(Digital) Tools of the trade

The following items may be useful to current IDS students in the development, research, and authoring of their thesis.

Writing Software

LibreOffice

• Free, drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office
• Open source (You can get it for free without stealing it).
• Windows, Mac, Linux

Scrivener

• Writing environment using unique full-screen writing to allow you to stay on task.
• Import all of your sources into the one project to have everything you need at hand.
• Not free (reduced price for students)
• Windows, Mac, Linux (beta)

Data Backup

SpiderOak

• Fully encrypted, reliable data storage and backup, essential in areas where viruses, theft and weather threaten your computer.
• Ability to sync and share files
• 3GB free storage (must use referral link above, otherwise 2GB)
• Students pay half the regular price for storage.
• Free client
• Windows, Mac, Linux

Dropbox

• Store files in a single ‘Dropbox’ folder to be uploaded to the cloud
• Sync files between computers
• Highly recommended to be used with an encryption solution below.

Toucan

• Offline backup, encryption and compression software
• Runs from a USB device or hard drive
• Windows, Linux (with Wine)

Data Encyption

Truecrypt

• On the fly encryption
• Encrypt entire disks, partitions, or make encrypted virtual ‘container drives’
• Excellent documentation
• Free, Open Source
• Windows, Mac, Linux

AxCrypt

• File encryption software for individual files
• Compress, encrypt, decrypt, store, send
• Free, Open Source
• Windows Only

Toucan

• See above (backup)

Transcription Software

Express Scribe

• Allows for speed control of audio file during transcription using keyboard media keys.
• Free version (Pro version not free)
• Windows, Mac

TAMS Analyzer

• See below (QDA)

Reference Management

Zotero

• Citations manager, allows you to save citation information, and sync it to Zotero servers.
• Plug-in for MS Office and LibreOffice allows direct insertion of citations and bibliography (automatically formatted).
• Available as a Firefox add-on or a Standalone Program (beta – recommended).
• Free
• Windows, Mac, Linux

Refworks

• Online citations manager, allows you to save citation information and generate bibliographies.
• No need to install, works from your web-browser.
• Available free to U of T Students

Qualitative Data Analysis

Weft QDA

• QDA software allowing you to code documents in .pdf or .txt format.
• Poor support for PDF formatting
• Open source (You can get it for free without stealing it; note that development has halted on this product).
• Windows, Linux (requires compilation)

TAMS Analyzer

• QDA software
• Text, PDF, and image support
• Built-in transcription software
• Open Source
• Mac, Linux

NVivo

• Professional QDA Software allowing you to code documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, audio, video and pictures.
• Not free (reduced price for students)
• Windows, Mac (via Bootcamp or a VM)