Queries related to various software used in academia. Questions shall not address highly technical aspects of the software but shall address features/issues highly relevant to academia.

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6
votes
4answers
100 views

Using a software screenshot in a paper

When writing a paper which, as an aside, talks about the design of a user interface on a particular piece of software, can one insert a (correctly labeled and referenced) screenshot of the software to ...
-1
votes
0answers
49 views

Do you use an electronic lab notebook? [duplicate]

As I said; do you use an electronic lab notebook? If so, which one, and if not, why? I'm trying to design my own notebook and am looking for neat features that people think are useful, or things to ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views

Do you find a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis tool useful? [closed]

I do a lot of qualitative coding and assessment as part of my research activities. Usually my colleagues and I simply use generic tools for this process like text editors and spreadsheets, but I know ...
1
vote
2answers
101 views

Masters or certificate in CS [closed]

I have a previous MBA in Computer Methodology in business. I received my MBA in 1978 so my skills are out of date. I feel an investment in updated CS skills is required for me to re-enter the ...
11
votes
4answers
282 views

Software for extracting data from a graph

There are many times when I am faced with the task of extracting data from a published graph (usually a bitmap image in an paper). For example, a scatter plot from which I would like to get a list of ...
14
votes
7answers
327 views

Saving handwritten notes for future reference

I have more than one hundred pages of handwritten notes. I made these notes while writing different chapters of my PhD dissertation. The notes include summaries of journal articles, my thoughts, ...
13
votes
2answers
169 views

Issue tracking when writing a paper

When writing papers (and even more - when revising after collaborators', or reviewers', remarks) it's hard to keep track what is done, what needs to be fixed, what cannot be fixed, when opinions of ...
39
votes
7answers
2k views

Why use version control systems for writing a paper

I am following the advice of @Piotr Migdal in this question, and I want to ask about version controls: how beneficial are they (specially under LaTeX settings) for writing papers compared to DropBox ...
14
votes
3answers
493 views

Internet Git repository for collaboration on a paper

I've just started using git for tracking changes in a LaTeX paper I'm writing, and for collaboration with co-authors. However, I cannot find easily private git repositories with reasonable plans for ...
8
votes
3answers
165 views

Searching for a quotation manager

I’m looking for a way to manage the text of the quotations that most certainly I will use (i.e. quote) in the future. I’m a philosopher, so this is specially handy —and even required— for the ...
10
votes
4answers
405 views

Free and open source substitute for Mendeley

Mendeley is (mainly) a proprietary social network to share basic citation data and research papers. see also Who knows an free and open source substitute for this service? Technically users collect ...
12
votes
4answers
446 views

Is there any software or tools for managing developing research ideas?

I am doing research in computer Science as a PhD student. I have some research ideas and for months I've been continuously thinking about them, developing them and make them more specific. I mean, ...
17
votes
5answers
1k views

Conference management software (preferably open source) with custom fields

I've been told to set up software to organize a workshop. Is there (preferably an open source) conference solution that allows for: Abstract Submission Event Planning Arbitrary user data-fields ...
4
votes
1answer
60 views

Identifying new references when appending to existing reference list

I am building a database from several online sources like Engineering Village. Everyday I am searching different/close/related keywords that pertains to my research topic. Then, I am (everyday) ...
9
votes
2answers
133 views

Strategy for using a Virtual Learning Environment (aka Blackboad/WebCT/Moodle)

My university is switching its Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Specifically, we are moving from WebCT to Moodle, but I don't think this matters. This means I need to spend some time learning how ...
9
votes
3answers
169 views

Batch editing references

I imported many pdf articles into Mendeley but saw that Mendeley did not capture all the fields correctly. So, I needed to change them manually. It would be a tedious job to do so with many documents. ...
12
votes
2answers
612 views

Useful software resources for reviewing papers

I have a paper for review and I would like to include comments (on clarifications/suggestions/errors) over specific paragraphs or statements. What are some ideal software resources that could help ...
11
votes
1answer
230 views

Publishing paper using an open-source software

Can someone publish a paper on the mathematical model of the open source software i.e. parameter analysis of the model (i.e relevant to specific area) which is the backbone of the software. Is it ...
15
votes
9answers
885 views

Software to use for creating posters for academic conferences?

And how much time does it usually take? I'd like to create a poster without having to put too much time into formatting.
16
votes
4answers
2k views

Use cases of org-mode as a scientific productivity tool for academics without programming needs

I am a social scientist working primarily on Linux, but also at times required to work on Windows systems at the University. I have been looking to improve my productivity in the academic workflow ...
37
votes
9answers
3k views

Software to draw illustrative figures in papers

I would like to have suggestions of good software for drawing illustrations in research papers. I already know about Xfig, but this works only on Linux and is at times, clunky when it comes to text. ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views

Software/App for electronic research notebooks

I want to keep a research notebook for my computational "experiments". Basically, I should at least be able to write text and attach images like plots. Other nice features to have would be linking ...
5
votes
1answer
81 views

Software for managing departmental alumni relations

My department is looking for a CRM tool to manage its relationship with graduated students (either on BSc, MSc or PhD level). What we want to achieve: Show our candidates that you can get a well ...