As I look forward to 2024, it is worth reflecting on the tools, software or programs I've found particularly useful in my PhD research. However, I'm sharing my reflections on these tools with you so as you look forward to the new year, think about how you can use these and other tools to support your studies as they have mine and consider how to spend your bench fees for your year ahead.
General PhD Software
Grammarly
To start the list of products I've used, an absolute essential is Grammarly Pro. This is because Grammarly allows you to review your writing more intuitively than what is common in programs such as Word and Pages. This helps you to recognise not only your narrative style but also sentence structure, general grammar and punctuation. Grammarly has recently introduced its generative AI, which is useful for changing the tone of your writing or helping you to bullet point your notes. You may wonder why I would use this when I could use Chat GPT. The answer is your data. Chat GPT is useful and has no main purpose besides education; therefore, the data or information you use on this program could be better for research writing. This is because your information becomes part of a larger database, whereas Grammarly's data informs the program but does not void your copyright. Which is £10 a month or entirely free for students with access to DSA (Disabled Student Allowance).
Litmaps
A useful tool throughout your writing, particularly if you are starting, will allow you to search by a keyword such as those in your research questions or project proposals. This will allow you to see which papers are cited and by whom and identify the emerging threads in an illustrated format similar to a mindmap. Litmaps is useful for finding emerging themes, seeing the commonality amongst writers, and exploring the literature in a more immersive format than a typical library or Google Scholar search. It is also a way to find emerging literature by setting up alerts. This is far more powerful in its pro-format, but the free version is still very intuitive.
Zotero
Now, referencing your literature is crucial for any researcher, and Zotero, like Endnote, does just that. A system that most universities will have a license for, thereby making it free for you to use. Now, this system allows you to record any journal, website or book where you can find the article, store it and make relevant notes in the program. It is kept both within the program and on the cloud, so if the program is ever corrupted, you can find your references and access them again. You can also create separate libraries for chapters in your thesis or different bodies of work. Depending on your institution or the journals you choose to publish in the preferred working format in either citations or bibliography.
Freeform
Now, if you use concept maps and mind maps or want to create diagrams for your thesis, then freeform could be the tool for you. It allows you to manipulate shapes, texts and lines in various formats freely; however, this is more useful for diagrams and notes, whereas tools such as NVivo are far more useful for concept mapping or cross-referencing your codes. The utility I've found is the flexibility in this program for sharing and displaying your thoughts and how to engage in discursive interactions with your colleagues.
TickTick
Now, this is something I've had to use due to having a busy timetable and multiple different calendars. You may have various interests and calendar invites coming your way. Calendar is a relatively inexpensive programme, being only $35.99. It allows you to sync all of your calendars together and link your various calendar invites, set reminders, and embed to-do lists to break down your tasks. For me, this useful tool allowed for the connectivity of various systems without being overly burdensome as you could do with other features of your computer or smartphone, but this does it in a way which avoids some of the barriers you face with syncing it to Ical or Google Calendar.
Tools for Qualitative Research
Now, for programmes and tools that have been more specifically useful in education and qualitative research, such as using surveys and interviews common when interacting with subjects within social science or the humanities.
NVivo
NVivo is a powerful and widely used software program for qualitative data analysis. It is a popular tool in social sciences, psychology, and other research fields that employ qualitative research methods. The software allows researchers to organise and analyse vast amounts of unstructured data, including text, audio, and video files. Now, I've used this to analyse three forms of data: Roadmaps, Interviews and Demographic surveys using annotated code to highlight elements and then collate, compare and analyse. NVivo is especially useful for thematic analysis, which involves identifying patterns, themes, and relationships within the data. I've then exported elements of these codes to identify themes to contrast thoughts of the subject and to link them in a mindmap format.
One of the best features of NVivo is its user-friendly interface and various features that make it easy to navigate and analyse data efficiently. It simplifies the process of exploring and analysing data and helps researchers to identify key insights that may have been missed otherwise. Using NVivo, researchers can take full advantage of the tool's capabilities and use their time better.
Otter.AI
Otter.AI is a tool I've used in my data collection and in my PhD role. It has featured as a useful co-pilot in interviews, recording the transcripts and key findings while recognising most dialects. You still have to do some editing with Otter, but it is largely very responsive to different subjects regardless of tone or accent. It can transcribe from recordings or videos if you've used them, but it is enhanced by a more powerful microphone tool for your interviews. The tool is also great for joining meetings on your behalf, minuting said meeting, and sharing this with you and your participants or attendees. Now, this program is slightly more expensive at $99.
Final thoughts
As we wrap up 2023, I wish all of you the best in your studies and hope that some of these tools can help you as they have me in my research. However, the key reflection on this year and these tools is you learn from user experiences and the collective knowledge of your network, so use various systems, tools and platforms, but remember, if you want to enhance your discipline, share what you've learnt with others and help them to take their next leap forward.