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)