts, and trending topics all together in one place. Flipboard allows the user to collect posts based on their passion and interest. The powerful and smooth user interface gives a pleasant feel to reading more articles.  

• Download the Flipboard mobile application and create your account.
• Flipboard will give a virtual tour to learn the basic features of the application.
• Click  “WHAT’S YOUR PASSION?” Next to the Flipboard icon.
• Search for your domain. Ex: Machine Learning.
• It will show many sub-categories inside the topic. Based on your requirement personalize the magazine. That’s it!
• Keep up with the news related to your domain every day with The Daily Edition.

Don’t be outdated, Because you are working for the future!

3. Researcher

Researcher is a free journal-finding mobile application that helps you to read new journal papers every day that are relevant to your research. It is the most popular mobile application used by more than 3 million scientists and researchers to keep themselves updated with the latest academic literature.

• Download Researhcer mobile application on your mobile.
• Open and search for your required journal in the search bar.
• You can follow any number of journals and you can read new articles as well.

4. Plagiarism Checker

Plagiarism Checker is a free application that works with Plagiarisma.net. It will detect duplicate content in your papers from more than five popular search engines like Google, Yahoo, Babylon, Google Scholar, and Google Books.

• Download Plagiarism Checker mobile application.
• No need for registration so you can directly go into the app.
• Scan your essay, article, term paper, or dissertation with a single tap of your smartphone.
• It also has voice support and direct URL support.
• Save results to HTML, PDF, EPUB. That’s it!

5. Google Keep

Google Keep is a free remainder application from Google LLC, It helps researchers quickly capture what’s on their mind and get a reminder later at the right place or time. 

• Download Google Keep mobile application.
• Log in with your Google account.
• Record a voice memo and Keep will transcribe it so you can find it later.
• Take quick notes.
• Schedule your daily plan and enable the remainder.
• Take handwritten notes.
• Capture important results using the camera and save them.
• Access it when you working on a desktop or laptop as well.

6. Curiosity

Curiosity is a very popular mobile application from curiosity.com, it helps researchers to learn new scientific inventions in a more detailed way with videos.

• Download the Curiosity mobile application.
• Create an account to access the app.
• Read inspiring articles from your topics.
• Watch smart videos from millions of creators.
• Personalize your favorites, then follow your favorite categories. 

7. Paperity

Paperity is a free mobile application for researchers from www.paperity.org. It helps you to aggregate various open-access journals through your mobile.

• Download Paperity mobile application.
• Browse the most recent articles.
• Browse journals and their Tables of Contents of Open Access papers.
•  Search papers and their full text for specific keywords, phrases, authors, publication dates, languages, and countries of origin. 
• View and read full-text PDFs of more than one million articles. All for FREE!

Are you doing Collaborative Research? Then Try this useful mobile application Slack it brings team communication and collaboration into one place so you can get more work done, whether you belong to a small lab or doing collaborative research with researchers from another part of the world. Make effective conversations on different topics using #TAG. 

• Download Slack mobile application.
• Include your lab members using their Email-ID.
• Communicate with your lab mates and organize your conversations by topics, projects, or anything else that matters to your work.
• Message or call any person or group within your team.
• Integrate into your workflow, the tools, and services you already use including Google Drive, Salesforce, Dropbox, Asana, Twitter, and Zendesk.
• Customize your notifications so you stay focused on what matters.

Dropbox is a free another free mobile application for researchers to make creative collaboration space, store all files together in one central place, and safely sync them across all your devices.

• Download Dropbox  mobile application.
• Create a Dropbox account and choose a free version. (Limited space only but more than enough for document files).
•  Work on files with others through shared folders.
• Use the document scanner to turn receipts, whiteboards, and notes into PDFs.
• Comment on files to share feedback with your team
• Sync, share, and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.

10. Camscanner

Camescanner is a mobile document scanning and sharing application, It helps you to scan, store, sync and collaborate on various contents across smartphones, iPads, tablets and computers.

• Download the Camscanner application and Create an account.
• Use your mobile camera to scan and digitize all kinds of paper documents.
• Using smart cropping and auto-enhancing ensures the texts and graphics in scanned documents.
• Easily share documents in PDF or JPEG format with friends in various ways.
• Instantly print out any documents in CamScanner with a nearby printer via AirPrint.

Hope, this article would help you to know about the 10 Best Apps for PhD Students.

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How to Download Free Mendeley Datasets?

10 Free Plagiarism Checker Tool for Thesis

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[…] 10 Useful Apps for PhD Scholars […]

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[…] tool also available as mobile applications in Android and iOS […]

[…] 10 Useful Apps for PhD Scholars | 2020 […]

Hello, I loved this article! All of your resources listed here are spot on, thank you for taking the time to write this. I sent you an email about a tool we created by (a team of researchers) that is free for PHD and graduate students to use. We started this no-code app to help our own academic research students and faculty, and would love to help more people. Thanks again! – Pathverse Team

Mendeley App was removed in 2021 – the mobile web version is sadly close to unusable. If anybody finds a proper workaround or a usable third party app, please include that in the article.

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• Best Online Doctoral Programs

Best Online Doctoral Programs Of 2024

Published: Apr 23, 2024, 1:42pm

The best online doctoral programs offer flexibility and convenience that can make it easier for you to pursue an advanced degree, often while working full time.

Earning a doctorate can help you advance to the highest roles in your field and increase your salary potential. It’s also a chance for you to gain an advanced understanding of impactful issues and develop the skills to generate new ideas, solve problems and create meaningful change.

Below, learn about the best online doctoral programs in a variety of fields, including social work, psychology, education and nursing.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

Our Methodology

We ranked accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online doctoral degree programs in the U.S. using metrics in the categories of student experience, credibility, student outcomes and affordability. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites.

We scored schools based on the following data points:

Student Experience:

• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Socioeconomic diversity
• Availability of online coursework
• Total number of graduate assistants
• Portion of graduate students enrolled in at least some distance education

Credibility:

• Fully accredited
• Programmatic accreditation status
• Nonprofit status

Student Outcomes:

• Overall graduation rate
• Median earnings 10 years after graduation

Affordability:

• In-state graduate student tuition and fees
• Alternative tuition plans offered
• Median federal student loan debt
• Student loan default rate

We chose the best schools to display in 10 categories of doctoral degrees.

Find our full list of methodologies here .

• Best Online Colleges With A 100% Acceptance Rate
• Best HBCUs With Online Degrees
• Best Online Colleges
• Best Online Master's Programs
• What Are The Best Online Public Universities

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Best online doctoral program options.

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Should You Enroll in an Online Ph.D. Program or Doctorate?

Accreditation for online doctoral degrees, how to find the right online doctorate for you, frequently asked questions (faqs) about online ph.d. programs and doctorates.

• Best online Psy.D.: Rivier University
• Best online Doctor of Nursing Practice: University of Central Florida
• Best online Doctor of Business Administration: Walsh College
• Best online doctorate in physical therapy: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
• Best online doctorate in education: Johns Hopkins University
• Best online Ph.D. in organizational leadership: Indiana Wesleyan University
• Best online Ph.D. in counseling: Concordia University-Irvine
• Best online Doctor of Social Work: University of Southern California
• Best online Ph.D. in public administration: West Chester University of Pennsylvania
• Best online doctorate in educational leadership: Fairfield University

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Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial credit and much more by clicking 'Visit Site'

Best Online Psy.D.

Rivier university.

Program Tuition Rate

$1,275/credit

Percentage of Grad Students Enrolled in Distance Education

Overall Graduation Rate

Located in Nashua, New Hampshire, Rivier University offers a hybrid Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) with a limited number of online classes. The American Psychology Association-accredited program focuses on school psychology and counseling and prepares you to work as a psychologist in various environments. You’ll learn clinical diagnosis, assessment, prevention and intervention skills.

Students must attend full time and can work no more than 20 hours per week. It takes a minimum of five years to graduate.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on a set schedule
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $100
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60-130 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Fundamentals of research, group counseling
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, includes a 2,000-hour internship and at least six practicum experiences

Best Doctor of Nursing Practice

University of central florida.

$372/credit (in-state)

At University of Central Florida (UCF), practicing nurses can earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The advanced track program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and prepares nurses for clinical leadership roles in the field.

Coursework explores clinical management, communication skills and epidemiology principles. You’ll develop research and practice skills, learn to improve healthcare systems, develop health policy and analyze data to improve individual and population health.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• School Type: Public
• Application Fee: $30
• Degree Credit Requirements: 42 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time, full-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Healthcare systems and policy, nursing environment management
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, includes clinical hours (but all coursework is available online)

Best Doctor of Business Administration

Walsh college.

$1,038/credit

You can earn an online Doctor of Business Administration from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan. The part-time, online program includes asynchronous coursework and real-time Zoom classes, as well as optional opportunities to interact on campus. You can develop advanced business knowledge and skills to become a business leader or consultant.

In addition to coursework, you must pass a preliminary exam and complete a 15-credit dissertation process. The program requires students to graduate within seven years.

• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Foundations for business success, qualitative and exploratory research methods
• In-Person Requirements: No

Best Doctorate in Physical Therapy

Texas tech university health sciences center.

$265/credit (in-state)

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center designed its hybrid Doctor of Science in physical therapy to help practicing physical therapists advance their careers. The post-professional 36-credit program takes four to five years to complete part time.

The flexible format makes it possible for students to keep working while attending school. Learners attend weekend lectures and labs at the Lubbock, Texas, campus. During the week, they supplement their in-person instruction with online assignments.

• Application Fee: $75
• Degree Credit Requirements: 36 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Medical screening for rehabilitation sciences, motor control in orthopedics
• Concentrations Available: Research track, teaching track
• In-Person Requirements: Yes

Best Online Doctorate in Education

Johns hopkins university.

$2,100/credit

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland offers an online Ed.D. The part-time degree takes four years to complete and explores topics like the social determinants of education, entrepreneurship and technology.

You can customize the degree by choosing electives that align with your professional interests and by selecting one or more “areas of interest,” such as urban leadership or digital age learning and educational technology. Applicants need a master’s degree with at least 36 graduate credits to qualify for the program.

• Application Fee: $80
• Degree Credit Requirements: 54 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Approaches to urban education, partnerships and community organizing
• Concentrations Available: Creativity, advanced learning, and twice exceptionality; digital age learning and educational technology; entrepreneurial leadership in education; mind, brain, and teaching; urban leadership

Best Online Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership

Indiana wesleyan university.

$890/credit

Located in Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University offers an online Ph.D. in organizational leadership that can prepare you to become an effective leader in as few as four years. The program focuses on inclusion, multiculturalism and international perspectives and develops research, presentation and executive skills.

You must attend an in-person residency during the July session, but the rest of the program takes place online and offers flexibility for working professionals. The school’s tuition guarantee locks in your tuition rate when you start the program.

• Application Fee: Free
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Advanced leadership theory, statistical research design
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, includes an in-person residency

Best Online Ph.D. in Counseling

Concordia university – irvine.

$795/credit

Concordia University – Irvine in Irvine, California, is a Christian institution that offers a “biblically informed” online Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from its Townsend Institute. Designed for licensed mental health professionals, the degree develops advanced skills and prepares you for leadership roles in counseling, teaching and advocacy.

The accelerated program takes three to four years to complete. It requires two in-person residencies and a total of 700 hours of internship and practicum field experiences. In addition to coursework, you must complete a culminating 12-credit dissertation that includes original counseling research and a successful oral defense.

• Program Enrollment Options: Accelerated
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Advanced counseling and career theories, advanced multicultural issues in counselor education and supervision
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, requires two in-person residencies, a practicum and an internship

Best Online Doctor of Social Work

University of southern california.

$2,137/credit

University of Southern California ‘s online Doctor of Social Work from the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work emphasizes the importance of scholarship and practice in the field. Created for experienced social work professionals, the program can help you become a leader working toward social change and innovation.

The program offers a seven-semester accelerated track and a standard nine-semester option. In a capstone experience, learners research and create a prototype that addresses a current problem in social work.

• Application Fee: $90
• Program Enrollment Options: Accelerated, full-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Leading public discourse, financial management for social change

Best Online Ph.D. in Public Administration

West chester university of pennsylvania.

$645/credit (in-state)

West Chester University of Pennsylvania ’s online Doctor of Public Administration can prepare you for high-level roles in public affairs and administration. The program is offered by the College of Business and Public Management, accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and the Department of Public Policy and Administration, accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.

The curriculum explores strategic management, policy advocacy and decision-making in the public sector. The dissertation allows you to complete an applied research project. You can take electives and choose a concentration from multiple departments, including psychology, graduate social work and criminal justice.

• Degree Credit Requirements: 45 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Strategic public sector management and governance, research design for program and policy evaluation
• Concentrations Available: Options from multiple departments

Best Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership

Fairfield university.

$1,120/credit

At Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, you can earn an online, low-residency Doctor of Education in educational leadership. The program offers two tracks: teacher leader for certified working educators or higher education administration for higher education professionals.

Students enroll in the cohort-style program in the fall and graduate in three years by taking six credits per semester. Learners can build community during two one-week summer residencies. Applicants need a master’s degree in a relevant field and a minimum 3.0 GPA.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• Application Fee: $65
• Degree Credit Requirements: 57
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Action research for educational change, framing and critical analysis of problems of practice
• Concentrations Available: Teacher leader, higher education administration
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, requires two one-week residencies

An online Ph.D. program or doctorate can offer many compelling features for students, but it might not be the right choice for everyone. Consider the questions below when deciding whether to pursue your doctorate online or in person.

• What type of schedule do you need? Online programs typically offer more flexibility that appeals to students who work full time or have personal responsibilities to fit around their school schedule. Online degrees allow learners to pursue higher education without putting their career on hold. This is especially true for programs that offer asynchronous coursework that students complete on their own time.
• What learning style works best for you? Do you work well independently and with a lot of freedom? If so, an online doctorate might be a good fit for you. If you think you’d prefer the camaraderie of an in-person cohort graduate program and structured opportunities to interact with instructors, an on-campus or hybrid program might suit you better.
• How does the program format affect your budget? Online programs can help you save on tuition, housing and transportation costs. For example, many public schools allow you to pay the same tuition, regardless of where you live. However, you might miss funding opportunities typically reserved for on-campus students, such as graduate teaching assistantships, research assistantships and fellowships.

The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) approve accrediting agencies that give schools institutional accreditation in the U.S.

Institutional accreditation means that a university has met minimum quality requirements related to its academics, financial management, faculty and staff, and student resources and services. To qualify for federal financial aid, you must attend an accredited college.

Programmatic accreditation is a separate process that gives special recognition to individual degrees, programs or departments within a university. Depending on your field, you might need a programmatically accredited degree to get a job or qualify for professional licenses or certifications.

You can search for a prospective school’s accreditation status on CHEA’s website .

Consider Your Future Goals

An online doctorate has the potential to help you achieve your career aspirations. However, not every program in your field will necessarily align with your goals. Before you choose an online doctorate program, think about your post-graduation plans.

For example, some online doctorate programs require professional experience through an internship or a practicum. This type of hands-on learning can help you develop your expertise and professional network. But these experiences usually take place in person and can be hard to fit into your schedule if you’re working full time.

You should also consider if you need a specific license or certification to get the job you want. If so, research the credential’s requirements to learn if your degree needs to meet certain criteria. For example, you may need to complete an accredited program or complete supervised clinical hours.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

Tuition rates for online doctoral programs in our guide vary significantly, from $265 to $2,137 per credit. Most programs required 42 to 60 credits, with some exceptions. In total, the degrees ranked on our list cost between $9,540 and $113,400.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics , grad students at private, nonprofit schools paid an average tuition of $20,408 in 2022–23, while public school tuition cost $11,554 per year. Doctorate programs typically take at least three years to complete, putting total costs between $34,662 and $61,224.

Find funding for your online Ph.D. by filling out the FAFSA®, which can connect you with scholarships, grants and student loans. Many schools also provide funding to graduate students through scholarships, grants and fellowships.

Can you do a Ph.D. fully online?

Yes, many schools offer fully online Ph.D. programs. However, depending on the program and the field of study, you may need to complete on-campus residencies or field experiences like internships or practicums that take place in person.

What is the fastest Ph.D. to get online?

Program length for online Ph.D. programs varies depending on your field of study. You might be able to find some accelerated online Ph.D. programs that you can finish in less than two years. However, the best online doctoral programs on our list take at least three years to complete.

Are online doctoral degrees respected?

An online doctoral degree from an accredited university can provide the same rigorous education and training as a comparable on-campus program. If you’re concerned about whether or not your degree will be respected, consider doing some research about the way that your field or profession tends to view online doctoral degrees.

What is the best online school for a Ph.D.?

The best online school for a Ph.D. depends on your field of study, personal interests and career goals. Make sure that any prospective online school is institutionally accredited. Depending on the degree you want to pursue, it might also be important to find a program with separate programmatic accreditation.

Liz Simmons has been writing for various online publications about career development, higher education and college affordability for nearly a decade. Her articles demystify the college application process and help prospective students figure out how to choose a major or career path.

5 best free productivity apps for research students

Completing a research degree is less like a 9 to 5 job and more like a 5 to 9 one. With the high workload and other life commitments it’s important you have all the help you need to boost your productivity and ensure you can carve some time out for yourself.

Take control of your studies with five of the best free productivity apps for research students.

1) Save time referencing with Mendeley

Staring at a mile long reference list is enough to give even the most seasoned researchers a headache, so be sure to avoid bibliographic burnout with Mendeley.

This free reference manager automatically generates bibliographies as you write and even helps you find papers relevant to your subject, meaning you can spend more time writing and less time referencing.

2) Stay off your phone with Forest

Forest gamifies your focus by rewarding 25 minute intervals of uninterrupted work with your own virtual tree. Stay focused on your work for longer periods and you’ll be able to grow a whole forest.

It’s a simple incentive that stops you from hoping onto social media via your phone and increases productivity. If you leave the Forest app, the tree you were growing starts again from a seedling, resetting your progress.

If that’s not enough, growing trees will reward you with virtual coins which can be spent to plant real trees through charity group Trees for the Future.

3) Save your distractions for later with Pocket

Endless open browser tabs are the guilty secret of every researcher, but can make your actual work much harder to navigate. Say goodbye to your endless labyrinth of open webpages with the free productivity app, Pocket.

Pocket is a browser plugin which stores and catalogues everything you want to read, whether it’s an important paper for your next thesis chapter or a review of a film you’ve been dying to see.

The tool makes your life easier by allowing you to focus on what’s important right now and keeps your workspace clean and focused.

4) Get past your writer's block with 750 Words

Despite all the planning and data you’ve compiled throughout your research, starting to write your thesis or next chapter can still be a daunting prospect.

750 Words is a tool designed to get you free-writing. Just write 750 words a day and commit to writing without editing, allowing you to get your thoughts down on paper and clear your head.

This type of writing is often unusable, but can sometimes contain useable gems and get you in the right mindset to write that first paragraph.

5) Keep on top of your tasks with Trello

As a researcher, there’s a good chance you’re keeping lots of balls in the air. To keep track of all your jobs (both-PhD related or otherwise) it’s a good idea to find a task management app that works for you.

There are many free apps out there, but Trello is perhaps one of the most visual and user-friendly.

The tool allows you to create work boards and fill them with tasks, assign deadlines, make updates and so much more. You can also share your board with collaborators or supervisors to make team working easier.

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Nine of the Best Apps and Websites for My PhD Workflow

Here's 9 of my favourite apps I use regularly for my PhD.

Annette Raffan

From the start of my PhD I have tried a range of applications and programs to help facilitate the process of carrying out my research. In this post I have curated a list of the top nine I use which have stood the test of time.

I’m not going to beat around the bush; if you're looking for the best apps that I use virtually every day, if not every week, in carrying out my PhD, then look no further!

They are in no particular order.

Zotero is one of the workhorses of my workflow. It does the initial heavy lifting of importing any references directly in from my Chrome browser using the Zotero Connector plugin. When I first started using it I paid a fee to sync across platform (about £40/year) but I’ve since stopped paying and just store it locally. I only need to use it on one computer and I make sure I back-up my database at least monthly.

I use the additional citekeys plugin, which means I can set manual bibliography reference keys to use across any writing. It can integrate with Word if you need; I do also use this function.

It’s super easy to use. You can set up libraries and tags, though I use it at its very basic; import -> export with some tweaking of reference data and citekeys as needed. Zotero is actually incredibly powerful and had I known how it works from the beginning, my PhD may have started out differently. I don’t think most people know how it can work, so I’ll post about this at a later date!

2. Microsoft Office Suite

I mainly use Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel) because I have to rather than I want to per se . I’ll break these down individually because they each hold different and important roles.

Because our university uses Outlook to process official emails, that’s where all my email communication and calendaring goes. I mean, I feel it’s kind of the same as any other options, functionally. What really annoys me is, because it’s semi-controlled by the institution, it won’t integrate properly with apps like ToDoIst. So yes, it works, just not as well as I like. I’m kinda locked into this one.

We can’t escape Word (or a freely available equivalent). Whereas only some publishers will accept LaTeX files, all will accept Word files. I must admit, despite using a plethora of other word processing apps, Word is still the most user friendly-keep everyone happy-supervisors can use it…-option. As a text editor, it’s just generally nice to use.

One of my supervisors’ favourite things to do is “create a slide deck with all your results so we can pick out the important things and see everything in one place”. Now that I do this, I do see the merit in it. Like Word, Powerpoint is also incredibly user friendly and easy to share in discussions with others. Hence why it is the default choice whenever you’re asked to do a presentation.

It’s also pretty convenient when you need to make a poster. There are however quite often formatting issues if pdfs aren’t involved.

I don’t know of another data entry program that works as-good-as or better than Excel (other than Google docs and other similar free ones). For digitising a lot of experimental data and getting it into txt files, it’s perfect. It’s handy sometimes to do quick calculations or graph things quickly. Excel is another one of those programs that is incredibly powerful once you understand how to use it properly (and I don’t). With moves to have open science, Excel is poo-pooed as an analysis tool so I don’t use it for data analysis.

Microsoft Office is £60/year for a personal license, but if you’re a student you can likely get it on your own PC through your institution.

3. TickTick

TickTick is my app of choice for task management. To be honest I tend to love it, use it for a while, then get overwhelmed, hate it and stop using it. I’m in a hate it phase right now.

I do find it a bit clunky to use, though not as clunky as ToDoIst. I feel that there is a bit of a divide in the style of knowledge and task management apps and that is ‘Notion-style’ and ‘Obsidian-style’. TickTick falls into the Notion-style which is why I don’t think I get along with it as well. There’s just something about it, that doesn’t click with me. I find it good for a specific purpose e.g. planning out the order of experimental steps, but on a day-to-day basis, I need something much less rigid. Does that make sense?

I paid for TickTick Premium ( Referral Link for TickTick ) with was $28/year to get the full calendar and filter functionality. Not sure I’ll pay for another year though.

4. Web of Knowledge

Web of Knowledge or Science is my go-to academic paper search engine. It’s not the only one I use (nor should it be because it’s biased), but if I need to search for literature, this is where I will start. I used to use Scopus, but for some reason I’ve graduated away from it. I like how easy Web of Science is to use and find papers.

Web of Knowledge I think is only available through an institution whereas something like Google Scholar is free.

5. Obsidian

Aaah, where would I be without Obsidian? Lost in the fog of doom, I suspect. I use Obsidian to bring everything together and as a one stop shop for taking notes and writing things down. Here I can take notes on papers, connect related notes, pull up lists of papers and start to build ideas for writing; like this blog. It’s the first program for me that solved my problem of notes, notes everywhere. And lists, definitely lists everywhere too. Now I have one place to store all my bits of everything. With its powerful search engine, I have my own personal Google.

I’ve been using it for about 7 months now and it’s only just starting to reach some kind of critical mass. I think it’s a lot of work to put it together and get it working how you want, so it’s not for the feint of heart. But it’s worth it; when you’re trying to remember what you learnt about something and you’ve already got a note about it, written in your own language.

You can take a tour around my vault setup over on Medium, along with my top 3 favourite Obsidian community plugins that I use for my PhD.

I pay to sync across devices which is $8/month but there are ways around this such as using Github. I like to think of it as supporting the developers to some extent.

6. Overleaf

I started using LaTeX pretty early on in my PhD. I fell in love with the visual appearance of a compiled LaTeX document. It just seemed so much nicer than anything I could produce in Word.

Although I do my writing outside of OverLeaf at the moment, I aim to publish my thesis using LaTeX. I started using other LaTeX editors but Overleaf dwarfs the competition with usability, functionality and warmth!

Therefore, personally I love Overleaf. It took me a while to set up my thesis document and chapters, but now that I have, I can’t wait to get back into it again and putting finished chapters together.

If you pay yearly (there’s a student option) then it will sync with your Zotero database and you can collaborate with others. But since my supervisors don’t know how to use LaTeX and I had issues with random things appearing in my .bib file that I just couldn’t work out how to get rid of, including the slow updating rate, I just use the free version. It’s just as easy uploading a manual bibliography file at the end. I use all the same citation keys throughout my writing so it’s super easy to do.

7. R and RStudio

R and the interface editor RStudio (seems to have changed to ‘Posit’ recently 🤷‍♀️) are two other workhorses of my PhD. This is where all my data analysis happens. I started by using scripts within RStudio but then I switched to visual RMarkdown and what a difference that made to the usability and friendliness of using R! I use these both on an almost daily basis and couldn’t do my PhD without them. Best thing is they are both free and almost every academic uses them to some extent.

[Note: It looks like 'RStudio' is making moves to integrate with Python hence the name change.]

8. Scrintal

With the advent of Obsidian Canvas, I don’t use Scrintal so much anymore but it revolutionised how I put my literature review together. It allows to me to visualise how everything fits together which was a game-changer for me. I do still use it to map out projects and research papers when I need a ‘quieter’ space to work. It’s nice that it’s separate from my Obsidian. I tend to just go for ‘atomic notes’ on here rather than longform content.

I’m an early subscriber for this one, so it costs me $5/month.

9. Inkscape

Inkscape is a super duper free art editor. I’m still getting to grips with how it works, but it’s pretty powerful. I’ve used it to create diagrams for posters before as it has some neat ‘expanding’ effects which work well for the concept I need to illustrate; you can follow what I did here .. I don’t find it that easy to use. If I want something super simple, I’ll still head to Paint!!

Well there you have it. My list of 9 apps that I use regularly or have a pivotal role in my PhD workflow. Do you use any of these? Do you have any other suggestions?

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7 Essential Dissertation Writing Apps & Tools

By: David Phair (PhD) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | October 2019 (Updated March 2022)

Completing your dissertation or thesis requires a hearty investment of time, effort and hard work. There’s no shortcut on the road to research success, but as with anything, there are ways to optimize the process and work smarter.

In this post, we’ll share with you a handful of apps, software and services that will make your life a little easier throughout the research process.

Overview: Essential Thesis Writing App s

• Grammarly (language editing)
• Evernote (note taking & productivity)
• Otter (dictation/transcription)
• Dropbox (cloud storage)
• Canva (graphic design)
• Mendeley (reference management)
• Freemind (mind mapping)
• Bonus – MOOCs (learning & development)

#1: Grammarly Premium

Let’s face it – the spell checker in Microsoft Word just plain sucks. False positives and negatives abound, missed errors, ridiculous suggestions – you’re often better off spell checking yourself. Thankfully, you don’t need to do that, thanks to Grammarly .

Grammarly is  more than just a spelling and grammar checker – it picks up far more complex issues such as:

• Inconsistent writing style and unclear sentence structure
• Overuse of specific works and ineffective vocabulary
• Impolite, insensitive or non-inclusive language
• Inappropriate tone or formality level

Simply put, Grammarly is the closest thing you’ll get to having a real-time editor and proofreader looking at your work. Of course, it doesn’t replace human-based editing , but its ideal for cleaning up your early drafts prior to submitting them to your supervisor/advisor for feedback. Grammarly integrates directly into Word, Google Docs and Chrome, so it’s extremely versatile.

Grammarly offers both a free and premium version. For dissertation writing purposes, we recommend the premium version as it includes a plagiarism checker , which is very handy. 

#2: Evernote & Penultimate

No doubt, you’ll be taking an endless stream of notes throughout the research process. Some will be written notes, some will be photos, some might even be audio recordings. You’ll need a way to stay on top of it all and keep things organized. Enter Evernote .

Evernote is the ultimate note-taking app, as it allows you to take notes in various formats, including text (typed and handwritten), photos (snap that workshop slide) and audio (record that interview). You can also attach files of any format (for example, an Excel data set), so absolutely everything stays in one place. The text in any note is fully searchable, and all data is synchronized across your phone, laptop, desktop and tablet.

Writing up a good dissertation or thesis requires a lot of, well, writing. Spending hours upon hours hunched over a keyboard can be really draining (and potentially physically harmful). Imagine you could just speak instead of type. Well, now you can, thanks to Otter.ai

The number of times we’ve seen students lose hours, days or even weeks’ worth of hard work (and even miss the submission deadline) due to corrupted flash drives or hard drives, coffee-soaked laptops, or stolen computers is truly saddening. If you’re not using cloud storage to save your work, you’re running a major risk.

If you take only ONE thing from this post , let it be this point. Go sign up for any of the following cloud services (most offer a free version) and save your work there:

• Google Drive
• iCloud Drive

Not only will this ensure your work is always safely stored (remember to hit the Save button, though!), it will make working on multiple devices easier, as your files will be automatically synchronized. No need to have multiple versions between your desktop, laptop, tablet, etc. Everything stays in one place. Safe, secure, happy files.

Need a helping hand?

Even the most well-written dissertation or thesis will suffer if the visuals cause retina damage to the reader’s eyes. Sadly, badly designed conceptual frameworks and document visuals are all too common in academic work. This needn’t be the case, thanks to Canva .

Canva is an intuitive, easy to use, fully web-based graphic design service that lets anyone design high-quality graphics . And yes, we mean anyone . You don’t need to have a background in graphic design or visual arts to make good looking graphics with Canva. Just drag and drop . Canva also offers a wide variety of pre-made templates, so it couldn’t be easier to create visuals for your dissertation or thesis.

6: Mendeley

Correctly formatted citations and references are essential to a polished dissertation or thesis. Even the highest quality piece of research will lose credibility (and marks) if the referencing is not on point. It’s such a shame to see students lose marks on this , as its such an easy thing to get right with reference management software like Mendeley .

Mendeley is a free reference management software that takes care of all your citations and references in Word. Simply load up your journal articles in Mendeley and then just drop in your citations as you write up in Word. Mendeley then automatically builds your reference list according to whichever format you choose (e.g. Harvard, APA , etc). Sure, there are many similar pieces of software out there, but personally I find Mendeley to be the most feature-rich. See the video above for a taste of the functionality.

7: Freemind

When you’re undertaking your research, especially your literature review , you’re going to be dealing with a wide-ranging number of theories, models and frameworks, and it can be difficult to see the big picture and connect all the dots. Mind mapping is a highly effective way to visualize (and connect) all the information, but doing it on paper is so old fashioned. Enter Freemind .

8: Udemy & Coursera

Okay, so this is not an app or piece of software, but we couldn’t resist including it…

While you’re undertaking your dissertation, chances are that you’re going to need to learn about some niche topic very quickly in order to complete some part of your research. For example, how to use SPSS or NVivo analysis software, how to develop statistically sound survey scales , how to undertake structured interviews, and so on. However, these sorts of skills are typically not included in the university syllabus and will have a major impact on the quality of your research. Enter Udemy and Coursera .

Udemy and Coursera both provide a wide-ranging variety of super-short, highly digestible online courses.  These courses are a great way to pick up specific skills (especially software skills) in a very short amount of time (many courses are less than 10 hours total).

Recap: Dissertation Apps

And there you have it – 8 apps, software and services that will undoubtedly make your life easier come dissertation time.

Have a suggestion?  We’d love to hear your thoughts. Simply leave a comment below and we’ll consider adding your suggested app to the list.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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13 Comments

It seems some of the apps mentioned are not android capable. It would be nice if you mentioned items that everyone could use.

Thanks for the feedback, Gale!

Yet to explore some of your recommended apps. I am glad to commend on one app that I have started using, Mendeley. When it comes to referencing it really helps a lot.

Great to hear that, Maggie 🙂

I have got Mendeley and it is fantastic. I have equally downloaded Freemind but I am yet to really understand how to navigate through it.

Based on your YouTube lessons,my literature review and the entire research has been simplified and I am enjoying the flow now,more than ever before.

Thank you so much for your recommendations and guide.It’s working a great deal for me.

Remain blessed!

Thank you for all the amazing help and tutorials. I am in the dissertation research proposal stage having already defended the qualifying paper. I am going to implement some of your advice as I revise chapters 1 & 2 and expand chapter 3 for my research proposal. My question is about the writing– or specifically which software would you recommend. I know MS Word can get glitchy with larger documents. Do the “reference” apps you recommend work with other options such as LaTeX? I understand that for some programs the citations won’t be integrated or automated such as cite while you write etc.. I have a paid version of endnote, and free versions of mendeley and zotero. I have really only used endnote with any fidelity but I’m willing to adapt. What would you advise at this point?

Thanks for your comment and for the kind words – glad to hear that the info is useful.

Generally, Word works reasonably well for most research projects and is our first recommendation. As long as one keeps the document clean (i.e. doesn’t paste in loads of different styles, ultra high-res images, etc), it works fine. But I understand that it’s not perfect for absolutely huge projects.

Regarding referencing with Latex, this article covers how to use Mendeley with Latex – https://blog.mendeley.com/2011/10/25/howto-use-mendeley-to-create-citations-using-latex-and-bibtex/ . Perhaps it will be useful. I hesitate to tell you to adopt software X or Y, or to move from Endnote, as each software has its strengths and weaknesses, and performs better in certain contexts. I’m not familiar with your context, so it’s not possible for me to advise responsibly. Mendeley works well for the vast majority of our students, but if there’s a very specific bit of functionality that draws you to Endnote, then it may be best to stick with it. My generic advice would be to give Mendeley a try with some sample references and see if it has the functionality you need.

I hope this helps! Best of luck with your research 🙂

Thank you for your amazing articles and tips. I have MAC laptop, so would Zotero be as good as Mendeley? Thank you

Derek would you share with me your email please, I need to talk to you urgently.

I need a free Turnitin tool for checking plagiarism as for the tools above

I have been going crazy trying to keep my work polished and thesis or dissertation friendly. My mind said there had to be a better way to do literature reviews. Thank God for these applications. Look out world I am on my way.

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Hidden gems: 3 free apps every PhD researcher should know about

Some mobile and web applications distract PhD students from their work. Others, however, can considerably enrich a PhD journey. The three mobile and/or web applications R Discovery , Owlstown and LastPass provide exceptional value to postgraduate students. Free of charge! While they are (not yet) included in standard lists of ‘best apps for researchers’, they are definitely worth knowing about.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Cactus Communications, affiliated with R Discovery. I only recommend products or services that I truly believe can benefit my audience. As always, all opinions are my own.

Not your regular list of ‘best apps for researchers’

Key advantages, availability.

When you search online for the best apps for researchers, recommendations turn out to be very repetitive. This is true for mobile and web applications.

The recommended tools tend to be well known:

• We have all heard about Forest to stay focused.
• We all know that Grammarly helps us to avoid writing mistakes.
• We all use Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud to secure our work.
• We are all aware of Evernote or Notion to keep organised.

However, some apps may be lesser known than these standard recommendations. And they have a lot to offer: These are the ‘hidden gems’.

My selection of apps that every early career researcher should know about is based on three simple criteria:

• The app is not featured in the common ‘best apps’ list for researchers.
• I wish I had known about this app back in the days when I did my PhD.
• The app is entirely free, or the free version provides enough value on its own.

I present you my top 3. Let’s go!

#1 R Discovery to keep up with academic literature

The sheer amount of academic literature that exists can be overwhelming. Not only can you access hundreds and thousands of journal articles online, but every day new research is being published as well.  

How do you select suitable literature for your PhD? How do you find the most recent publications connected to your research? And how do you keep up with developments in your field?

If these worries sound familiar, R Discovery can help!

R Discovery uses cutting-edge technological innovations (AI, Machine Learning, NLP, and Deep Learning) to help you find, access, and understand academic literature.

In simple words: R Discovery is an app that uses technology to support your academic reading. As a researcher, you can create a profile with a personalised feed, which automatically provides you with relevant papers and the latest publications.

Additionally, after setting up your preferences, R Discovery sends you daily recommendations for the top research articles connected to your research interests. With one click, you can save, download, and even export the paper to Zotero (my favourite reference manager!) or Mendeley.

And while it almost sounds too good to be true, R Discovery also provides smart summaries and key highlights of publications. Based on this information, you can quickly decide whether reading a paper is worth your time.

R Discovery can be used via your web browser, as a mobile app, or both (since it automatically syncs all edits you make on either one). This makes the app convenient to use. For instance, you can start reading an article on your phone while commuting to work via public transport. When you arrive at the university, you can simply continue on your computer. 

R Discovery has access to more than 30,000 journals worldwide. As such, it is an incredibly comprehensive resource. It includes one of the largest open-access content collections, but you can also easily link your institutional credentials to access pay-walled articles.

Over one million researchers already make use of R Discovery . Nonetheless, I suspect that many PhD students are not aware of this app yet. This should definitely change. So spread the word!

• personalised literature recommendations
• smart summaries and key highlights
• easy link with institutional access to access paywalled journals
• customisable feed settings and (email) notifications  

R Discovery is available via the App Store and Google Play Store for the app , or as laptop and desktop version via your browser (they all sync!).

Completely free! Just download the app and get started.

#2 Owlstown to create a professional online presence

Having a personal academic website is extremely valuable. I can hear you all think: ‘ Me? Having a website? I am ‘just’ a PhD student… ’. However, having a stable online presence is particularly valuable for early career researchers, including postgraduate students.

Not all early career researchers have access to a university profile. Furthermore, they are more likely to take on temporary jobs, change universities or face temporary unemployment.

Academic and non-academic job markets are competitive. When applying for jobs, you don’t want to rely on a university profile in case someone googles your name. A personal academic website provides you with a stable online presence and can make you stand out from the crowd.  

Owlstown is a website builder, specifically designed for academics.

For PhD students, Owlstown is the easiest application to create a simple, well-designed, and professional online presence.

The keyword here is simple. You don’t need to have any website-building skills or coding abilities. All themes are automatically mobile-friendly, in contrast to many other website makers which require you to manually adjust all pages to be displayed correctly on smartphones.

Owlstown lets you choose between simple but nice layouts, and you can always customise the themes. There is also an Academic Website Gallery showcasing other academics’ websites for inspiration!

Furthermore, the website template makes it easy for you to link all your other professional profiles, including your Twitter account, ORCID ID or Google Scholar account. You can also easily embed pdf versions of your publications, images, videos etcetera. Whatever you feel like sharing.

Owlstown is such a straightforward app that you don’t have any excuse not to create your website. It takes a few minutes to set it up, and you have a way to share your research with the world.

• free domain and hosting
• suitable for absolute beginners (easy design and mobile-friendly themes)
• fast way to embed pdfs, videos, tweets, spreadsheets etc.
• easy to import publications

Owlstown is a web-based editor that you can download here. You can edit your website also from your mobile phone or tablet, as long as you have access to a web browser.

The basic version of Owlstown is free. You can level up with a pro version, which gives you access to your website analytics, such as page views, and makes it easier to collaborate with others on one website. However, as a PhD student looking to set up a simple academic website, the free version is all you need.

#3 LastPass to protect your data online

Online safety is always important. In your personal and professional life. However, as a PhD student working a lot online, you may be particularly vulnerable to hacking.

Of course, PhD students working with sensitive data will likely have to undergo ethics approval before they start their research. Ethics approvals typically include measures for safe data storage and protection.

Yet, the everyday vulnerabilities of PhD students having tens to hundreds of online accounts and login data are often forgotten. Just think of all the different profiles that you need to set up to submit manuscripts to different journals alone… 

LastPass is a password manager that stores encrypted passwords online.

LastPass does not target academics specifically but can be a lifesaver for PhD students with numerous online accounts who want to prevent being hacked. 

LastPass makes you create a master password, which is the only password you need to remember. With this password, you can log into your account.

In your LastPass account, you can save and organise hundreds of passwords and login data. LastPass tells you how safe a chosen password is, and how to improve it. The easiest way to get the most secure password is to auto-generate it though.

You can choose the option of having passwords pre-filled when you visit any website, so all you ever need is your master password.

Furthermore, LastPass informs you about unusual activities, or if your personal information is at risk. It is just such an easy way to be more secure online, while not having to remember so many different passwords or keep lists of passwords hidden under your mattress.

• strong auto-generated passwords
• user-friendly way to organise all your passwords and login accounts
• save and auto-fill passwords
• a password-less login for those who cannot remember any password

LastPass has a web interface , but you can also install web browser plugins or a smartphone app .

The free version includes unlimited passwords! The only downside is that you have to choose whether you want to install the application on your computer or your mobile phone. Personally, I am perfectly happy with the computer version. That said, if you want to have both, a premium subscription is 2.9€ and you receive an additional 1GB of encrypted file storage. Not a bad deal!

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Software, Tools, and Apps that PhDs Must Have

We often are asked to recommend some of the must have software programs, tools, and apps for PhD students, professors, and academics, so we have put together a comprehensive list. These selections are based on our experience using some of them and recommendations made by several of Stephanie’s colleagues via Facebook. Interestingly, for some of the tools listed, there was a lack of consensus about their usefulness so in some instances we provided a few pros and cons to help you make the best decisions based on your needs.

This post was written by Stephanie A. Bosco-Ruggiero (PhD candidate in Social Work at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service) and Jessica Russell ( freelance writer) on behalf of Dave Maslach for the R3ciprocity project (Check out the YouTube Channel or the writing feedback software ). The R3ciprocity Project started out as a side-project, where David Maslach created an App to help others get feedback on their work (r3ciprocity.com – it is seriously inexpensive and easy to use. You have to try it!) , but it is beginning to grow into a real movement. R3ciprocity helps students, faculty, and research folk by providing a real and authentic look into doing research. It provides solutions and hope to researchers around the world.

As a PhD candidate, a professor, or academic much of your time is spent doing research, so it’s important to do as much as possible to ensure your projects and tasks run as smoothly as possible. The list below includes software, apps, and tools to help you take notes, manage projects, do statistical analysis, edit and cite your writing, convert files to and from PDF and eBook format, survey respondents, help you concentrate, and aid in graphic and art creation. We also threw in some tools to help with self care including mindfulness and meditation apps. 

This list is not all inclusive. If there is another app or tool you think people should be aware of, let us know in the comments. 

Check out this article on what PhD students do all day. You will be surprised.

Here’s a vlog Dave recording on how to speed up research productivity that you might want to check out as well. 

Note Taking

There are times when an idea or inspiration pops up in the moment and you need to jot it down, or you’re focusing on one task and you think of something that will help with another. Note taking apps and software programs help you jot down those ideas to save for later. Check out this amazing post on how professors check for plagiarism – it is pretty helpful). They also help you organize your notes for teaching, research, and other projects. Get a program that is web based so you can sign on anywhere, including your phone. Most allow syncing via multiple OS and Browsers. Of course, you may always also benefit from a simple electronic post it app that you can install on your desktop (don’t go too crazy though, I once crashed my laptop by having like a hundred notes). Phones of course also have handy note taking and reminder apps. But we recommend the following apps and tools for more comprehensive academic note taking: 

Google Keep

In July 2021, I polled the R3ciprocity YouTube community about the best note-taking software, and here is the results from 174 responses! Thank you! As you can see, the best note-taking software is OneNote or Evernote, but many people have others that they use.

Check out this article on how many years it takes to do a doctorate degree. It goes into quite a bit of detail.

Word Processing

Writing will take up a bulk of your time and using software that has a great UX and is easy to navigate will reduce the time you spend with unnecessary editing and fumbling with tools that slow you down. The software we recommend are staples of the industry and are most popular among writers. Make sure you explore Microsoft Word online as well. It is useful when you have work across multiple devices. Microsoft can be seamlessly integrated with OneDrive but make sure your settings are right so you don’t lose anything! The usefulness of Good docs and drive also cannot be understated. 

Stephanie resisted Google Docs for a long time because I feared I would lose something or the document would not look as polished as a Word document, but you can download your file as a Word document, plain text, PDF, etc. The thing that really sold me on Google Docs though was the ability to work with a team to collaborate on writing, provide suggested edits, accept or reject edits, and be able to do all of this real time. You can also easily chat to the side of the document as you collaborate and edit. You can keep your documents in shared drive and designate who has permission to access and edit. 

Microsoft office/Word

Google Docs/Drive

Libre Office – Open-source, but uncommon.

I did a poll on the R3ciprocity YouTube community in July 2021 on the most popular word processing software, and here are the results:

You might want to watch this video about writing Apps for PhDs:

Grammar Checking, editing, and Proofreading

Hey, did you hear about this neat proofreading and editing program called r3ciprocity 😉 It allows you to pay forward the favor of proofreading and reviewing by collecting credits which you can then use when you need your work reviewed. You can also buy credits if needed. Check out Dave’s platform at https://www.r3ciprocity.com/ The platform is also building a community of scholars that can be helpful to you when you need scholarly work reviewed or just need to bounce around some ideas. 

(Here is a good blog post on getting feedback on your work – you will love it.)

Be careful using automated proofreading or editing software or tools as they may not pick up on the nuances of your work or the points you are trying to make. Also, try to use alternatives before you hire a pricey writing consultant, proofreader, editor, or coach. Sometimes hiring someone is needed, but if you need lighter editing and reviewing check out r3ciprocity.com and contact Dave if you have any questions about the platform. 

Check out how to log-in to the R3ciprocity platform.

Here is Dave discussing how and when to purchase credits on his proofreading and editing platform R3ciprocity:

There are a number of other resources for grammar checker Apps and editing resources that you might want to check out in this blog post.

Statistical Analysis

Of course you are going to need statistical analysis software to complete that thesis or dissertation, and as an academic, analyze your data and produce manuscripts. Many doctoral programs train their students using IBM’s SPSS but some also or alternatively train their students in R or Stata. Stephanie personally prefers the point and click functionality of SPSS which also allows advanced coders to exclusively use syntax to conduct analyses. Personally, she prefers to use a mix of point and click and syntax. There is a plethora of guidebooks and manuals, print and online, to help you become fluent in SPSS. New versions are released regularly and students can purchase SPSS inexpensively (read more below). However, for those who prefer to code and use syntax R and Stata may be more challenging and enjoyable to use.

SPSS (Paid, easy to learn)

R (Free, open-source, and powerful)

Stata (Paid, combination of open source and paid, powerful) – Dave’s Pick

Since, there is confusion and it matters a lot about what software you should choose early in your career, I (Dave) polled the R3ciprocity community on YouTube in February, 2021 to find out the most common statistical software that researchers use. 106 people responded. Here are the results:

I was actually quite surprised by these results. I knew that R and SPSS would be rated fairly high, but I was surprised by the fact that Stata only got 16.2% of the votes. Stata is such a powerful, and underrated tool. However, I suspect that it is fairly uniquely used by more economics, finance, and business folks. As someone who has used all of these software (other than R), I would highly suggest it. The instructions material alone is a great benefit.

EBook Converter/PDF Converter

Publishing your manuscript may require turning it into a readable digital format that will translate easily to multiple electronic devices. Whether you are self-publishing, want to convert your work into a polished format, or need this capability for another reason we’ve found that these are some of the best tools out there. 

Epubor Ultimate

Foxit Phantom PDF Editor/Reader

MikTex LaTex – LaTex is preferred in the basic sciences.

Project Management/Task Management

Research and writing can be overwhelming with the minutia of details you need to record and track. You may also need to keep these details on behalf of or with a writing or research team. Project and task management software will help you stay on task and warn you when you are falling behind. Additionally these programs help when you’re collaborating with a team. Everyone using these tools can get both a big picture view of the project timeline as well as dive into the details to understand how to best manage the project.

Survey Research/ Experience Management

At some point you will send out a survey for your research, or perhaps for another purpose. These survey and experience management tools help you gather that data as well as measure and analyze the results. They both allow you to export to statistical analysis software and have different levels of functionality and pricing. Make sure your university does not have a license before you spend your own money on these tools. Survey Monkey might be more accessible for beginners but Qualtrics is not difficult to use. You might even give Google forms a try for quick, basic surveys of students or another smaller group of respondents. 

Survey Monkey

Google Forms – Great for small tasks.

We conducted a poll of the R3ciprocity YouTube community about the most popular survey tool in March 2021. 56 people responded. The most popular survey tool for researchers is Google Forms. 55 percent of the respondents preferred Google Forms. Honestly, this surprised me because I thought it would be Qualtrics, however this might be explained by the younger and more international audience on the R3ciprocity channel.

Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

Stephanie does not have a whole lot of experience with qualitative data analysis but has heard that the following programs are quite helpful. They provide some free training and practice modules as well as manuals and guides. Find out which software your department uses and whether you can use it on campus to complete your research. A personal license may be expensive. If you are doing qualitative data collection such as interviews or focus groups you should also download a handy recorder for your device such as Audacity. 

Reference/Citation Managers

Make your life easier by using a citation manager. These programs help you to manage your sources as well as help you build your reference lists. Doing this task manually is silly if you are an advanced researcher. You must have a citation manager if you are completing a dissertation and it is highly recommended for a thesis. Your university may offer a specific program for free so you might go with that one, but others are often either free or low cost, especially the web based versions. Endnote has Endnote Web and Zotero is very easy to integrate into your word processing programs, use collaboratively, and use only. Some people feel that Mendeley and Endnote are clunky. Stephanie personally really likes Endnote but recommends taking some in depth tutorials to learn how to use it properly.

Endnote (Dave’s and Stephanie’s preference)

Don’t know which is best for you? Check out our survey on the best citation software for PhDs.

Illustration/Graphics

Your writing may require graphics, diagrams, and other forms of art. Some people rely on the tools native to Microsoft products, but we’ve found that the following programs help further and enhance creativity. Additionally they make creating graphics to support your writing easier and look more professional. Stephanie especially recommends Canva. She discovered it when her students kept mentioning that they were using it to create graphics, brochures, and other illustrated products for social policy advocacy class. It is super easy to use and the library of images is great. You can make business cards, social media posts, infographics, brochures, and more! It’s the hot tool in illustrated document creation today. 

If you need a website for your organization or you want to develop an academic profile site you could use Canva for ideas, photos, and structure. WordPress takes some getting used to but it is inexpensive and versatile. For an academic profile/portfolio you might simply use Academia.com’s template which allows you to feature your writing, projects, interests, experience, etc.

Strata 3D Modeling

Canva (Dave’s pick).

Microsoft Visio (Good for schematics).

Lucidchart (Dave’s pick).

AutoDesk (A favorite for CAD).

Meeting Software

These days we are all familiar with meeting online. From job interviews to meeting with colleagues, the following are the most used software programs for online collaboration with video and sharing tools. One of these platforms may be available to students for free so investigate before paying for any of them. Stephanie prefers Zoom but has heard great things about Teams. WebEx is great for delivering webinars. 

Microsoft Teams

Google Meet (reliable, but less functionality than Zoom)

Skype (Seems to be losing ground)

FaceTime – Reliable, but only works with other FaceTime users.

In July 2021, I (Dave) polled the R3ciprocity YouTube community about the meeting software that they most use. It turns out that Zoom is a by far the most popular, with 67% of responses selecting Zoom. Most PhDs tend to use Zoom. However, 17% use Google Meet as well.

Programming

What would a PhD without programming? It seems that more and more of us are doing programming during grad school. Here are some best picks that you will use:

Python (Open-source).

Microsoft Visual Studio C++

MatLab (Scientific computing – Dave’s pick).

MapleSoft (Scientific computing).

MathCad (Pretty awesome Engineering software).

In August 2021, I polled 124 PhDs on the R3ciprocity community on YouTube on what is the best programming language for PhDs. Here it is: The most common programming language for PhDs is Python. Around 60% of PhDs use Python as their favorite programming language for their research projects. Python is preferred to Matlab 4 to 1.

Self Care/ Mindfulness

It’s important to practice self care during your doctoral studies or as a professional academic. Taking time out daily with these self care apps will help you center yourself and reduce stress. In addition they will help you stay on task and make your life one in which you can find a calm space to just be mindful wherever you are. If you have a VR headset there are some mind blowing meditation apps you can use to fully immerse yourself in a blissful meditative state. 

White Noise Generator

Some people need complete silence when writing, while some need a portion of their brain to be occupied by music or white noise. When it’s important that nothing distracts you from focusing, especially outside noise from loud environments, we recommend the following to help you stay focused and block out the noise. 

MyNoise.net

Don’t forget that your finances are super important during your PhD. You have to keep your financial life together to get through your PhD Program. Here are some that Dave suggests:

Mint.com (Free, Dave uses it everyday).

Every Dollar (Dave Ramsey’s product).

Data Transparency

Don’t forget to use tools for data transparency. For example, the Open Science Foundation (OSF) offers a suite of tools designed to facilitate transparent and collaborative research. These tools include project management platforms, data repositories, and preprint archives, all aimed at enhancing the rigor and reproducibility of scientific work. Check it out: Open Science Foundation website .

Gaining access to software and tools for free

We hope you found this list of suggestions helpful. Remember, do not spend a lot of money on software or other tools if you can get them for free through your university. Most schools now provide a Microsoft suite of tools, including OneDrive, to students for free. Check your IT department’s web page and list of free downloads. Of course, Google apps are free as well. Often, you can’t go wrong with Google but there are apps and tools that may be better that you have to purchase, just don’t spend a whole lot of money, especially if you’re a student. 

When it comes to survey or data analysis software your university may have purchased a license making the software free for students, faculty, and staff users situated on campus. In certain cases, you may also be able to access these software programs for home. What comes to mind is a university wide or department based Qualtrics license or a comprehensive Zoom license. Just check with your department or university before you purchase anything. If you must purchase SPSS for use at home as a student or university affiliated researcher go to studentdiscounts.com . They offer a full array of options for purchasing SPSS licenses for personal use on your own PC or Mac at a deep discount. You just have to provide proof of your university affiliation. 

One more recommendation is to definitely take advantage of a cloud based file storage tool such as OneDrive or Dropbox. If you are not in the habit of backing up your local computer files on a thumb drive, you must back them up on the cloud. Stephanie likes Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. Which one works best for you might depend on whether you often collaborate, which word processing software you are using, where you access your files, and which one you use for free. Many universities include limited free OneDrive storage as part of the Microsoft Suite offerings. 

Did you benefit from this post? Do you know of anyone at all that could use feedback on their writing or editing of their documents? I would be so grateful if you read this post on how to get feedback on your writing using R3ciprocity.com or let others know about the R3ciprocity Project. THANK YOU in advance! You are the bees knees.

If you enjoyed this blog, you might be interested in reading these other posts on blog.r3ciprocity.com . 

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The Best Apps For Ph.D. Students, Researchers, and Graduate Students

No doubt postgraduate studies are complicated, and there are definitely fewer platforms that can  write my papers online  for students pursuing advanced degrees. Nevertheless, you can find tools designed for Ph.D. students exclusively. For example, do you know, there are some Apps for Ph.D. Students, which helps in their research. Looks interesting, right? Then you are at the right place. In this article, we have discussed the top apps for Ph.D. Students. Go and read the article till the end to claim the complete information that helps you a lot.

Although there are many mobile apps available on the Android Play Store, very few are useful for researchers. Based on their daily activities, such as research collaboration, data collection, document reading, updating real-world issues, resource gathering, schedule maintenance, and journal reading, we identified the top 10 best apps for researchers. This article will explain how to use the 10 most useful mobile apps for Ph.D. Scholars. These are the best apps for Ph.D. students. You can buy essay if you need to get help with writing your paper faster.

10 Best Apps for Ph.D. Students

Video tutorial.

We Provided this Article in the form of a Video Tutorial for our reader’s convenience. If you are interested in reading, skip the video for now and watch it after the completion of reading this article.

1. Mendeley

1.1 what is the mendeley app.

Mendeley , a free PDF reader, and reference manager designed for researchers are available as a free download. It allows you to organize your literature in a way that you can use during your dissertation writing. Mendeley is available as a desktop and mobile application. It allows you to access your articles wherever you are.

1.2 How can you use it for research?

• Register at www.mendeley.com to create a free account and download a desktop edition for your system.
• All your journals, magazines, book chapters, thesis, and other materials should be organized.
• Segregate files using the TAG option to determine the year, author, publication, and domain.
• Log in to Mendeley Mobile Application and download Mendeley Mobile App.
• Allow the application to sync with your account.
• You can now see all files you have saved to your desktop in the mobile app.

2. Flipboard

2.1 what is flipboard app.

Flipboard is the most widely used mobile app that millions use every day. It allows you to keep track of domain-related information, read blog posts and follow trending topics in one place. Flipboard allows users to create and save posts based on their interests. You will enjoy reading more articles thanks to the user interface that is powerful and intuitive.

2.2 How can you use it for research?

• Get Flipboard mobile and create an account.
• Flipboard will provide a virtual tour that will allow you to see the basics of the application.
• Click the Flipboard icon and click “WHAT’S YOU PASSION?”
• Find your domain. Ex: Machine Learning.
• It will display many sub-categories within the topic. You can personalize the magazine according to your requirements. That’s it!
• The Daily Edition keeps you informed about the latest news in your domain each day.

3. Researcher

3.1 what is the researcher app.

Researcher , a free mobile journal-finding application, allows you to find new journal papers that are relevant to your research every day. This is the most used mobile app by over 3 million researchers and scientists to stay up-to-date with the latest academic literature.

3.2 How can you use it for research?

• Get the Researcher mobile app for your mobile.
• Search in the search bar for your journal.
• You can follow as many journals as you like and also read new articles.

4. Plagiarism Checker

4.1 what is the plagiarism checker app.

Plagiarism Checker is a free app that can detect duplicate content in papers from more than five search engines, including Google, Yahoo!, Babylon, Google Scholar, and Google Books.

4.2 How can you use it for research?

• Download Plagiarism Checker mobile application.
• You don’t need to register so that you can access the app directly.
• With a single click, scan your article, term paper, or dissertation.
• You can also use voice support or directly link to it.
• You can save the HTML, PDF, and EPUB results. That’s it!

Related: 9 Best Grammar checker tools

5. Google Keep

5.1 what is google keep app.

Google Keep is a free rest application by Google LLC. It allows researchers to quickly capture their thoughts and receive a reminder at the right time or place.

5.2 How can you use it for research?

• Download Google Keep mobile application.
• Log in to your Google account.
• Keep will record a voice memo, and Keep will transcrib it for you later.
• Take quick notes.
• Make a daily schedule and allow for rest.
• Take handwritten notes.
• Save important images with the camera
• It is also available on your laptop or desktop computer.

6. Curiosity

6.1 what is the curiosity app.

CuriosityStream is a popular mobile app that allows researchers to explore new scientific discoveries in more detail using videos.

6.2 How can you use it for research?

• Get the Curiosity mobile app.
• Register to gain access to the app
• Find inspiration in articles related to your topic.
• You can watch smart videos by millions of creators.
• Follow your favorite categories and personalize your favorites.

7. Paperity

7.1 what is paperity app.

Paperity is a mobile application that allows you to access multiple open-access journals from your mobile device.

7.2 How can you use it for research?

• Get Paperity mobile app.
• Check out the most recent articles.
• Browse journals and their Tables of Contents of Open Access publications
• For specific keywords, phrases and countries of origin, search papers provide full text.
• Full-text PDFs for more than a million articles are available to view and print. All this for free!

8.1 What is the Slack App?

Are you doing Collaborative Research? This mobile app Slack can help you get more done. It combines team communication with collaboration so that you can work together with other researchers from around the world. Use #TAG to have a productive conversation about different topics.

8.2 How can you use it for research?

• Get the Slack mobile app.
• Use their Email-ID to include your lab members.
• Talk to your lab mates, organize your conversations according to topics, projects, and other relevant information.
• You can message or call any member of your team.
• Incorporate into your workflow the tools and services such as Google Drive, Salesforce and Dropbox, Asana and Twitter.
• You can customize your notifications to help you remain focused on the important things.

9.1 What is Dropbox?

Dropbox is another free mobile app for researchers that allows them to create creative collaboration spaces, store all files in one place and sync them across all their devices.

9.2 How can you use it for research?

• Dropbox Mobile App.
• Register for Dropbox and get a free copy. Limited space, but sufficient for document files.
• Use shared folders to collaborate on files.
• You can use the document scanner for receipts, whiteboards and notes to be converted into PDFs.
• To share your feedback with your team, comment on the files.
• Sync, share, edit, and modify Word, Excel, PowerPoint files.

10. Camscanner

10.1 what is camscanner app.

Camscanner , a mobile document scanner and sharing app, allows you to scan, store and sync various contents across your smartphones, iPods, and tablets.

10.2 How can you use it for research?

• Install Camscanner and create an account.
• You can scan all types of paper documents with your smartphone camera.
• Smart cropping and auto-enhancing are used to ensure that the text and graphics are preserved in scans.
• You can easily share PDF and JPEG documents with your friends in many ways.
• AirPrint allows you to instantly print any document in CamScanner using a nearby printer.

This article will help you learn about the 10 Best Apps For Ph.D. Students.

All the apps listed in this article are a few of the topmost apps for P.h.D Students to make their research easier. Every app has a unique feature and specialty to assist Ph.D. students in their research. Some apps help you in gathering the required information and some help in organizing the gathered information.

I hope this tutorial helped you to know about The Best Apps For Ph.D. Students, Researchers, and Graduate Students . If you want to say anything, let us know through the comment sections. If you like this article, please share it and follow WhatVwant on Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube for more Technical tips.

The Best Apps For Ph.D. Students, Researchers, and Graduate Students – FAQs

Is doing a Ph.D. hard?

In the United States, only 57% of Ph.D. Students obtained their Ph.D. 10 years after enrollment. Contrary to popular belief, a Ph.D. is not intellectually difficult but it calls for discipline and stamina.

Is a Ph.D. stressful?

Doing a Ph.D. is stressful and isolating under the best of circumstances.

How many Ph.D. students drop out?

Doctoral attrition rates are high in North America: an estimated 40% to 50% of candidates never finish.

Does a Ph.D. guarantee a job?

Of course, if you get online and search why getting a Ph.D. is a mistake you’re going to find a thousand unemployed PhDs blaming their failure on the system.

What merits a Ph.D.?

One of the big benefits of a Ph.D. is adding knowledge to your field of study. There is great satisfaction to be had from challenging the status quo and gaining recognition from your peers.

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The PhD Experience

• Call for Contributions

Every App You Need for Your PhD

By Drew Thomas |

When you’re first beginning your PhD, it can be a bit overwhelming. How in the world are you supposed to organize everything? Not just your reading lists, but other things. I have my thesis to write, grants to apply for, research trips to arrange, Pubs & Pubs articles to write, and digital humanities projects I’m a part of. And somehow, I’m supposed to maintain an active social media presence !  To do all of that, I use a plethora of apps, tools, plugins, and websites. Below, I list items I’ve used, currently use, or know about but haven’t adopted for myself. Everyone is different and responds to various time managements tools differently. Maybe you’ve tried a few over the past semester or maybe you keep procrastinating. Remember, it’s not about the tools, but how you use them. At times I have the tendency to get so caught up in systems that I lose sight of the goal! So if they don’t work for you, ditch them. Hopefully, some will help you, even in the tiniest of ways, to progress a bit more easily to that submission deadline.

• Google Scholar   |  A great search engine that searches universities, academic publishers, and other depositories for peer-reviewed research. A great way to find new or unknown research.
• Zotero   |   A fantastic reference manager that lets you save references from websites with the click of a button. Great for organizing research and searching through research.
• Mendeley  |  Similar to Zotero, a great reference manager, particularly favoured in the sciences. Also, has a PDF reader and acts as a social network for collaboration and sharing.
• Quiqqa   |  Another reference manager with many built-in tools, such as cross-referencing articles cited in the footnotes of your other articles.
• Notability    |  A great mobile note-taking app, specifically optimized for tablets.
• Evernote   |  A great note-taking app that syncs across devices. You can tag and organize your notes. It even reads your handwriting !
• iAnnotate   |  One of the best apps for annotating PDFs on a tablet. I use this regularly to read journal articles. It also syncs with Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
• Adobe Acrobat   |  Adobe has stepped up to gain some of the tablet market gained by iAnnotate. The new annotation features on the free version are quite impressive.
• ZotFile   |  The savior of my PhD. ZotFile is a Zotero  plugin that extracts your annotations from your marked up PDF documents. If you highlight text in iAnnotate or Adobe Acrobat, ZotFile extracts it and adds the notes to the bibliographic record in your reference manager, making them fully searchable. Never read an article twice.

Data Backup

• Dropbox   |  An independent cloud storage device that syncs across all your devices.
• Google Drive |  Google’s Dropbox alternative. You can directly save your email attachments to Google Drive.
• iCloud  |  In addition to backing up all of your research, if you have an iPhone it will automatically back up all of the photos you’ve been taking in the library all day.

Task/Project Management

• Trello   |  A great project management tool using the kanban  method, often implemented with the  Getting Things Done productivity hack. It’s great for collaboration and visualizing your progress.
• Slack   |  Slack is a messaging app for teams. Instead of using email, it keeps all of your project messages and notes in one place.
• Bullet Journal   |  Ok, this isn’t an app. It’s an old-fashioned notebook. But it’s a great analog system of keeping track of your life, allowing for constant evaluation of what you spend time on. Read Laura’s recent post on getting started. I’ve been doing it about two weeks now and am loving it.
• Scrivener   |  A great text editor that is perfect for writing chapter drafts. It allows for shuffling around bits and pieces until your draft is in its final form. Then it can be easily exported into Microsoft Word.
• Grammarly   |  Think Microsoft Word grammar check on steroids. Grammarly is a plugin that makes your writing easy to read and mistake free (and helped with this post!).

Travel Planning

• Skyscanner   |  One of the best websites/apps for finding a cheap flight. You can also search prices within an entire month or find the cheapest month to travel.
• Kayak   |  Another great website for finding air tickets. The best feature: the ability to use a flexible search, which searches the days near your selected dates for the best price.
• Hopper   |  A great app that tells you if your plane ticket is a good deal. It shows you the best days to fly to your destination and the best day to buy a ticket for that specified route.
• RyanAir   |  In case you missed it, RyanAir have updated their carry-on luggage policy; you can now bring two bags in the cabin free of charge. Just won my vote!
• Airbnb   |  If you are going on a short research trip, but a bit longer than you’re willing to stay in a hostel, Airbnb is your best option. You can get a nice place for a great price, meet some locals, and learn about the city.
• GateGuru   |  Long layover in an airport? GateGuru will show you all the restaurants and shops in the terminal.
• Google Trips | A great new app from Google that will automatically collect your travel details from your emails and allow you to download maps for offline use.

Social Media

• Twitter   |  Needs no introduction, but I use Twitter for purely academic purposes. A great way to network and to learn about calls for papers and jobs.
• Academia.edu   |  LinkedIn for academics. It’s great for finding papers by a scholar you’re interested in. Read why it’s a good idea .
• Buffer   |  A great app for managing your social media accounts. You can schedule posts and use their plugin to add articles on the web directly to your queue.
• TweetDeck   |  Twitter’s user interface for its advanced users. Manage multiple Twitter feeds in one place, schedule tweets, follow hashtags, and watch it update in real time.
• Nuzzel   |  Link your Twitter account (or others) to Nuzzel and it will provide you with a daily digest of the most popular news stories from your Twitter feed.

Stay Focused

• Headspace   |  Need to clear your thoughts? This nifty app helps you clear your head and focus on meditating.
• 7-Minute Workout   |  A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. If you don’t exercise regularly, try this app to help get your blood going and your mind focused.
• Tomato Timer   |  The key to staying focused is having small, scheduled breaks. Use this timer, which implements the Pomodoro technique .
• RescueTime   |  How much time do you spend checking your email or Facebook? RescueTime keeps track of how you spend your time so you can be more productive.
• AdBlock   |  The best Google Chrome plugin. Get rid of those pesky, distracting ads.
• StayFocusd   |  Another Chrome plugin that limits the amount of time you can spend on specified websites. Only 30 minutes on Facebook today! Want this across devices? Try Freedom .
• f.lux   |  It took a few days to get used to, but I love it! F.lux removes the blue light from your computer monitor when the sun sets so the bright light won’t keep you up all night.
• Spotify   |  Because I couldn’t get through a day if I didn’t have my music.

Staying Secure

• LastPass   |  With all these apps and tools, you probably have way too many usernames and passwords. Never use easy passwords. Use a password manager to keep track of them all.
• 1Password   |  Another popular password manager. Never use the same password for multiple websites.

Drew Thomas is a PhD student at the University of St Andrews. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Philosophy from Saint Louis University and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University. His PhD is a study of the rise of the Wittenberg print industry during Martin Luther’s Reformation. He is currently the Communications Coordinator for the Universal Short Title Catalogue and the Digital Developer for the Caroline Minuscule Mapping Project . You can follow him on Twitter at @DrewBThomas  or on Academia.edu .

Image from Jason Howie under the Creative Commons License.

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December 16, 2016

Uncategorized

apps , organization , productivity , time management

May 13, 2019 at 7:38 pm

Thanks for such a useful information.

December 16, 2019 at 9:10 pm

this was a good pointer to the right tools for the task of writing up especially

March 14, 2020 at 2:35 pm

Thank you for this info. I liked it very much

May 9, 2020 at 10:05 pm

Thanks for Research apps, it helped me.

June 10, 2020 at 1:31 pm

Great selection of tools and tips

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15 Must-Have Apps to Boost Productivity for Grad Students

Getting through graduate school is certainly no walk in the park. Most grad students are eager to get all the help they can when it comes to staying.

Read on to learn about just a few of the challenges that grad students encounter, the ways that digital apps can boost your productivity, and 15 of the best productivity apps for grad students to consider. Whether you want to get organized, manage your time efficiently, or generally enhance your academic performance, there is an app for you!

Why Do I Need to Stay Organized in Grad School?

Want to know how to increase productivity as a grad student? First, you need to know how to organize schoolwork for academic success. Students who remain organized throughout the term tend to work more efficiently, manage their time better, and enjoy lower levels of stress. From planning each stage of graduate dissertations to ensuring that tuition fees and other grad school financial obligations are in order, the power of organization simply cannot be overstated.

Managing Productivity With a Job in Graduate School

When it comes to staying productive in grad school, things get a lot trickier when you are working at the same time. Unfortunately, this problem is all too common because many grad students return to school after spending any number of years as professionals in their chosen fields.

Grad students who are working, whether full or part time, must take greater care to develop detailed schedules and stick to them, engage in time blocking to keep various responsibilities separate, and set realistic goals with a clear set of priorities.

A good productivity planner, digital or otherwise, can aid in all these endeavors.

How Can Apps Help Keep Me Organized?

Digital apps can boost productivity and help you stay organized in several ways. Countless grad students have found that they offer significant advantages over traditional organizational tools such as handwritten notebooks that are bulky and unwieldy and can easily get lost or stolen.

Digital apps, by contrast, present many modern conveniences. Rather than lugging a range of cumbersome books, papers, and other physical materials around campus, you can simply log on to an app on your smart phone to access necessary information and adhere to your productivity schedule wherever you happen to be.

Mobile devices and digital apps are paramount in helping grad students keep organized. In the words of the leading education technology publication  EdTech Digest , the use of the right apps has tremendous potential to “positively affect [students’] access to information, retention rates, and academic success.”

The Best 15 Apps for Organization and Productivity

Considering the sheer number of apps on the market today, deciding which ones to download can be intimidating. Wise grad students will ask for recommendations from their classmates, but different people are bound to need and value different types of productivity apps.

No matter what you’re looking for in an app, the following list should have something to help. To make things as easy as possible, we have clearly labeled each app with the primary function that it performs. 

1. Penultimate - Note Taking

While some people are quite comfortable typing their school notes on a laptop or mobile device, others find that nothing quite replaces the versatility and ease of taking notes by hand. Penultimate is an   convenient and intuitive notetaking app that allows you to scribble on your iPad with a stylus just as you would on a paper notebook.

2. Evernote - Syncing Notes

If you study and complete assignment work on multiple devices, you don’t want to hassle with manually importing all those notes from device to device. Evernote automatically completes this transfer process, allowing you to concentrate on notetaking. This app also includes a handy audio recorder that you can use to record lecture highlights and brainstorm ideas for your next paper.

3. IStudiez Pro - Assignment Tracking

Having trouble keeping track of all your assignments? Wondering which one you should be working on today? IStudiez Pro syncs with your calendar to keep track of your assignments and help you prioritize them. Use it to visualize your academic week and alert you when assignments are near due.

4. Asana - Group Work Tasks

Depending on the specific academic discipline it covers, the typical grad school program will require a decent amount of group work. Asana allows you to plan, organize, and track your next group project. From assigning tasks and subtasks to monitoring progress on a dashboard display, this app holds each team member accountable for moving the project forward.

5. Slack - Communication Hub

For team communication and collaboration that goes beyond the group project, Slack is the top app available today. With a platform that resembles a social network, this app encourages collaboration by making online interactions quick, easy, and even fun. You’ll never want to email a classmate again after trying Slack.

6. Keynote - Presentation Software

Not only are laptops cumbersome to haul around, but they can get in the way when you are trying to use them for a class presentation. A close cousin to PowerPoint, Keynote allows you to design and display presentation visuals and audio using a mobile device.

7. Outliner - Writing Assistant

Any good college writing instructor will tell you that planning a paper is often more than half the battle. When you have a solid outline in place, many papers can almost begin to write themselves. Outliner is designed to transform your disorganized thoughts into a cohesive outline that will serve as a framework for a well-ordered paper, project, or presentation.

8. Google Drive - Document Storage

When it comes to cloud-based storage that is both highly secure and offers convenient access, it is tough to beat Google Drive. Want to share and collaborate on projects with your classmates? Google Drive has you covered, offering access to files from any location to users with the proper security credentials.

9. PDF Expert - Annotate PDFs

In the words of the independent authority  Grad School Center , “PDF Expert is a must-have for every graduate student.” This app helps you organize and annotate the avalanche of PDF files that you must juggle as a grad student. This app also synchronizes PDF files across all your devices.

10 InstaGrok - Educational Search Engine

Like Google, InstaGrok is an internet search engine. However, InstaGrok is an  educational  search engine that homes in on academic information that ranges from general concepts to specific facts and statistics. In addition to print resources, this app can instantly connect you to a broad array of online images and videos.

11. Encyclopedia Britannica - Largest Encyclopedia

While Wikipedia might be a quick and easy way to source basic information on a variety of topics, this publicly edited website simply isn’t authoritative enough for graduate school. This is where the Encyclopedia Britannica app comes in. A trusted name in reference books for centuries, Britannica currently supports the world’s largest online encyclopedia and offers easy mobile access through its digital app.

12. SyncBackFree - Storage Platform

If your cloud-based storage needs exceed the capabilities of Google Drive, you will want to consider installing the SyncBackFree app. SyncBackFree not only synchronizes stored files across multiple devices but allows you to schedule regular backups and rename multiple files to avoid loss and confusion.

13. Instapaper - Offline Reading

Although your campus probably offers widespread wireless coverage, you simply cannot expect to remain connected to the internet everywhere you go. Thankfully, the app Instapaper allows you to easily transfer web content (ranging from articles and emails to pictures and videos) to your mobile device for offline storage and access.

14. Mendeley - Research Assistant

You can think of Mendeley as a personal research assistant that aids you with all aspects of research and source attribution. After helping you collect information by browsing a catalog of more than 30 million academic sources, Mendeley can help you evaluate, share, and cite these sources. It can also help you organize these sources into personal libraries that serve your unique purposes.

15. Sleep Cycle Alarm - Healthy Sleep

With all that they must do on a daily basis, grad students often sacrifice sleep. Sleep Cycle Alarm can help you get the quality sleep you need by thoroughly analyzing your sleep patterns overnight. It also helps you change any habits and routines that might be negatively affecting your sleep patterns. 

Go to Grad School Ready for Success

Manage your goals and boost your productivity with a graduate school that wants to support your success and move your career forward. At the  University of the Cumberlands , we offer a broad spectrum of  graduate degree programs  in areas ranging from business and leadership to health and medical science. To request more information about any University of the Cumberlands academic program, click  here .

Thesis Apps: Best Applications & Software for Graduate Students

The process of writing a thesis requires a lot of time and patience. Custom-writing.org experts are willing to make this task easier for you. We’ve compiled a list of thesis writing apps and software. These tools will help you make plans and self-organize. There are also free apps to improve your productivity, help you carry out the research, boost your vocabulary, and check your work for mistakes.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

With the thesis apps on this list, you won’t ever have to wonder how to write a dissertation because you’ll know the answer – it’s easy!

• 📑 Word Processors
• ⏰ Time Managers
• 🚀 Productivity Apps
• 🎓 Dictionaries
• 🔬 Research Tools
• 🔤 Grammar Checkers

1. 📑 Word Processors and Note-Taking Apps

This should be a no-brainer, but writing is one of the essential parts of creating a thesis. So it’s evident that you need to have the best thesis apps to deal with this task effectively.

Here are some apps that you might want to check out.

• Google docs . This is probably the first app that comes to mind when you think of alternative free word processors. It has all the functionality and capabilities you’ll need to write and format your thesis. It also allows users to work together on the same document in real-time. It’s available for Android, iOS, or as a web app.
• WPS Office . This multi-platform solution includes not only a word processor. It’s also a full-fledged office suite that allows you to create and work with spreadsheets, presentations, and PDF documents. What else could you need to create a perfect thesis?
• Office Online . This one is for those who want to get the most out of Microsoft Office for free. This one is as good as it can get — an online version of Office. Enough said.
• Jarte . This is a free word processor based on the WordPad engine. It has all the necessary functions and provides a comfortable way to work with text—and it’s free. This app also can export your documents to PDF and HTML files.
• Evernote , Google Keep , and OneNote . The reason why we put these three together? They’re all note-taking apps. Do we know that there are many other similar apps too? Yes, we do. But there’s a reason why these three are so popular. They all offer the same thing – a way to keep all your notes in one place. The difference between them is how it’s all organized, along with some extra features. All of these thesis writing apps are free, too.

2. ⏰ Time-Managing Thesis Apps

With all the steps you need to complete to write a good thesis, it’s not hard to get lost. You can quickly get stuck in one place without knowing what to do and end up making no progress at all.

Or you can use one of the dissertation apps in this category to build a plan and organize your workflow!

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

• Pocket . Pocket brings order to the chaos of posts and articles you want to read or use to write your thesis. You can easily save them all in one place and look through them later. Then you can decide whether or not you’ll need a particular piece of information.
• Todoist . This one is a free time manager (though it also has paid plans with extra features). With this app, you can set deadlines for each stage of your thesis creation process, and it will remind you of them beforehand. This app will help you stay on track of what plans are waiting for you next.
• Wunderlist . This to-do list app indeed does wonders. It lets you build short- and long-term plans and keep them all in order. You can set notifications to stay on track and always be sure that you’re performing according to your schedule, whether it’s a particular stage of your thesis writing or some other assignment.

3. 🚀 Thesis Apps to Improve Productivity

We all have days when things don’t work, and everything is a distraction. So how can you deal with this all-too-common problem?

There’s a good selection of productivity apps that can help you out. With one of these, you’ll finish writing your thesis in no time.

• Any.do . This one is a task manager that’ll help you stay on track of whatever your current tasks are. It will help you build a habit of reviewing your tasks and make sure that you know which assignments you need to pay the most attention to at the moment. With this app, you won’t miss deadlines or find yourself wondering what to do next.
• IFTTT . This tool allows you to create short automation sequences without any coding skills. It will remember every little thing that you tend to forget. On the one hand, you’ll get those things done; on the other—you won’t get distracted by those tasks and will be able to concentrate on what’s important right now. The app supports plenty of services and is easy to use.
• RescueTime . This app will track the time you spend completing tasks. It will also report all the websites you visit, the apps you use, and breaks you take during the day. By doing so, it helps you create greater self-awareness. As a result, you’ll immediately see whether something is going wrong and keeping you from following your plan.
• StayFocusd . This Chrome extension helps you stay focused on your current task (which, of course, explains its name). It will block all those distracting sites that tend to get in your way while you’re working. You can set a specific time for blocking or choosing a time limit for a certain time during the day.
• Write or Die . This one is a web-based tool. It is also available for iOS, with an Android version coming soon. The tool helps you eliminate writer’s block. Within the app, you can set a specific period and the word count you need to reach within this time. It also features stimuli and rewarding images.

4. 🎓 Vocabulary Boosters and Dictionaries

At this stage, dictionaries and vocabulary boosters come into play.

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary . This is one of the most well-known dictionaries out there. Apart from listing definitions and offering a thesaurus, it also features word games. These word games aim to increase your vocabulary, which will come in handy when writing a thesis. Apart from having a web-based version, there are also apps available for Android and iOS.
• Cambridge Dictionary . This is another famous dictionary listing almost every aspect and sphere imaginable. In long-term perspective, it’s even more useful than the best thesis statement generator , as it can potentially provide you with knowledge you’ll keep forever. All of the resources are available from the site, widget, or official mobile apps. A wide selection of available dictionaries and thesauruses will surely meet all of your writing needs.
• The Free Dictionary . There are many things to discover under this simple name. This web service provides dictionaries on a variety of topics. It also features a thesaurus, idioms, acronyms, a grammar book, and encyclopedia articles. What else can you ask for?

5. 🔬 Tools for Conducting Research

Another essential part of writing a thesis is research. Without properly researched sources and data , everything that’s written in your thesis will be highly questionable.

To avoid poorly supported arguments , and to be able to conduct outstanding research, consider using one of the following tools.

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• Mendeley . Once you try this tool, you won’t believe that you ever researched without it. It will help you complete any type of research, come up with a topic for your paper, organize your literature review , make annotations, and manage your research materials. This multi-platform tool also allows syncing across all your devices.
• Mindmup , Bubbl.us . Both of these apps are great tools for mind mapping. They’ll help you get all of your thoughts and ideas in order. This organization will significantly help your research, as everything will be neatly organized and accessible. Both of these tools have free plans and web versions. They only differ with their extra features.
• WolframAlpha . This is a go-to source of expert knowledge on a wide variety of disciplines. This answer engine is also available on mobile platforms. Instead of just giving a list of documents or web pages that may or may not answer your question, it comes up with results from a curated knowledge base in response to your query.

6. 🔤 Grammar Checkers

Everyone makes mistakes. But it’s not a bad idea to make sure that there’s none in your thesis. The apps described below can help you with that.

• Hemingway Editor . This tool aims to improve your writing style and make it as straightforward as possible. It makes colored highlights to indicate long or very complicated sentences. As a result, you get a clean piece of content that’s understandable and easy to digest.
• Ginger . This multi-platform solution helps you find and correct all types of grammar mistakes. It also makes it easier to edit text, which improves your overall productivity, as you’ll spend less time correcting errors.
• Grammarly . This tool has gained so much popularity that it probably doesn’t even require an introduction. It finds and corrects mistakes that no word processor can spot. The tool has a browser extension, offline software, and a premium version with extra features.

Hopefully, you’ll get some thesis help by using these free tools. With these apps at your disposal, you’ll be able to craft a fantastic thesis easily.

Did we miss something? Are there any free thesis apps that you like to use that aren’t on this list? Tell us about them in the comments!

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Top 11 Apps for Researchers in 2023

Published on 01 May 2022

The evolution of new technologies has caused a digital transformation in almost every industry and field of interest, including academia. Technology has changed the way that academics conduct research, document findings, and collaborate with peers. 

Academics can now rely on new avenues of collaboration that didn’t even exist when they launched their careers. Networks like SSRN and Mendeley provide opportunities for researchers to share their work for increased collaboration, and abstract management tools streamline the peer review process required by legitimate academic conferences and journals. 

As this digital transformation accelerates, researchers can now access a vast array of apps aimed at simplifying their workflows and facilitating information sharing. While these apps have the potential to improve the way scientists conduct and share their research, the selection can be overwhelming. 

Based on our experience and extensive research, here are the 11 best apps available for researchers in 2023.

1. Fourwaves 

Fourwaves is a conference management software for researchers. Their free web application allows you to create a complete event website, manage abstract submissions, peer reviews, host virtual poster sessions , manage registrations and more. 

It’s the easiest way to organize scientific events as the tool was crafted with researchers in mind every step of the way. 

Fourwaves can be used not only for in-person events but also for hybrid and virtual conferences . They offer a complete virtual venue to access live streams, chat or call other participants and attend virtual poster sessions.

You can go as far as mass email your attendees, automatically generate your event schedule or even print out your name tags; everything you need for your event is in one place.

Most interesting features:

• Ready-to-go event website ; all you have to do is enter your event’s content and you’re ready to publish. 
• Abstract management & Peer review tool ; you can easily collect submissions, review them according to your criterias, email authors and publish your material and the full conference schedule online.
• Registration and payment management ; attendees can easily register to your event and pay online on your Fourwaves event website. 

2. R Discovery: Academic Research

R Discovery is a free app that empowers researchers to save time wading through a sea of academic research papers by finding the articles that are most relevant to your work and delivering them to you each day. It curates over 96 million research articles which includes over 24 million open access articles. 

The app is mobile-only, available for download on the Google Play App Store and the Apple App store for mobile use on your Android device, iPhone or iPad. The app scans papers from all major disciplines in the arts and sciences. 

• As soon as you sign up and submit your areas of interest, R Discovery will serve you the top three related articles in a news feed each day.
• R Discovery uses AI to learn your reading interests over time and populate your news feed with content increasingly tailored to your specific interests.
• The app provides export functions for easy integration with reference managers to organize your citations.

3. LabArchives  

LabArchives is a web-based application that acts as a digital lab notebook, helping researchers keep their work and notes organized to improve productivity in their labs. Users can access LabArchives to make notes, store images and data, and use the search feature for simple access to all of their material. 

There are also Android and iOS versions of this app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play App Store that allow users to access their digital notebooks from their Android devices, iPhones and iPads and have instant access to all of their data, from anywhere. While there are Premium and Enterprise versions of the platform for more advanced use and collaboration, individuals and small teams can access a free version that still includes unlimited notebooks and 1GB of storage. 

Most interesting features: 

• Makes it easy to store and share data between your team members, with user-friendly search functions. You can even share DNA sequence files in over 30 formats! 
• Access information from your desktop or your phone, thanks to the free iOS app for your iPhone or iPad. There is also an Android app available in the Google Play store, but based on reviews it appears that functionality is limited. 
• Data security that lets you determine file access and sharing limitations, so you know exactly who is viewing your files and when.

Typeset is a web-based application that was created to help researchers write, collaborate, format and submit research papers for publication. Typeset allows you to upload your work to their platform, and use their AI to reformat your research and submissions to meet the publication requirements of various journal and conference organizers. 

Typeset works seamlessly with reference management software like Mendeley, Zotero, Paperpile and more. It allows users to choose from over 45,000 verified journal formats and export your work to Word, LaTex and PDF formats. 

Typeset does not offer mobile apps for Apple or Android devices. There are a variety of subscription levels available with pricing ranging from free to $20 per month. 

• Editing features that increase the chances of being published.
• Integrations that enable you to submit research for publication directly from the app.
• Plagiarism and grammar checker for increased quality and peace of mind.

5. BenchSci

The BenchSci platform was built to use advanced biomedical AI to help source the materials that scientific researchers need to move forward with their work. 

Once the app user enters their protein target into the BenchSci platform, the app will sift through thousands of reliable information sources like websites and scientific publications, delivering options that will help determine the antibody or reagent needed. BenchSci is a web-based application that is not available for Android or iOS. It is used by more than 48,000 individual scientists and over 4,000 institutions. BenchSci boasts that their tools can accelerate projects through their AI-powered reagent and antibody selection process, cutting the selection time from 12 weeks to 30 seconds. By empowering researchers to find the antibodies and reagents they need easier and faster, BenchSci reduces the number of materials they need to purchase and experiment with, therefore reducing costs. 

• AI-Assisted Reagent Selection, which uses AI and automation to reduce the errors and inefficiencies in the reagent and model system selection for scientists. 
• AI-Assisted Antibody Selection, which follows the same principle as the reagent selection but focuses on antibodies. This feature is free for you to use if you are a student or researcher at an academic, government, or nonprofit institution. 
• Things change quickly, so the platform is constantly updated to add new antibody and reagent products to ensure that users can access everything available.

6. eLabJournal

There are many Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs) available on the market, but the eLabJournal takes the concept of ELNs to the next step. eLabJournal was designed to increase productivity and efficiency in your research lab and simplify the process of organizing and locating data, collaborating with peers, and exporting files into a variety of formats. 

This is a web-based application with mobile versions available on the Google Play and Apple App Stores. Academics can purchase a subscription to the eLabJournal for $15.55 per month, while Industry users are charged $41.95 per month. 

• This ELN uses a simple, intuitive interface that was specifically designed to meet the needs of those in the life science research and development field. 
• Facilitates the ability to link data with functionality to upload images (via the Android and iPhone apps) and a wide range of file types. 
• Seamlessly integrates with eLab’s other products through their SDK and APIs, providing extensive customization opportunities to meet the specific needs of your lab.

7. Connected Papers

Connected Papers is a web-based application that provides a uniquely visual representation of the published research available in a certain field. This helps researchers and scientists browse the information available related to their field of study and ensure that nothing is being missed as they prepare their work for submission. 

The app works when a scientist enters their research topic into the search bar. Within seconds, Connected Papers reviews tens of thousands of papers related to that topic, and creates a visual map showcasing all of the work available for the scientist to review and consider in their research. Connected Papers is currently not available on the Apple App Store or Google Play App Store. It is completely free to use. 

• The visual maps create an easy-to-follow pathway that showcases how closely related particular sources are to the work you’re conducting.
• The app creates clusters that groups papers based on their level of similarities, and pushes less relevant papers away.
• Connected works scans the citations used by various sources and classified papers to be closely related based on how many citations overlap. 

8. Papership

The Papership app allows you to store, annotate, manage and share research papers from anywhere. Available on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad, Papership syncs with popular web-based platforms Zotero and Mendeley to allow app users to access their curated research libraries stored in their Zotero and Mendeley accounts conveniently and remotely. 

• You can choose a free version of the app which can integrate with annotation apps like Evernote, or purchase the annotation function of Papership for $9.99 per month.
• Documents annotated through Papership can be shared via email, SMS, iMessage, Facebook and Twitter. 
• Papership provides quantitative measurements of the significance of a publication to alert the reader as to the legitimacy of the research. It measures both peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed sources. 

9. GanttPRO

Ganttpro is a web-based project management application that helps research teams plan and organize projects through the use of collaborative Gantt charts. By providing the ability to create interactive Gantt charts online, GanttPRO makes it possible to plan and control many projects at the same time. It empowers researchers to organize and schedule tasks, set deadlines, identify dependencies and manage resources, all while making this information readily available to all collaborators. GanttPRO is available in a mobile version that can be downloaded for your Android and Apple mobile devices. The company offers a free trial and once that is complete different app packages are available that range from $7.99 to $19.99 per month. 

• Drag and drop capabilities to make it simple to organize and reorganize as inputs, outputs and priorities change
• Allows for the creation of multiple workspaces to separate personal tasks from overall team projects
• Collaborative functions make it easy to track the progress of each team member and step in to help whenever needed. 

Trello is an app that can be used by academics, researchers, marketers, computer scientists and basically any other student, professor or business person interested in seamlessly collaborating and managing projects on-the-go. Trello is organized in boards, lists and cards that are customizable and expandable as the project and team grows. Trello easily integrates with other popular apps like Dropbox, Slack, Chrome, Teams and more. It is available for Android and Apple mobile devices on the App Store and Google Play App Store. 

• Timelines that allow all team members to stay on track and be held accountable to deadlines
• Table views that connect work across a variety of related Trello boards
• A handy Dashboard that highlights usage and engagement stats for all of your boards.

11. Researcher

The Researcher app was built to make it easier for researchers to find academic articles relevant to their work. By aggregating over 19,000 sources that include peer-reviewed academic journals, blogs, podcasts and recordings from live events, Researcher helps scientists stay up-to-date on emerging trends and information related to any given field of study or interest. The creators of Researcher claim that their app is “like social media, but better.” The Researcher app is free to use and is available for download on the Apple App Store, the Google Play App Store and the AppInChina App Store. 

• Filter options that allow you to sift through tens of thousands of sources in seconds
• Notification options to ensure that any time a new source is published that relates to your stated interests, you’ll find out about it right away.
• Bookmarks that make it easy for you to come back to an interesting piece when the time is right, without having to search.

Conclusion 

The apps listed above can help you be more efficient, collaborate better with your colleagues, and get more organized. We hope one or more of them considerably help you with your research. Let us know if we missed any! 

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12 Free AI Apps for Researchers and PhD Students

Last Updated on December 14, 2023 by Uncle Pat Ugwu

The academic scene may be intimidating, with research papers rising to intimidating heights. Students and academics are frequently submerged in countless databases, struggling with bibliographies, and suffering from writer’s block. But don’t worry, adventurous writers! A new age has begun, one in which AI-powered tools move like robust trekkers, ready to lead you to the pinnacle of academic excellence.

In this post, we share with you free AI apps for researchers and students. These AI for research paper writing have the capabilities to help you craft captivating introductions, effortlessly manage citations, act as a digital fact-checker, and so on. The best part is that these incredible tools are completely free! We have a post dedicated to AI writing tools aside from AI for academic research.

So, let’s embark on this journey and meet our AI companions.

Table of Contents

Free AI Apps for Researchers

1. chatgpt : your ai brainstorming partner.

Looking for an idea? ChatGPT is your oracle of ideas, generating research questions and thesis statements like a flint. Do you need a new perspective? ChatGPT can play the devil’s advocate, examine counterarguments, and even provide creative impulses that will stimulate your interest in studying.

When using AI apps for researchers like ChatGPT, you have to use an AI content detector tool to check your content.

The below video will introduce you to how to use ChatGPT:

2. Elicit: The AI Research Pathfinder

Elicit is your research assistant on steroids. Toss it a keyword, and Elicit dives into academic databases like a truffle hound, unearthing relevant articles, studies, and even grant proposals. It can even distill complex research into digestible summaries, freeing your mind for deeper analysis.

3. Paperity: The Bibliographic Superhero

Paperity is the bane of citation chaos. No more wrestling with formatting or chasing down elusive DOIs. Paperity magically generates bibliographies in any style you desire, keeping your references pristine. It can even detect plagiarism and suggest alternative sources, making you a citation champion.

There are lots of other free plagiarism detector tools you should try to avoid being penalized.

4. Scite: The Fact-Checking Guardian

Are you worried about a questionable statistic or flimsy claim? Scite is your research paper’s vigilant fact-checker, scouring the academic landscape to verify references and expose potential errors. It even tracks the latest research in your field, ensuring your paper stays fresh and relevant.

5. QuillBot: The Paraphrasing Prodigy

QuillBot is the wordsmith’s secret weapon. Need to rephrase a sentence, avoid plagiarism, or find a new way to express your ideas? QuillBot is your arsenal, equipped with paraphrasing tools of unparalleled power. It can even summarize lengthy passages and generate diverse writing styles, adding originality to your work.

Aside from using QuillBot as AI apps for researchers, other AI tools will help you humanize AI-generated content .

6. Research Rabbit: The Organizational Architect

Research Rabbit is your research paper’s organizational maestro. No more scattered notes and messy drafts. Research Rabbit orchestrates all your research materials in one convenient space, allowing you to effortlessly tag, categorize, and search your sources. It can even generate mind maps and timelines, helping you visualize your research and arguments.

7. Consensus: The Collaboration Catalyst

Working on a team project? Consensus is your collaboration dream come true. This AI-powered platform fosters seamless research sharing, brainstorming sessions, and real-time progress tracking. It even provides feedback on your writing and helps resolve conflicts like a seasoned diplomat.

8. Scholarcy: The Jargon-Busting Guru

Faced with a dense, jargon-filled paper? Scholarcy is your personal research translator. It will deconstruct complex texts into manageable pieces, clarify obscure concepts, and even answer your questions about the research. Think of it as a friendly, knowledgeable sherpa guiding you through the academic jungle.

9. SciSpace: The Research Powerhouse

SciSpace is your all-in-one research paper command center. This AI platform integrates literature search, reference management, and writing tools into a single, intuitive interface. It can even generate stunning figures and charts from your data, making your research visually compelling. Think of it as your research paper mission control, where you command every aspect of your project.

10. Trinka: The AI Summarizer

Trinka is your research paper’s Cliff Notes generator. Need to quickly grasp the essence of a lengthy article or study? Trinka condenses complex texts into concise summaries, allowing you to focus on the key points and confidently move forward.

11. Tableau: The Creative Data Analysis Tool

Confused about your research data? Tableau is an effective program that facilitates data analysis for users. Tableau’s drag-and-drop interface makes it simple for users to explore, comprehend, and recognize data, patterns, trends, and outliers. It can handle sophisticated maps, treemaps, heat maps, and all kinds of graphs and charts.

12. ChatPDF : The AI Paper Pathfinder

While the others focus on pre-writing and research tasks, ChatPDF tackles the paper itself, acting as your digital research sherpa for navigating the PDF wilderness. ChatPDF summarizes and analyzes text with ease, cutting through the jargon and highlighting the crucial information. Lost in a maze of citations? ChatPDF can locate specific references and evidence with pinpoint accuracy, saving you precious research time.

Over-relying on AI for research paper writing may also be unhealthy. We have put together the negative effects of artificial intelligence in education. You can check it out.

Final Thoughts

The academic landscape is no longer a solitary trek. With the rise of free AI research paper tools, you now have a team of digital Sherpas by your side, ready to guide you to the summit of scholarly success. From brainstorming captivating ideas to navigating citation jungles, these AI companions are revolutionizing the research process.

Recall that the tools are ready to be used. You will reach academic summits and have a lasting impact on the research community if you are committed, have a critical mindset, and have these AI friends by your side. If you are a student, it may interest you to read academic defense frequently asked questions .

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Uncle Pat Ugwu is an educational technology (edtech) consultant and digital literacy coach. Pat is fondly called "tech teacher of teachers" wink.

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17 Best and Most Helpful Productivity Apps for PhD Students

Student life involves dealing with the long assignments, tests, exams, note making and all. The higher the class, the more will be the burden and more will be the work for you to accomplish. Being a graduate, post graduate is different from that of being a PhD student.

PhD demands inevitable work that demands quick action and timely work . The higher the class, higher will be the responsibility.

So, in between the responsibilities, one should try and make his or her work easy to do by making use of the various computer as well as mobile applications. A PhD student can make use of various applications like:

Great Productivity and Best Apps for PhD Students:

You might have got bored with Microsoft Word, so here is another solution and alternative to it, which is Latex. It is one of the type setting programs. All the documents here are coded in .tex format. In this application figures, tables and page numbering is automatic. It is best used while writing thesis or one can also make use of the preformatted template or make up of your own.

2. Bib desk:

This application is a bibliography manager . Simply you can also make use of it to connect and link to the papers you read. When bib desk is used in conjunction with latex, then it automatically formats citations and compiles a reference list in your final PDF format. Other applications which perform the similar job are mendeley etc.

3. Good Reader:

This is a super robust PDF reader with advanced reading, highlighting capabilities, excellent file manager, annotating, text file reader and editor, Safari like viewer for MS Office, audio/video player. It synchronises with Google Docs, drop box and many more . This application is highly advisable for reading and annotating best articles.

4. Evernote:

Evernote makes it easy for you to capture multiple things like images, videos, notes, articles, screenshots, audio recording and so on. You can easily tag your notes and organize into notebooks, share with your friends or keep them with you as private. This app is of universal nature as it is available for android, iOS and all other major platforms.

5. Documents to go:

Here you can view your documents, edit them, create in PDF, PowerPoint, MS office, word, excel and so on. You can also sync your important files in Google Docs and more. This app is available for blackberry, Android and iOS .

6. Blue fire:

This is one of the easiest apps for reading, highlighting, bookmarking and annotating PDF’s . Only with a single click, you are able to highlight the important, look up for a definition, share your excerpts via Facebook, twitter or any social networking site. Through this you can create a large library of books, organize books and can even export.

It also provides with a search option where you can search for a single word or a particular name, or even for a particular paragraph.

7. Dragon dictation:

This app is very easy to use. Dragon dictation app is powered by dragon naturally speaking. This app turns our voice into text and works in a surprising manner. This application is for iOS users only but gives us all in one voice solution.

8. Log me in:

This app is for iOS on your iPad or iphone. It allows you to have an easy access to your home as well as work computers. You can get your computer files and then edit from your iPad or iPhone.

9. Notability:

This app is also one of the easy using and accessible apps. This application helps a person to write, illustrate and even annotate with the help of links. Notability zoom window helps you to quickly draw every single detail that too with accuracy. This app provides you protection form unwanted marks. Only what you need to do is choose the right pen and paper for the project.

10. Wunderlist:

This is one of the easiest ways to manage your daily to do list. This helps in linking all your devices and keeps you on the top every time so that you are able to do what you want and when you want to do. It assists you in easily sharing your projects with your friends, colleagues and relatives or you may even collaborate you work with team and the group workers.

11. Instapaper:

This is one app which allows you to go offline and read what you like to. One can save a whole article into instapaper so as to read afterwards. You can even adjust the fonts so that you are comfortable in reading it. Such type of editing and offline facility and features are not available in any of the application.

12. Lecture capturing apps:

The students attending lectures may miss out many of the important points on the notebook. But now lecture capture applications are a great option.

Some of the lecture capturing apps are sound note and share your board. The sound note application is available for iOS. It acts as a notepad and the audio recorder.

By this way, it helps the students to record whole of the lecture both in audio and visual form. Another application called share your board is an app which allow users to capture the whiteboard and store all the data for later revision purpose.

13. Exam preparation apps:

There are many students who make use of applications in order to prepare for the exams. Some of the exam preparation apps are bench prep and TCY Exam Prep. These are android apps and widely used by the students.

14. Wake up apps:

The students of PHD have to work and study day in day out. For them remaining healthy is necessary and sound sleep is also of utmost importance. Some of the wake up apps is ‘sleep if you can’ and another one is ‘sleep cycle ‘ .

‘ Sleep if you can ‘ is the app which allows users to complete the task before the alarm turns itself off . This application also gives you weather update and protects you from scorching heat or clouds and rain by giving you an alert before stepping out of the house.

‘ Sleep cycle ‘ app helps in correcting user’s sleeping pattern by waking them up during their slightest sleeping phase . It first notes both the time and the movement when the user went to sleep.

15. Knowledge enhancer apps:

The students apart from their regular studies, one must also go through other knowledgeable things by making use of applications. One of such apps is ‘ Socrative ‘. This app is useful for students to prepare for quizzing and preparing various thesis and assessments.

16. Dictionary.com dictionary and thesaurus:

Having such an application on your device helps you in enhancing your vocabulary as well as makes you aware of the technical jargon. This is the app used by students offline and can have its access any time being anywhere.

17. Healthy eating apps:

The healthy eating apps are also essential for the students. These applications give a person an overview of what things are healthy while which are not. A student has to keep himself or herself fit along with working hard, indeed the need of an hour and life.

Some of the healthy eating apps are Rock in Ramen (iOS) and meal board (iOS) . These apps help student to make healthy things in few minutes thus giving them extra hours to study and complete their long assignments. These apps plan healthy meals, recipes based on what they have in fridge at that moment.

Conclusion:

So above are some of the apps that are widely used by the students of higher classes . These apps help make students work easier and without any hassle free.

A student’s time is saved along with the money as some of the apps are free. It makes the work for a student easier as paper work is reduced and writing every bit is time consuming.

So these applications are time as well as money saviour. Most importantly, the student should not neglect his or her health while working and studying as it may affect health afterwards, which is probably not good.

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16 Best Note-Taking App For Academics

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Say goodbye to cluttered & chaotic notes! Discover the best note-taking apps for academics and elevate your academic game

Fellow scholars, are you ready to say goodbye to the days of frantically searching through stacks of paper notes for that one crucial point? Are you tired of trying to decipher your own handwriting after a long lecture? Are you ready to upgrade your note-taking game and become a master of organization? 

Look no further, because we’ve got the ultimate guide to finding the best note-taking app for academics. Say hello to streamlined, organized, and efficient note-taking, and goodbye to cluttered and chaotic notes. It’s time to take control of your academic journey and level up your note-taking game!

Why you can believe us? We have researched, refined, and rejected many ideas for this topic. For example, we have excluded some voice-to-text tools such as “VoiceNote II”. Reasons for exclusion range from usability issues to user experience. 

Table of Contents

Key Types of Note-taking Apps 

• All-in-One note-taking apps: apps that offer a wide range of features such as text, audio, image, and handwriting recognition, organization tools, and collaboration options, such as Evernote, OneNote, and Zoho.
• Digital Notebook apps: apps that emulate the traditional notebook experience, allowing you to write and draw notes using a stylus or your finger, such as Notability, GoodNotes, and OneNote.
• Simplistic note-taking apps: apps that focus on minimalism, providing a simple interface and core functionality for note-taking, such as Bear, Simplenote, and Joplin.
• Audio-centric note-taking apps: apps that are primarily focused on audio recording and note-taking, such as Otter , SoundNote, or GoTranscript if you want to oursource the work.
• Conceptual note-taking apps: apps that allow you to create diagrams, flowcharts, or visual notes to break down complex ideas and concepts, such as MindNode, XMind, and SimpleMind.

3 Best All-in-One Note-Taking Apps

Evernote – organize your notes.

Evernote is a user-friendly note-taking app that allows users to easily create, organize, and access notes, lists, and documents. It offers flexibility in note creation, and has a range of organizational tools, such as notebooks and tags. 

The app also has a user-friendly interface and a search function that helps users quickly find the notes they need. Users can access the basic features for free, but a paid subscription is required for advanced features.

Availability: Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Web

• Cross-platform compatibility
• Note syncing across devices
• Ability to organize notes with tags and notebooks
• OCR (optical character recognition) for text in images
• Collaboration tools for shared notebooks
• Many integrations with other apps and services
• Free version has a monthly upload limit
• Some features, such as offline access and password-protected notes, are only available in the paid version
• Some users have reported stability issues with the app
• Evernote Basic (free) – 60 MB monthly upload limit
• Evernote Premium ($7.99/month or $69.99/year) – 10 GB monthly upload limit (Additional features such as offline access, password-protected notes, and customer support)
• Evernote Business ($14.99/user/month or $12.49/user/month with annual billing) – Same features as Premium, plus collaboration tools for teams

OneNote – Organize Your Thoughts, Discoveries, And Ideas

OneNote is a digital notebook application developed by Microsoft. It allows users to create and organize notes, drawings, audio notes, and files in a digital notebook. 

OneNote features include the ability to organize notes into notebooks and sections, add tags for easy searching, insert and annotate images, and collaborate on notes with others. The user experience is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, with a simple interface and a variety of formatting options. 

Availability: Available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and can also be accessed via a web browser. 

• Offers a wide range of formatting options for notes, including text, images, audio, and video
• Has a flexible note-taking format that allows users to organize notes in multiple ways, such as by notebook, section, or page
• It has built-in OCR (optical character recognition) that allows users to search for text within images
• Offers robust collaboration features, allowing users to share notes and work together on projects
• Some users may find the interface to be cluttered or overwhelming
• Some users may experience performance issues, particularly when working with large notebooks
• OneNote is available as part of the Microsoft Office Suite, which requires a subscription to Office 365
• The subscription starts at $69.99 per year for a Personal subscription which includes OneNote and other Microsoft Office apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• It’s also available as a free version with limited features

Zoho – Note Taking App – Add Text, Images, Audio, Checklist

Zoho is a suite of business and productivity apps that aims to provide a seamless user experience. The apps within the Zoho suite are designed to work together and share data, allowing users to easily move between them. 

The interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate, with intuitive features and tools. The apps are also customizable, allowing users to tailor them to their specific needs and preferences. Overall, the user experience with Zoho is designed to be efficient, effective, and enjoyable.

Availability: Available on both iOS and Android.

• Zoho is a suite of business and productivity apps that work together seamlessly, allowing users to move between them easily
• The apps are designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, with intuitive features and tools
• The apps are customizable, allowing users to tailor them to their specific needs and preferences
• It offers a wide range of applications which includes email hosting, project management, invoicing, and customer relationship management
• Zoho provides a free plan for most of its apps and a free trial for its paid plans
• Some users may find that certain apps within the Zoho suite lack certain features or functionalities compared to other standalone apps
• Some users may experience performance issues, particularly when working with large data sets
• Zoho offers a free plan for most of its apps, with limited features
• For paid plans, it starts from $8 per user per month
• The pricing varies based on the app, number of users, and the features you need
• They also offer a free trial for their paid plans, which allows users to test out the apps before committing to a subscription

3 Top Digital Notebook Apps For Students

Notability – unleash your ideas, your way.

Notability is an app designed to enhance the user’s note-taking experience. It allows users to create, edit, and organize notes using a variety of tools such as text, handwriting, audio recording, and image insertion. The app also offers syncing capabilities with cloud services such as iCloud and Google Drive, allowing users to access their notes from multiple devices. 

Notability’s user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it a popular choice for students, professionals, and anyone in need of a powerful note-taking app. Overall, the app is designed to help users stay organized and productive.

Availability: Available for iPad, Mac, and iPhone.

• It allows users to take notes and annotate PDFs using a variety of tools, including typing, handwriting, highlighting, and drawing
• Supports audio recording and playback, making it useful for recording lectures and meetings
• Allows for easy organization and searching of notes, with the ability to create folders and tags
• Has a wide range of export options, including PDF, RTF, and PNG
• Allows us to share and collaborate with others
• Not available on Windows or Linux platforms
• May be difficult to use with a stylus other than Apple Pencil
• Some users have reported issues with the app crashing or freezing
• Costs $9.99 in the App Store and Google Play store

GoodNotes – Access Your Digital Notes Wherever You Work

GoodNotes is an app that provides a seamless and intuitive user experience for taking notes and annotating PDFs. It offers a variety of tools for typing, handwriting, highlighting, and drawing, as well as support for audio recording and playback. The app’s user interface is clean and easy to navigate, with options for organizing and searching notes through the use of folders and tags. 

Additionally, GoodNotes allows users to easily import and export documents in a variety of formats, including PDF, RTF, and PNG. Overall, GoodNotes offers a comprehensive and efficient solution for note-taking and document annotation.

Availability: Available for iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

• User-friendly interface: Has a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and use
• Handwriting recognition: Can convert your handwriting to text, making it easy to search for notes and edit them later
• Customizable templates: Offers a variety of customizable templates that allow you to organize your notes and make them look professional
• Multitasking capabilities: Allows you to have multiple pages open at the same time
• Cloud syncing: Allowing you to access your notes from any device, as long as you are logged in
• A paid app and can be expensive for some users
• Limited free features: Some features, such as cloud syncing, are only available to paid users
• Occasional glitches: Some users have reported occasional glitches, such as the app crashing or notes not syncing properly
• GoodNotes app is available for $7.99 in the App Store, $7.99 in Google Play Store, and $7.99 in Microsoft Store

Google Keep – Free Note Taking App For Personal Use

Google Keep is a note-taking and task management app developed by Google. It allows users to create and organize notes, lists, and photos, set reminders, and collaborate with others on shared notes. The app has a simple and intuitive user interface, with a card-based design for notes and a color-coding system for organization. 

Users can easily create new notes by typing or dictating, and can quickly access their existing notes through the app’s search function or by browsing through categories. Overall, Google Keep provides a streamlined and efficient experience for managing personal notes and tasks.

Availability: A PC- or Mac- based browser web application and is available on the Android mobile platform.

• A simple and easy-to-use app for taking notes and creating to-do lists
• Allows you to create different types of notes, including text, voice, and image notes
• It has a feature called “Reminders” that allows you to set reminders for specific notes
• Can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, as it is a cloud-based service
• Integrated with other Google apps such as Google Calendar and Google Docs, allowing for seamless organization and productivity
• It does not have as many advanced features as some other note-taking apps, such as Evernote
• It does not have a built-in feature for organizing notes into folders
• It does not support tables, making it less suitable for creating structured documents
• Google Keep is a free app and does not require a subscription. However, it does require a Google account to use

3 Simplistic Note-Taking Apps For Academics

 bear – private markdown editor for iphone, ipad and mac.

Bear is a note-taking app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS that focuses on a clean, simple user experience. It allows users to quickly and easily create notes using a variety of formatting options, including headings, lists, and images. Notes can be organized into notebooks and tagged for easy searching. 

The app also includes a variety of productivity features such as to-do lists and the ability to link apple notes together. Overall, Bear aims to provide a minimalistic and distraction-free way for users to capture and organize their thoughts and ideas.

Availability: Available on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

• Clean and simple user interface
• Variety of formatting options
• Organize notes into notebooks and tags for easy searching
• Productivity features like to-do lists and the ability to link notes together
• Limited platform availability (only available for Apple devices)
• Some advanced features require a paid subscription
• Limited collaboration features, not best suited for team work
• Bear App is a free download from the App Store, but it also has a subscription service called Bear Pro, which costs $1.49/month or $14.99/year
• Users can also unlock all the Bear Pro features via the one-time purchase of Bear Pro Power Pack, which is priced at $39.99

Simplenote – Simplest Way To Keep Notes

Simplenote is a minimalist note-taking app designed for ease of use and quick note-taking. It features a clean, uncluttered interface that allows users to easily create, edit, and organize notes. 

The app also offers features such as tagging, version history, and cross-platform syncing, making it a great choice for users who want a simple and efficient note-taking experience.

Availability: Available on Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and MacOS devices.

• Minimalist and easy-to-use interface
• Fast note-taking and editing
• Tagging and organization options
• Cross-platform syncing
• Version history
• Available for multiple platforms
• Limited formatting options compared to other note-taking apps
• No support for images or other media
• No collaboration features
• Simplenote is a free app, with no in-app purchases or premium features 
• Offers a paid service called Simplenote Premium, which includes features such as unlimited version history, additional organization options, and more 
• The pricing for Simplenote Premium is $20 per year

Joplin – Capture Your Thoughts And Securely Access Them

Joplin is a free and open-source note-taking and to-do application that offers a clean and simple user interface. It allows users to create, edit, and organize notes and tasks, as well as sync them across multiple devices. Users can also organize notes in notebooks and tags, and can search through their notes with a full-text search feature. 

Joplin also supports markdown formatting and includes a built-in web clipper for saving web pages as notes. Overall, Joplin aims to provide a streamlined and efficient note-taking experience for its users.

Availability: Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

• An open-source note-taking and to-do app that allows users to store and organize notes, tasks, and other information
• Available for multiple platforms including Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
• Synchronize with various cloud services, such as Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, and WebDAV
• Supports markdown formatting and allows users to attach files and images to notes
• Has encryption support for added security
• It may not have as many features as some other note-taking apps
• It is not as widely used as other apps, so there may be less community support
• It has not been updated in recent time
• Joplin is completely free and open-source, it does not have any pricing

4 Apps that Turn Audio to Notes

Soundnote – take notes on your ipad and mac.

SoundNote is a note-taking app that allows users to take notes while recording audio. The app syncs the notes with the audio recording, so users can go back and listen to the recording while reviewing their notes. The user interface is intuitive and easy to use, making it a great tool for students or professionals who want to take notes during lectures or meetings. 

The app also allows for easy sharing and exporting of notes and recordings. Overall, SoundNote offers a seamless and efficient user experience for capturing and reviewing audio recordings and notes.

Availability: Available for Android, iOS and Windows.

• Synchronizes audio recordings with written notes in real-time
• Allows users to go back and listen to audio recordings while reviewing notes
• Has a simple and easy-to-use interface
• Provides a detailed tutorial for new users
• Has the ability to export notes as PDFs
• Only available for iOS devices
• Limited formatting options for notes
• Does not have cloud syncing capabilities
• SoundNote is a paid app and costs $4.99 to download on the App Store

GoTranscript – Best Human-Centric Transcription Services 

If you are looking for someone to transcribe your recording, you may consider this option. 

GoTranscript is the go-to resource for Ph.D. students and researchers seeking accurate, reliable transcription and translation services worldwide! We have also written GoTranscript as a transcription tool here . 

With a team of highly skilled transcribers and translators ready to work around the clock, GoTranscript offers unbeatable speed in addition to generous discounts specially designed for businesses as well as student customers – making it an ideal choice no matter your needs or budget requirements!

You may also get our reader discount here for ALL orders through this link .

• All human – with 20,000 staff, so the accuracy as it relates to understanding context is likely to be better than non-human ones
• Affordable prices – GoTranscript offers discounts for students and businesses, making their services more affordable for everyone.
• Quality services – GoTranscript has a team of experienced transcribers and translators dedicated to providing quality services.
• Variety of languages – GoTranscript offers transcription and translation services in a variety of languages, making them an excellent option for researchers and students who need translations into or from multiple languages.
• Customers cannot schedule video or phone check-ins with GoTranscript, nor can they receive a free live chat from their website.
• Few customers (<5%) have experienced delays with the fast delivery service; most are quite happy with the fast delivery
• Very few (1 out of the 3,000+ reviews) have issues with uploading speed.

Multiple factors affect the pricing, e.g., length, verbatim requirement, turnaround time, and the number of speakers.

• For a 60-minute recording, not full verbatim, in 5 days, with three and more speakers, no heavy accent, and no caption, the cost is $69 – about $1.15 per word. If you need a caption, the cost becomes $93 for the same 60 mins recording, or $1.55 per min .
• Assuming you have a recording with a strong accent, the cost jumps to $87 or $1.45 per min. If you need a caption, the cost becomes $111 for the same 60 mins recording, or $1.85 per min .

Otter – Voice Meeting Notes & Real-Time Transcription

Otter is the perfect companion for capturing and organizing audio/video recordings! Intuitive design makes it easy to take notes, search content and collaborate with others. With its AI-driven transcription capabilities in real time, Otter ensures that users don’t miss a beat – whether their conversations are personal or professional.

Reference: See our review on Otter.ai, along with other transcription tools .

The days of recording a voice, playing it back at home, and taking notes are long gone. Thousands of students have discovered the usefulness of Otter Voice Meeting Notes to help take notes during lectures, transcribe research interviews, capture thoughts from group study sessions

Availability: Available for Android and iOS and also via a web browser. Otter.ai is offering special deals to students and researchers. Grab it here . 

• Real-time transcription and note-taking, allowing users to easily capture and organize important information from meetings, interviews, and other audio and video recordings
• Search and collaboration features that make it easy to find and share specific parts of recordings with others
• Can be integrated with other apps like Zoom and Slack
• Available on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and web
• Some users may find the transcription accuracy to be less than perfect, particularly in noisy environments or with heavy accents
• Some features are only available with a paid subscription
• Otter offers a free plan with 600 minutes of transcription per month, and access to basic features such as note-taking, searching and sharing recordings
• Otter Pro plan, which costs $9.99/month or $8.33/month with an annual subscription, gives you additional benefits like unlimited transcription, the ability to transcribe multiple languages, and the ability to export transcripts in multiple formats
• Otter for Teams is also available, which includes additional features like team collaboration and administrative controls 
• The pricing for teams is customizable and depend on the number of team members, it starts from $12/user/month

Rev – Best-known Transcription Brand

Rev.com is a popular tool for transcribing interviews and audio data. Time stamps, speaker identification, and automatic punctuation are just a few of the great features Rev offers.

With the help of AI and humans, they are able to achieve 99% accuracy. One thing we like about it is that Rev doesn’t charge you more for 12-hour delivery, whether you have multiple speakers and no extra cost for strong accents. And it can offer you a strong price at $1.25 per minute.

Try it for free here .

You can also record and transcribe iPhone calls with Rev’s free iPhone call recorder. It is available for both incoming and outgoing calls. Excellent for phone interviews and meetings.

Bonus tips: You can check out Rev Transcription Library and see it for yourself.

• Accurate: High accuracy of ~99% using a combo of AI and human 
• Fast: A transcript lands in your inbox within 12 hours after you upload an audio or video file.
• Professional: 60,000+ professionals at your service 24/7 with 99%+ accuracy guaranteed.
• Competitive Pricing: no extra for 12-hour delivery, multiple speakers, or strong accents
• Security and confidentiality agreements are in place
• The conversion of the qualitative research process can be slow, which can be frustrating when you need to work quickly.
• The cost can be prohibitive for some researchers. 
• Each minute costs $1.25, so a 60-minute interview will cost $75. 
• For “extra-fast” delivery, it costs $2.25 per minute. A 60-minute interview would cost $135.00 to have returned in 3 hours.
• It has a free 45-minute trial and $0.25 per minute afterward

3 Best Conceptual Note-Taking Apps For Students

Mindnode – mind map & brainstorm ideas.

MindNode is a mind mapping app that provides an intuitive and user-friendly experience for organizing and visualizing ideas and information. Users can create and customize mind maps with various nodes and connections, allowing them to easily see connections and relationships between different pieces of information. 

The app also includes features such as the ability to add images, notes, and links, as well as the ability to export and share maps with others. Overall, MindNode is designed to help users effectively brainstorm and organize their thoughts and ideas.

Availability: Available on Mac & iOS.

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to create and organize mind maps
• Provides a wide range of formatting options, including different node shapes, colors, and styles
• Allows for easy collaboration and sharing of mind maps with others
• Offers seamless integration with other apps, such as Evernote and Omnifocus
• Limited free version with in-app purchases to unlock all features
• Some users have reported that the app can be slow to respond at times
• MindNode offers a free version with limited functionality 
• The full version can be purchased for $14.99 on the Mac App Store, $9.99 on the iOS App Store and $9.99 on the iPadOS App Store

XMind – Your Favorite Mind Mapping Tool

XMind is a mind mapping and brainstorming software that allows users to visually organize their ideas and information in a hierarchical structure. It features a user-friendly interface and a variety of tools for creating diagrams, flowcharts, and concept maps. 

Users can easily add text, images, and multimedia to their diagrams, as well as customize the appearance of their diagrams with different themes and formatting options. Additionally, XMind offers a range of collaboration and sharing features, making it easy for users to work on diagrams together and share their ideas with others. 

Overall, XMind provides a powerful and intuitive tool for organizing and communicating ideas.

Availability: Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

• User-friendly interface that is easy to navigate
• Powerful brainstorming and mind mapping features
• Built-in templates and themes to help users get started quickly
• Ability to collaborate with others in real-time and share maps
• May not be as feature-rich as some other mind mapping software
• Some advanced features are only available in the paid version
• Limited compatibility with other mind mapping software
• Limited export options
• Free plan with monthly subscription of $5.99 and yearly subscription of $59.99

SimpleMind – Organize Your Thoughts

SimpleMind is a mind mapping app that allows users to visually organize their thoughts and ideas. It has a user-friendly interface, making it easy to create and edit mind maps. The app allows users to add text, images, and links to their maps, as well as customize the layout and colors. 

Users can also collaborate on maps in real-time and share them with others. Overall, SimpleMind provides a streamlined and efficient way to brainstorm and organize ideas.

Availability: Available for iOS, Windows, Mac and Android.

• A mind mapping tool that allows users to visually organize their ideas and thoughts
• The app is available for multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac
• The app offers a variety of formatting options and the ability to add images and multimedia to mind maps
• Users can also collaborate on mind maps in real-time with other SimpleMind users
• The app offers a free version with basic features as well as a pro version with additional functionality
• Some users have reported bugs and issues with the app’s functionality
• The pro version of the app can be relatively expensive compared to other mind mapping tools
• Some users have reported that the app can be difficult to navigate and use at first
• iOS: The app is available for a one-time purchase of $14.99 for the Pro version and $4.99 for the basic version
• Android: The app is available as a free version with in-app purchases or a one-time purchase of $14.99 for the Pro version
• Windows and Mac: The app is available for a one-time purchase of $49 for the Pro version and $29 for the basic version

Note-Taking App Features to Look For

When looking for the note-taking apps for academics, there are a few key features to consider:

• Organization : Look for an app that allows you to easily categorize, tag, and group your notes, as well as search for specific notes or keywords.
• Collaboration : If you’ll be working on group projects or assignments, look for an app that allows you to share and collaborate on notes with classmates or colleagues.
• Handwriting recognition : Research suggests that taking notes by hand can lead to better retention and comprehension of information. Some note-taking apps offer the ability to write notes by hand and convert them to text.
• Cross-device syncing : An app that allows you to access your notes from multiple devices, such as your computer, tablet, and phone, can be very helpful.
• Automatic backup : Look for an app that automatically backs up your notes to the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about losing your notes if your device is lost or damaged.
• Audio recording : Some apps offer the ability to record lectures and syncing them with the notes taken, which can be very useful in case you missed something during the lecture.
• Highlighting and annotation tools : Look for an app that offers tools like highlighting, underlining, and commenting, which can help you better analyze and understand the information you’re studying.
• Integrations : Look for an app that can integrate with other tools you use such as calendar, to-do list, and other productivity apps.

Benefits of Note-Taking Apps 

• Increased organization: A note-taking app allows you to easily organize and categorize your notes, making it easier to find and reference specific information.
• Improved collaboration: Many note-taking apps offer the ability to share and collaborate on notes with classmates or colleagues, making it easier to work together on projects and assignments.
• Enhanced productivity: According to a study by the University of California, using a note-taking app can increase productivity by up to 20%.
• Better retention: Research shows that taking notes by hand can lead to better retention and comprehension of information, as opposed to typing. Some note-taking apps offer the ability to write notes by hand and convert them to text.
• Convenience: With a note-taking app, you can access your notes from anywhere, whether you’re on your computer, tablet, or phone.
• Automatic backup: Many note-taking apps automatically backup your notes to the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about losing your notes if your device is lost or damaged.
• Better searchability: Most of the note-taking apps comes with built-in search functionality, making it easy to find specific notes or keywords in your notes.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are many great note-taking apps available for academics. 

Whether you’re looking for an all-in-one app with a variety of tools, a digital notebook experience, a simple and minimalistic approach, voice to note features, or a way to visually organize complex concepts, there is an app on this list that will meet your needs. 

We would love to hear about your experience with these apps. Have you found success with any of the options on this list? Do you have any favorites that didn’t make the cut but deserve a shout-out? Share your thoughts in the comments below and help fellow academics discover their next go-to note-taking app.

3 thoughts on “16 Best Note-Taking App For Academics”

Your article was excellent, and I appreciate you providing it. I gained a lot of knowledge from it. Write more about this subject, please. Thankyou

Thank you for the kind words.

Where does Liquidtext and MarginNote3 fit in your matrix? They are both sophisticated apps and worth evaluating.

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10 iPhone productivity apps you need to download right now

If you’re anything like us, your Apple iPhone is a beast with multiple uses. It can go from an email-firing machine to a dedicated Netflix device in seconds and then into playing video games just as fast. But just because it can do all of those things doesn’t mean it couldn’t stand a little fine-tuning when it comes to optimizing it for productivity.

“Productivity” can mean a lot of things, whether it’s sending emails, making tweaks to documents and spreadsheets, or just planning for your day ahead. Whatever being productive means to you, there are apps that will make it easier. Here are 10 iPhone productivity apps you need to download today.

The best to-do app

If there’s one app that most will agree needs to be on this list, it’s Todoist. Todoist is  the  to-do app, but it isn’t just an app where you tick boxes. No, it’s much more than that, as Todoist has grown over the years to become something much more comprehensive.

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The to-do list is the app’s bread and butter, and you can add whatever you like, from household chores to high-level business meetings. To sort the wheat from the chaff, you can select four priority levels for a task so that Todoist knows which ones are the most important to you. Labels help you keep work, play, and home separate from each other, and you can create different projects to really keep tasks apart from each other. After all, you might not want to be reminded of your upcoming work tasks at 1 p.m. on a lazy Sunday, whereas remembering you have laundry to hang up is rather more important. A morning report will let you know what you have coming up for the day, while the evening review tells you what you have left — though you can switch those off if you’d rather not have them.

Todoist is largely free to use, but some of its features require a subscription to Todoist Pro. For instance, you’ll need Pro if you want to add a reminder or location to a task or see your tasks in the useful Calendar View. Pro costs $5 a month, or you can pay for a year upfront for $48.

iOS App Store

Goblin Tools

The best planning app.

AI is a controversial subject for many, but we have a soft spot for Goblin Tools. It has a great name, for one thing, and it’s the perfect app to grab if you have a project to tackle but aren’t quite sure where to start. Essentially a wrapper for an AI chatbot , Goblin Tools is simple to use. Enter what you’re trying to do into the text box at the top of the app, and select the plus button to add it as a to-do checkbox.

From here, it gets a little special. Select the magic wand icon, and Goblin Tools will break down your task into several steps. Changing the number of spicy chili pepper icons will adjust how detailed and granular the steps should be. If you want a further breakdown of one of your main goals’ steps, you can do that, too.

The steps can be a little vague — after all, “create a plan for world domination” is a little easier said than done, but it’s meant to be a stepping-off point for your creativity. You can keep breaking those tasks down until your creative juices finally get flowing. It’s not free, unlike many of the apps on this list, but it costs just $1, which is worth parting with even if you just want to play with it.

The best timing app

A good work-life balance is a must, but what about making sure you don’t get burned out  during the work day? Pomodoro is a very popular working method that balances periods of work with smaller periods of rest, and there are a number of apps out there that can support this style of working. One of the best, at least in our eyes, is FocusPomo.

Frankly, it’s adorable. The symbol for Pomodoro timing is the tomato because “Pomodoro” is Italian for tomato, so it’s no surprise the app has a lot of tomato imagery. They’re cute (though we’ll admit they look more like oranges than tomatoes), and they roll around the main page when you tilt your phone, which is a nice touch. You’ll earn tomatoes for every five minutes you stay in focus mode, and they’ll grow and mature the more you use the app. Twenty-five minutes of work with a five-minute break is the standard for the Pomodoro technique, but you can change them as needed.

It’s a simple design and a simple app, but that’s not all it does. It supports iOS’s new Standby mode and home screen widgets , so it can show your current timer on your StandBy dock, or you can kick off a focus timer from your home screen. It has charts and stats, including a timeline showing when you worked and when you rested, and it has iCloud syncing across devices and app blocking and whitelists.

Some of those features are locked firmly behind a paywall, though. You won’t be able to access cross-device syncing, the timeline, or app blocking and whitelists without paying for a Plus subscription. On the plus side (pun not intended), the costs are fairly low. You can pay $2 a month, $10 a year, or just fork out $20 for a lifetime subscription. If you find this a useful part of your workday, then $20 may well be worthwhile.

The best group planning app

Organizing a group of people is often a thankless task — and an extremely hard one, too. Whether you’re trying to make sure everyone is free for a critical meeting, DnD session, or just a gathering at a restaurant, the constant back-and-forth of “I’m free on Wednesday, but not Thursday” can be wearing for even the most patient person. That’s where TimeTree comes in.

Essentially a group calendar, TimeTree has enormous utility and can be configured to fit almost any group. When you set up your group, you’ll be asked to choose a preset, with slightly different options and tuning for each. Invite the members of your group, and they’ll be able to see shared tasks and events and mark whether they’re available to attend events, leave comments, or just chat.

There’s a Plus subscription, but it doesn’t limit the free version too much, which is a nice surprise. Plus costs $5 a month, or $45 a year, and gives you access to file attachments, event priorities, and a vertical view of your calendars.

Google Keep

The best note-keeping app.

A lot of the apps on this list shine because of the extra features they add to a simple concept, but Google Keep is best appreciated for its simplicity. It’s a notetaker, and that’s pretty much all there is to it — but because it’s so well executed, it’s a mainstay that should be on every smartphone.

The first and most important part of the app is its notetaking. It’s pretty good. You can take notes as plain text files, checkboxes, or even handwritten notes. But it doesn’t stop there, as you can insert images, take photos, and record voice notes as notes. While you often can’t mix and match, it’s not often you need to, and Keep gets away with its simplicity.

Since it’s Google-made, it has strong cross-device support. Sign into your Google account on any other device, and your Keep notes will be there. Heck, even the price is fantastic because, well, there isn’t one. It’s completely free, and that puts it head and shoulders above everything else if all you need is a notetaking app that’s available pretty much anywhere.

The best password manager

While there are plenty of password managers out there, few are as good as Bitwarden. Another app that revels in its simplicity, Bitwarden offers unlimited storage for passwords on an unlimited number of devices. Whereas most password managers now charge for access to your passwords from more than a set number of devices, Bitwarden has stayed steadfastly free, earning it a lot of respect in our book.

But not having to charge doesn’t mean it loses out in capability. Bitwarden has passkey support and apps and companions for iOS, Android, desktop computers, browsers, and pretty much any device you could need it on. Your vault is secured with end-to-end encryption, including AES-256 bit, salted hashtag, and PBKDF2 SHA-256, as well as third-party audits that keep your data safe and secure. When Bitwarden is this good, why would you need to pay for any other password manager?

The best habit-forming app

Forming habits is a case of just doing that thing over and over again. We all know this, but it’s much easier said than done. If you struggle to keep up with habits, then maybe you need a feathery friend from Finch to make sure you keep up those good habits.

Finch is, at its core, a to-do list app. But it’s so much more than that, thanks to the central conceit. Boot up the app, and a small baby bird greets you. Introduce yourself and give them a name, and they form the backbone of the app’s effectiveness. By completing tasks, your baby bird will grow into a toddler, child, and beyond, go on adventures, and learn more and more about the world. As you progress, you’ll earn currency and buy your bird clothes and accessories, and even decorate its birdhouse. It’s a cute and surprisingly effective way to establish new habits, as who would want to let down their very own baby bird?

It’s not just about tasks, as there’s a mental wellness aspect to the app, too. Every time you open the app, it’ll ask you how you’re feeling about the day, and if you score low, it’ll prompt you to fill out a journal entry, instilling even  more healthy wellness habits. The dastardly little chicks will constantly trick you into treating yourself better, and you’ll soon find yourself shopping for new clothes for your bird and picking out a birdhouse theme.

It’s free to use, and while there are paid elements, they’re spread thin enough that you’ll rarely encounter any paywalls. Finch Plus costs $6 a month and provides access to more insights, exercises, shop options, and customization options within the app.

Google Drive

The best cloud storage app.

There’s no shortage of cloud storage apps out there, so what makes Google Drive so good? Is it the relatively generous 15GB storage offered on the free plan? The massive cross-device support means you can access your files pretty much anywhere. The strong auto-backup options. Or is it the fact it supports pretty much every file type out there and can often send them straight into the Google Suite of editors as well? It’s a mix of all of the above, and all of that together means Google Drive is the best cloud storage app you can download.

Drive’s cross-support with the rest of Google’s suite is the real key to its brilliance. Upload photos and pictures and you can find them organized in Photos, while text files will end up on Docs, spreadsheets in Sheets, and so on. Using Google’s built-in suite can save you time and effort, and it especially shines on mobiles, where the smartphone-optimized apps will function just as well as a desktop program. Add to this a game-changing search function that can identify and find just about anything, plus security options that can keep your sensitive files safe from prying eyes, and you’ve got a very good service.

It’s free to use, but even the 15GB of free space won’t go too far if you start using Google Drive to back up your phone pictures, documents, and videos. Thankfully, upgrading your storage doesn’t cost too much, at least not initially. Going to the first tier with 100GB of cloud storage will only set you back $2 a month, which is something of a bargain when it also comes with advanced photo editing tools for Photos.

The best VPN app

You probably know what ExpressVPN is if you’ve ever seen a YouTube sponsorship, but for those who don’t know, ExpressVPN is a solid choice if you’re looking for a good VPN app to keep your surfing safe and secure.

A VPN works by tunneling your internet traffic through an encrypted and safe virtual private network, meaning your connection is less at risk than it would otherwise be. Of course, that means a slight hit to your connection speeds, as your traffic is being ferried elsewhere as it goes and comes back to you. That’s why ExpressVPN has created the Lightway, a fast VPN network that strives to reduce the lag you might otherwise feel.

ExpressVPN also comes with a password manager, doubling down on security. It also has servers in 105 countries, ensuring there’s a server near you. It doesn’t save your browsing details either and is constantly audited to assure users this isn’t the case.

But all of this won’t come free. A one-month subscription will set you back $13, which is quite a lot. You get a seven-day free trial, so you can at least be sure it’s for you before committing — but cancel before the hefty yearly subscription comes out if you’re not sold on it.

The best keyboard app

Be honest. Are you still using the standard Apple keyboard? Keyboards are an oft-overlooked element of productivity, and the right keyboard can be a key tool in your productivity arsenal. This has never been more correct than in the case of Grammarly, which uses artificial intelligence to ensure your writing is thoroughly spellchecked, grammatically correct, and more finely tuned than the finest Formula 1 car.

Grammarly has been around for a long time, and it’s built a strong reputation. Grammarly’s capabilities begin with spelling and grammar fixes, but they don’t end there — not by a long shot. As you write, it’ll check to see whether any synonyms would work better (changing “very happy” into the stronger “thrilled,” for instance), suggesting changes to create a more formal, casual, or whatever tone you’re aiming for, and it’ll rate your own words for tone too. Because it’s a keyboard, it works in any app, and the onboard AI can also generate text for you in whatever style you need.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t come cheap. Grammarly Premium is where all the fun toys live, including the Formality rating, the ability to tell you when sentences need clarifying, enhanced word choices, and more. The free version is also limited to 100 AI prompts a month. The Premium version will set you back $12 a month, but without it, Grammarly is mostly a glorified spellcheck, so it’s definitely worthwhile.

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Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient & Medieval History, which obviously makes him a shoo-in to write about technology for a living. He currently contributes to the Mobile section on Digital Trends, with a particular emphasis and expertise on exploring the weirder side of smartphones, from tiny rugged phones to massive gaming phones. You'll most often find him seeking out leaks and rumors on upcoming devices, and playing with a variety of new apps for both Android and iOS.

The iPhone's default keyboard may not meet everyone's needs. Its limited features may leave some users wanting more variety and flexibility, especially on larger devices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max or smaller models like the iPhone SE (2022).

We have conducted research and compiled a comprehensive list of the best third-party keyboards for iPhone, that can significantly enhance your texting experience. These keyboards offer a wide range of features and customization options, such as adjustable key size, swipe typing, themes, and easier access to emojis. Most of these keyboards are available for free, while some offer premium subscription options. Either way, you'll easily be able to find a keyboard that suits your needs and preferences.

If you've always wanted to buy an iPhone and you don't mind getting a refurbished one to save on costs, then you should check out the offers in the iPhone Extravaganza of Amazon's Woot. You can get a refurbished iPhone for as low as $126 in this ongoing sale, but even if it's meant to last for a few more weeks, it's highly recommended that you make your purchase as soon as possible because stocks are in danger of running out. You don't have to worry about these refurbished iPhone deals -- they may show show physical wear-and-tear, but they'll be in full working condition. They're also unlocked, so you can choose the carrier that you'll sign up with for these iPhones.

What to buy in Woot's iPhone Extravaganza

Having a second phone number can be handy for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you want to separate your business and personal calls, or you want a junk second number that you can use to sign up for services so you can avoid giving out your personal number to so many places. That's particularly importance with the frequency of annoying spam calls and messages that can pile up when your phone number is made public. You might also want a second number to use in situations where you want to be able to contact people occasionally but you don't necessarily want them to be able to reach your personal device directly, like when internet dating or using an app like AirBnB. Whatever the reason, there are many situations where having a number that you can give out which you can make use of but isn't directly tied to your personal life like your main phone number is can be important for safety and security.

While you could get a second SIM card (or even an eSIM), an easier option for casual use is to use an app that lets you set up a second phone line. Whether you're after an Android app or an iPhone app, you'll find plenty of options to get a second phone line, including some which are free to use. We've hunted down some of the best options for apps that will give you a second phone number for whatever reason you need it, and we're sharing them with you below. Vyke

45 best college graduation gifts for him in 2024

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It can be difficult to find the best college graduation gifts for him. Shopping for guys at that age isn't easy and it might not seem like there's anything he wants. But from durable home goods to the latest tech gadgets, there's definitely something for him that can help ease the transition out of college. 

Below, see our complete list of the best college graduation gifts for him across several different product categories from trustworthy brands that we've tested personally. And make sure to check out our related roundups of the best college graduation gifts for her and the best graduation gift ideas overall. 

A sleek wallet he can keep forever

Bellroy wallets last pretty much forever, which is one reason why they take the top spot in our buying guide to the best men's wallets . This Note Sleeve is a best-seller. It's compact but big enough for 4-11 cards — the most important cards go in the easy-access slots and the rest can be stored in a pull tab. 

Find out more about why we love these wallets in our Bellroy review . 

A popular, stylish suitcase

Away The Carry-On

An Away suitcase is a particularly thoughtful gift for grads living far from home or planning future travel. The cult-favorite luggage has an ejectable external battery that charges devices easily on the go, 360-degree wheels for no-hassle travel, and weighs only 7.6 pounds. 

Read our full Away luggage review for more details. 

A fresh pack of socks

Bombas Men's Running Quarter Sock, 6-pack

You know you're an adult when you get excited about new socks. If he isn't going to splurge on them himself, do it for him. Bombas makes some of the best socks around. They're high-quality, super comfortable, and sure to become mainstays in his collection.

Learn more in our Bombas socks review . 

A toiletry bag to use at home or for travel

Rains Hilo Wash Bag

Rains is a Denmark-based company chiefly known for making high-quality, stylish raincoats. This wash bag is of the same spirit. It's completely waterproof, which is a necessity for any good toiletry bag. The pouch features adjustable buckles that enable him to alter the volume of the bag to his needs.

A 6-in-1 kitchen gadget

Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer

After years of getting fed at the dining hall, adjusting to making his own food at home is no easy feat. Whether he loves to cook or can't fry an egg, an air fryer is a great addition to his kitchen. It's super versatile and can be used to cook proteins, veggies, and more with ease. It's pretty much a foolproof gadget; the Instant Vortex Plus is our favorite because it's affordable, easy to use, and has a viewing window so he can make sure he's not burning anything.

See why this product is the top pick in our best air fryer guide. 

A spa-like robe

Parachute Cloud Cotton Robe

A high-quality robe makes lounging at home and getting ready feel like main events. This gauzy option from Parachute is soft, airy, and lightweight. Learn more in our tested guide to the best men's robes . 

A pair of cozy slippers

L.L. Bean Wicked Good Slipper

If his slippers got battered up in college, or he doesn't yet have a pair in his repertoire, the L.L. Bean Wicked Good Slipper is a classic. These slippers are incredibly plush, cozy, and durable. Read more in our guide to the best slippers for men . 

A handheld massager

Theragun Mini Massage Gun

For the college grad who loves exercising and cares about recovery, a Theragun Mini makes a great gift. This travel-sized device may be compact, but it delivers big on benefits. He can use it to relieve muscle pain, soothe tension, and help his body recover after a hard workout.

A framed photo of their friends

Framebridge Custom Picture Frames

Most of us appreciate some nostalgia; frame a photo of the graduate's friends or some of their favorite memories from school, so they can take them anywhere they call home.

A facial cleanser

Foreo LUNA 3 for Men Deep Facial Cleansing Tool 

This facial cleansing brush has left both male and female reporters on our team with clear, smooth skin. This particular model works as a state-of-the-art facial scrub brush, pre-shaving, and anti-aging tool.

Supporting the "fewer, better" mentality, the FOREO Luna 3 Men has a lifespan and level of quality that justify the price tag — so they can make great use of your gift for years to come. 

A great weekend bag

Dagne Dover Landon Carryall

Dagne Dover has earned a spot as one of our default recommendations for great bags. Their weekender/carry-on Landon Carryall is made out of a cool neoprene material and has ample organization. It has an internal laptop sleeve, an exterior phone pocket, and a detachable key leash, plus a few other helpful design features. 

Read our full Dagne Dover Landon Carryall review .

A Fitbit he can use while exercising

Fitbit Sense 2

If he loves being active, a Fitbit will keep track of interesting metrics such as heart rate, sleep quality, and exercise stats for him. We like the Fitbit Sense 2 the most, but you may find another option that works best for your graduate.

You can read about all of the best Fitbits in our tested guide. 

A pair of joggers he can wear anywhere

Lululemon ABC Jogger

These joggers look nice enough to wear to work or out to dinner, but feel comfortable enough for lounging. They're sweat-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, and quick-drying to boot.

A portable projector

Anker Nebula Capsule

Help him turn a large, unadorned wall into the backdrop for a movie marathon with this portable projector. It's the size of a soda can, but can project pictures up to 100 inches. He can use it indoors or outdoors, and it's a fun new way to watch his favorite movies and shows.

A nice cast iron skillet

Lodge Chef Collection Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

A quality cast iron skillet is the kind of product that lasts a lifetime in your kitchen. For the price, Lodge makes some of the best cast iron products around. This one comes pre-seasoned so it's ready to be used straight out of the box.

A record player for his new home

Crosley Voyager Bluetooth Record Player

For the one who's constantly listening to music, a turntable for his new abode makes for a functional and decorative gift — perfect for setting a good mood in the home and elevating the aesthetic in any room. He can jam out to all of his favorite tunes, whether it's while he cooks in the kitchen or works in the office.

A Disney Plus subscription

Disney Plus Subscription

Graduating from college usually marks the beginning of "adulting," but he'll eventually need a break from being a grownup. With everything from classic Disney movies and shows from his childhood to Star Wars and Marvel movies, a Disney Plus subscription is a sure way to stay entertained.

Read more about the Disney Plus price and perks with a subscription. 

A Kindle for post-grad reading

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Learning is an ongoing process, and graduation shouldn't be the end of it. Giving them a Kindle means they'll have the tools to keep being curious in their lives by having the device that makes it an easy and affordable process.

If they already have a Kindle or they read on their phone or iPad, you might look into gifting them a Scribd membership . It's lesser-known than apps like Audible, but it's a better deal and will give them access to hundreds of thousands of books and audiobooks. 

See why this is our top pick for the best Kindle . 

A fancy messenger bag

Leatherology Henderson Laptop Brief Bag

This Leatherology bag is an option that inspires a bit more confidence than a JanSport. The startup makes great leather accessories for much less than you'd expect to pay, like this $300 messenger bag. 

A vibrant plant

The Sill Snake Plant Laurentii

Whether he has a green thumb or not, a nice plant is sure to make his space feel more homey. And plants just make people happy – it's science. This one is easy to care for, making it a great starter option.

A pleasant way to wake up every day

Hatch Restore 2 Sunrise Alarm Clock

Help them transition to earlier mornings with an alarm clock that wakes them up by mimicking sunlight.

A musky candle

 Le Labo Santal 26 Classic Candle

A nice candle always makes a great gift, especially this one which smells amazing and doubles as a piece of chic, minimalist decor.

Cereal that feels like childhood but is responsible like adulthood

Magic Spoon Variety Pack

A childlike cereal for grown-ups is a nice transition into adulthood. Magic Spoon tastes like the sugared cereal some of us daydreamed about as kids, but it's high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

A gift card to decorate their home as they choose

Target Gift Card

Pick up a gift card to a store with affordable home goods such as Target so they can organize and decorate their new space with less stress.

A must-read financial guide book

"I will teach You to be Rich" by Ramit Sethi

Instead of skimping on lattes, it's wiser to choose the right accounts and investments so your money grows for you — automatically. Best of all, it frees you up to spend on the things you love.

Executive Editor for Personal Finance Insider Libby Kane says she regularly buys a new copy of this book just to give it away , and it's an excellent introduction to making the most of your personal finances — especially if your graduate is young or new to managing money.

A powerful blender

Nutribullet Pro+ Blender

Whether it's used to whip up morning smoothies, big batches of soup to carry him through the week, or any other culinary creations, a great blender is a kitchen essential that he'll get plenty of use out of. The Nutribullet Pro is affordable and powerful. We love that it comes with to-go lids, so he can make a smoothie and take it to go without dirtying any more dishes.

A Bonobos gift card

Bonobos Gift Card

No matter what he has in store for life after graduation, he'll surely want to upgrade his wardrobe. Bonobos is a high-quality menswear brand that sells everything from chinos, button-ups, and suits for the office to casual styles like jeans, polos, and T-shirts to wear on the weekends. 

Read our full reviews of Bonobos' chinos and Bonobos' Chelsea boots .

A toolkit, which they will undoubtedly need in "real life"

Cartman 148 Piece Tool Set

He'll be glad he has the tools to handle whatever life throws at him confidently, and this is one gift he may not immediately buy for himself, but which you really want to have before the very second you need it. 

A food delivery gift card

Doordash Gift Card

For the guy who says he doesn't want or need anything, go for a food delivery gift card. Everyone has to eat. This gift will give him the green light to indulge in his favorite eateries and try new dishes too.

A customized business card holder

VITTcustomSTUDIO Personalized Card Holder

While his company will likely give him business cards, he's not likely to already have a business-card holder he can feel good about pulling out of his pocket. A card holder like this monogrammable option from Etsy looks competent and thoughtful.

A made-to-measure suit

Indochino Gift Card

Suits — especially the nice ones — are a large yet ultimately useful expense for most men, even if it's only for special occasions rather than his everyday job. This is one gift he'll likely wear for years to come — and something he will likely need before he has the budget to afford it. 

A pillow that pays homage to their alma mater

Embroidered College Pillow

They may have graduated, but their school spirit will last forever. These decorative pillows are covered in university logos, mascots, and icons. It's a sweet gift that helps them embark on their next chapter of adulthood, while also keeping a part of their last chapter close.

An Amazon gift card

Amazon Gift Card

If what you really want to do is just give cash but are looking for a nicer equivalent, an Amazon Gift Card is a subtle way to accomplish the same freedom and utility. Amazon has virtually everything a new grad could desire (really, there is everything), so you know that no matter what they'll be getting something they genuinely want — which, in a lot of cases, is best since they know what they need better than anyone.

An Amazon Prime membership

An Amazon Prime membership is one of those things that immediately make life easier and ultimately better. If you decide to gift one, the recipient will enjoy free two-day shipping; access to the Prime Now app, which provides free two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items; Prime Video, Amazon's streaming video service; Prime Music; the Kindle Lending Library; Prime Reading; Prime Audible Channels; unlimited photo storage, and more. 

Read about Amazon Prime member benefits here .

A wireless charging pad

Courant Catch:3 Wireless Charger 

He can toss his phone or AirPods onto this tray that doubles as decor and their tech will charge without being plugged in. 

A weighted blanket

Bearaby Cotton Napper

The real world can be stressful. While you can't really control that, you can gift them pieces that help soothe their mind and body, like a weighted blanket. The Bearaby Napper is one of the most good-looking weighted blankets out there, and thus our pick for the best weighted blanket overall.

An even easier way to make pasta

Microwave Pasta Pot

When boiling water sounds like too much effort, there's this easy-to-use gadget. All he has to do is add his favorite noodles, water, and then press go. He can even drain and eat it straight from the pot.  This gadget ensures he'll always have something good to eat, in literally an instant.

A durable mug made for camping and beyond

Yeti 14 oz. Rambler

The Yeti Rambler is a vessel that can do it all, from holding his morning coffee in the office or a bowl of oatmeal while camping. The durable construction, featuring a magnetic lid to keep things spill-free while on the move, makes this easy to tote around just about anywhere. With double-wall vacuum insulation, hot food and beverages stay piping while cold contents stay cold.

A new skincare routine

Brickell Men's Daily Advanced Face Care Routine

If he hasn't already, post-college is the perfect time to get a good skincare routine going.  With a face wash, exfoliating scrub, and moisturizer, this set covers all the basics.

A great streaming device

Roku Ultra 4K

The Roku Ultra 3 stands out from other streaming device options thanks to its 4K and HDR support, speed, reliability, and large library of streaming services (Netflix, HBO Max, Rakuten Viki).

Plus, if he wants to watch TV on the big screen without disturbing anyone, it comes with headphones for private listening.

A small but powerful speaker

Sonos One (Gen 2) 

Sonos makes some pretty great speakers for recent grads. They work well, can be used as a sound system, have useful features like a morning alarm that may sound more pleasant than their phone, and aren't so expensive that they can't possibly build upon their collection. If he's planning on entertaining friends, the Sonos One is a great option, especially since it connects with Amazon Alexa. 

A Brooklinen gift card for new sheets

Brooklinen Gift Card

Your graduate may appreciate an upgrade in bedding to match their new chapter or their new space. 

Brooklinen is a common recommendation for us — you get premium, can't-wait-to-go-to-bed bedding at relatively affordable prices. 

Read our Brooklinen sheets review for more information. 

An electric pressure cooker

Instant Pot DUO 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker 

Just in case the idea of tossing tons of ingredients into a pot in the morning and coming home to a nicely cooked meal appeals to him, the Instant Pot is every recent graduate's best friend.

Ultimately, if they spend most of their day at work or commuting, the last thing they'd want to do is come home to devote two of their three free hours to making a lavish dinner for one. Plus, it cuts down on how many dishes he'll have to wash.

We even rank this Instant Pot as the best budget option in our guide to the best electric pressure cookers .

A speaker that talks to you

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)

From music and radio stations to trivia and much, much more, your graduate will have ample distractions and helpful, hands-free info (like the weather or quick measurement conversions) while they're busy running around their place.

Playful sports mug

Just because they've graduated college doesn't mean they're too old to play with their food. This mug lets them do just that. From dunking their cocoa puffs to scoring goals with marshmallows, this dish is guaranteed to make mealtime more fun.

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Ethan Lam B.S. ’25 Wins Best Decentralized App Award at TreeHacks 2024

During Stanford’s premier hackathon TreeHacks 2024, Ethan Lam, a third-year Berkeley IEOR student, and his team won the Best Decentralized App Award on the  Ava Labs  sponsor track. Their project, zKnowledge Base, is a social publishing platform aimed at democratizing research paper access through decentralized storage of research papers and a vibrant community. Their success earned them a spot as the sole collegiate startup in Ava Labs' Codebase accelerator program, accompanied by a grant. Now, they are gearing up to showcase their platform at  Consensus 2024  in Austin, Texas, this May. Stay updated and join the waitlist to gain exclusive access by signing up at  fivew.xyz .

Q&A with Ethan Lam

What inspired you to create zknowledge base, and can you briefly outline the project's key features and its impact on democratizing research paper access.

zKnowledge Base (fiveW) was inspired by one of my teammates’ experience during the bus ride up from USC for TreeHacks 2024. As he scrambled to finish a psychology paper due, he struggled to find articles to cite due to the fragmented landscape of paywalled academic journals.

At the hackathon, we delved deeper into his problem and discovered that this was a common issue. Researchers faced struggles including expensive author publication costs, limited publishing permissions, and editing driven by commercial priorities. This issue needed tackling.

Our dream is to democratize access to research papers, making them freely available for reading and open-source contributions, while easing the publishing process for researchers. zKnowledge Base is a social publishing platform for research papers, giving power back to the researchers and facilitating a vibrant research community. The platform’s key features include easy PDF download (and upload) of research papers stored on the IPFS blockchain, a powerful semantic search engine prioritizing content relevance, and secure storage of Content IDs on the Avalanche Blockchain. Later, we hope to add a communities tab for users to interact with researchers and a comprehensive peer review system incentivizing speedy and accurate peer reviews. Our project won recognition for its innovation, securing the Best Decentralized App award on the Ava Labs sponsor track at the TreeHacks. Additionally, we earned a spot as the only collegiate startup in Ava Labs' Codebase startup accelerator program and received a 5-figure stipend. We recently had our welcome week in Lisbon, Portugal and look forward to demoing our platform at Consensus 2024 in Austin, Texas at the end of May. In the meantime, sign up for our waitlist at fivew.xyz !

As an award-winning project at TreeHacks 2024, what are the next steps for zKnowledge Base in terms of development, testing, and potential deployment?

After winning at TreeHacks 2024, zKnowledge Base is becoming a startup. Me and my hackathon teammate Thor will continue engaging researchers to understand their needs, as well as developing and scaling our project. As part of Codebase, we had a Welcome Week in Lisbon, Portugal, followed by a 12-week building phase with handpicked startup mentors on the Avalanche blockchain. The program ends with a pitch to a panel of venture capitalists at the Consensus 2024 conference in Austin, Texas at the end of May, with the prize being additional equity funding. Along the way, we’ll be extensively testing and developing our platform, getting it ready for launch. Currently, we are working on a feed for research papers, a place to explore pre-prints and thoughts from your favorite researchers, and a community hub. We are looking for researchers to beta our platform, and if you are interested, shoot me an email at [email protected] .

Can you elaborate on the integration of AI in zKnowledge Base's custom semantic search engine? How does the system understand and process the content of research papers to provide more relevant search results, and what challenges did your team face in implementing this feature during the hackathon?

At zKnowledge Base, our search engine utilizes together.ai-powered vector embeddings to significantly enhance search relevance and efficiency. Vector embeddings are a way of representing data as points in n-dimensional space so that similar data points cluster together. With together.ai, we can effectively summarize the most pertinent words and concepts within the papers, converting each paper into one very long vector. This better captures the paper’s topic and enables more accurate search results, as opposed to other methods like counting keywords within the title and abstract. Then, we can perform the same process on the user’s search and find the 5 nearest papers in our database through cosine similarity. These papers are then displayed on our front end.

The implementation of these features posed challenges, particularly in debugging the integration of various technologies (ChromaDB, LangChain, together.ai) and prioritizing of the most effective solutions. 

What advice would you offer to students interested in participating in conferences, based on your successful experience at TreeHacks?

Hackathons and conferences are a much better experience if you actively seek out new people and express genuine interest in the sponsors. Exhibitors and sponsors have paid large amounts of money to speak and have an interest in seeing you succeed. In fact, my project was only possible thanks to mentors at Ava Labs, together.ai, Bun, and QED and their debugging + system design feedback.

After attending the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2023 and 2024, I’ve learned to set clear goals for what I want out of the conference as well as research the event, attendees, and potential contacts. I review the conference schedule and reach out to interesting people beforehand. By being proactive and organized, I put myself in the best position to make meaningful connections and maximize my conference experience.

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Kotlin Multiplatform Development Help

The six most popular cross-platform app development frameworks.

Over the years, cross-platform app development has become one of the most popular ways to build mobile applications. A cross-platform, or multiplatform, approach allows developers to create apps that run similarly on different mobile platforms.

Interest has steadily increased over the period from 2010 to date, as this Google Trends chart illustrates:

The growing popularity of the rapidly advancing cross-platform mobile development technology has resulted in many new tools emerging on the market. With many options available, it can be challenging to pick the one that will best suit your needs. To help you find the right tool, we've put together a list of the six best cross-platform app development frameworks and the features that make them great. At the end of this article, you will also find a few key things to pay attention to when choosing a multiplatform development framework for your business.

What is a cross-platform app development framework?

Mobile engineers use cross-platform mobile development frameworks to build native-looking applications for multiple platforms, such as Android and iOS, using a single codebase. Shareable code is one of the key advantages this approach has over native app development. Having one single codebase means that mobile engineers can save time by avoiding the need to write code for each operating system, accelerating the development process.

Popular cross-platform app development frameworks

This list is not exhaustive; many other options are available on the market today. The important thing to realize is that there's no one-size-fits-all tool that will be ideal for everyone. The choice of a framework largely depends on your particular project and your goals, as well as other specifics that we will cover at the end of the article.

Nevertheless, we've tried to pick out some of the best frameworks for cross-platform mobile development to give you a starting point for your decision.

Released by Google in 2017, Flutter is a popular framework for building mobile, web, and desktop apps from a single codebase. To build applications with Flutter, you will need to use Google's programming language called Dart.

Programming language: Dart.

Mobile app examples: eBay, Alibaba, Google Pay, ByteDance apps.

Key features:

Flutter's hot reload feature allows you to see how your application changes as soon as you modify your code, without you having to recompile it.

Flutter supports Google's Material Design, a design system that helps developers build digital experiences. You can use multiple visual and behavioral widgets when building your app.

Flutter doesn't rely on web browser technology. Instead, it has its own rendering engine for drawing widgets.

Flutter has a relatively active community of users around the world and is widely used by many developers. According to the Stack Overflow Trends , the usage of Flutter has been trending up over time, based on the increasing use of the corresponding tag.

React Native

An open-source UI software framework, React Native was developed in 2015 (a bit earlier than Flutter) by Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook. It's based on Facebook's JavaScript library React and allows developers to build natively rendered cross-platform mobile apps.

Programming language: JavaScript.

Mobile app examples: React Native is used in Microsoft’s Office, Skype, and Xbox Game Pass; Meta’s Facebook, desktop Messenger, and Oculus. Check out more in the React Native showcase .

Developers can see their changes in their React components immediately, thanks to the Fast Refresh feature.

One of React Native's advantages is a focus on the UI. React primitives render to native platform UI components, allowing you to build a customized and responsive user interface.

In versions 0.62 and later, integration between React Native and the mobile app debugger Flipper is enabled by default. Flipper is used to debug Android, iOS, and React native apps, and it provides tools like a log viewer, an interactive layout inspector, and a network inspector.

As one of the most popular cross-platform app development frameworks, React Native has a large and strong community of developers who share their technical knowledge. Thanks to this community, you can get the support you need when building mobile apps with the framework.

Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) is an open-source technology built by JetBrains that allows sharing code across platforms while retaining the benefits of native programming. It enables developers to reuse as much code as they want, write native code if needed, and seamlessly integrate shared Kotlin code into any project.

Programming language: Kotlin.

Mobile app examples: McDonald's, Netflix, Forbes, 9GAG, Cash App, Philips. Read more about Kotlin Multiplatform case studies .

Developers can reuse code across Android, iOS, web, desktop, and server-side while keeping native code if needed.

Kotlin Multiplatform can be seamlessly integrated into any project. Developers can utilize platform-specific APIs while making the most of both native and cross-platform development.

Thanks to Compose Multiplatform , a modern declarative cross-platform UI framework by JetBrains, developers have full code-sharing flexibility and the ability to share both the logic and the UI.

There's no need to introduce a new language to your codebase when you already use Kotlin for Android. You can reuse your Kotlin code and expertise, which makes migrating to Kotlin Multiplatform less risky compared to other technologies.

Even though this cross-platform mobile development framework is one of the youngest on our list, it has a mature community. In November 2023, JetBrains promoted it to Stable . It's growing fast and is already making a distinct impression on today's market. Thanks to its regularly updated documentation and community support, you can always find answers to your questions. What's more, many global companies and startups already use Kotlin Multiplatform to develop multiplatform apps with a native-like user experience.

Ionic is an open-source mobile UI toolkit that was released in 2013. It helps developers build cross-platform mobile applications from a single codebase using web technologies, like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with integrations for the Angular, React, and Vue frameworks.

Mobile app examples: T-Mobile, BBC (Children's & Education apps), EA Games.

Ionic is based on a SaaS UI framework designed specifically for mobile OS and provides multiple UI components for building applications.

The Ionic framework uses the Cordova and Capacitor plugins to provide access to device's built-in features, such as the camera, flashlight, GPS, and audio recorder.

Ionic has its own command-line interface, Ionic CLI, which serves as the go-to tool for building Ionic applications.

There's constant activity on the Ionic Framework Forum, where community members exchange knowledge and help each other overcome their development challenges.

.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) is a cross-platform framework that was released in May 2022 and is owned by Microsoft. It allows developers to create native mobile and desktop apps with C# and XAML. .NET MAUI is an evolution of Xamarin.Forms, one of the functionalities of Xamarin, which provides native controls for the platforms supported by Xamarin.

Programming languages: C#, XAML.

Mobile app examples: NBC Sports Next, Escola Agil, Irth Solutions.

.NET MAUI provides cross-platform APIs for accessing native device features, like the GPS, accelerometer, and battery and network states.

There's a single project system which is enabled using multi-targeting to target Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

With the support for .NET hot reload, developers can modify their managed source code while the app is running.

Even though .NET MAUI is still a relatively new framework, it has already gained traction among developers and has an active community on Stack Overflow and Microsoft Q&A.

NativeScript

This open-source mobile application development framework was initially released in 2014. NativeScript allows you to build Android and iOS mobile apps using JavaScript or languages that transpile to JavaScript, like TypeScript, and frameworks like Angular and Vue.js.

Programming language: JavaScript, TypeScript.

Mobile app examples: Daily Nanny, Strudel, Breethe.

NativeScript allows developers to easily access native Android and iOS APIs.

The framework renders platform-native UIs. Apps built with NativeScript run directly on a native device without relying on WebViews, a system component for the Android OS that allows Android applications to show content from the web inside an app.

NativeScript offers various plugins and pre-built app templates, eliminating the need for third-party solutions.

NativeScript is based on well-known web technologies like JavaScript and Angular, which is why many developers choose this framework. Nevertheless, it's usually used by small companies and startups.

How do you choose the right cross-platform app development framework for your project?

There are other cross-platform frameworks besides those mentioned above, and new tools will continue to appear on the market. Given the wide array of options, how can you find the right one for your next project? The first step is to understand your project's requirements and goals, and to get a clear idea of what you want your future app to look like. Next, you'll want to take the following important factors into account so you can decide on the best fit for your business.

1. The expertise of your team

Different cross-platform mobile development frameworks are based on different programming languages. Before adopting a framework, check what skills it requires and make sure your team of mobile engineers has enough knowledge and experience to work with it.

For example, if your team is equipped with highly skilled JavaScript developers and you don't have enough resources to introduce new technologies, it may be worth choosing frameworks that use this language, such as React Native.

2. Vendor reliability and support

It's important to be sure that the maintainer of the framework will continue to support it in the long run. Learn more about the companies that develop and support the frameworks you're considering, and take a look at the mobile apps that have been built using them.

3. UI customization

Depending on how crucial the user interface is for your future app, you may need to know how easily you can customize the UI using a particular framework. For example, Kotlin Multiplatform offers full code-sharing flexibility with Compose Multiplatform , a modern declarative cross-platform UI framework by JetBrains. It enables developers to share UIs across Android, iOS, web, and desktop (via the JVM) and is based on Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.

4. Framework maturity

Find out how frequently the public API and tooling for a prospective framework change. For example, some changes to native operating system components break internal cross-platform behavior. It's better to be aware of possible challenges you may face when working with the mobile app development framework. You can also browse GitHub and check how many bugs the framework has and how these bugs are being handled.

5. Framework capabilities

Each framework has its own capabilities and limitations. Knowing what features and tools a framework provides is crucial to identifying the best solution for you. Does it have code analyzers and unit testing frameworks? How quickly and easily will you be able to build, debug, and test your app?

6. Security

Security and privacy are especially important when building a critical mobile app for business, such as banking and e-commerce apps that include a payment system. According to OWASP Mobile Top 10 , some of the most critical security risks for mobile applications include insecure data storage and authentication/authorization.

You need to ensure that the multiplatform mobile development framework of your choice provides the required level of security. One way to do this is to browse the security tickets on the framework's issue tracker if it has one that's publicly available.

7. Educational materials

The volume and quality of available learning resources about a framework can also help you understand how smooth your experience will be when working with it. Comprehensive official documentation , online and offline conferences, and educational courses are a good sign that you will be able to find enough essential information about a product when you need it.

Key takeaways

Without considering these factors, it's difficult to choose the framework for cross-platform mobile development that will best meet your specific needs. Take a closer look at your future application requirements and weigh them against the capabilities of various frameworks. Doing so will allow you to find the right cross-platform solution to help you deliver high-quality apps.

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A former MIT researcher has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the killing of a Yale University graduate student in Connecticut

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A former researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was sentenced Tuesday to 35 years in prison for the killing of a Yale University graduate student found shot outside his car on a Connecticut street.

Qinxuan Pan, 33, who pleaded guilty to murder in February, apologized during a hearing in a New Haven courtroom packed with family and friends of the victim, Kevin Jiang.

“I feel sorry for what my actions caused and for everyone affected,” Pan said. “I fully accept my penalties.”

Jiang, 26, a U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Chicago and a graduate student at Yale's School of the Environment, had just left his fiancée's apartment in New Haven on the evening of Feb. 6, 2021, when he was shot multiple times by Pan, according to police and prosecutors. The couple had just gotten engaged days earlier.

Several of Jiang's relatives and friends spoke in court before the judge handed down the sentence, which Pan agreed to as part of his plea bargain.

“My son was a remarkable young man who cherished life and held deep (belief) in God. He had a bright future ahead — one that promised to spread God’s love far and wide,” said Jiang's father, Mingchen Jiang.

A motive for the killing was never made entirely clear. Investigators said they discovered that Pan and Jiang's fiancée were connected on social media and had met while at MIT, where both had graduated from and where Pan was working as a researcher at the time of the shooting.

According to the documents, Jiang’s fiancée told authorities she and Pan “never had a romantic or sexual relationship, they were just friends, but she did get a feeling that he was interested in her during that time.”

After the shooting, Pan fled the scene and eluded police for three months before being apprehended in Alabama, where officials said he was caught living under a fake name with $19,000 in cash, a passport and several cellphones.

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