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Essential Academic Resources & Tools

Databases, search strategies, reference managers, note systems, writing & grammar aids, data analysis, and collaboration curated for students and researchers.

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Find. Organise. Write. Publish.

Use this toolbox to speed up literature discovery, organise notes and references, draft clean prose, analyse data, and collaborate effectively aligned to academic standards.

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Databases Reference Managers Writing & Grammar Data & Viz Collaboration

Databases & Search

Where to Search
  • Scopus / Web of Science (broad discovery)
  • PubMed, IEEE Xplore, PsycINFO, ERIC (discipline)
  • Google Scholar (quick scan, cited-by)
Search Techniques
  • Boolean (AND/OR/NOT), phrase “ ”, truncation *
  • Subject headings (e.g., MeSH) + keywords
  • Backward/forward citation chasing

Reference Managers

Core Features
  • Cite-while-you-write plugins
  • PDF highlights & notes sync
  • Shared libraries for teams
Popular Options
  • Zotero (free, versatile)
  • Mendeley (PDF management)
  • EndNote (power user features)

Notes & Reading

Systems
  • Zettelkasten / literature notes
  • Topic maps & concept links
  • Reading matrix (summary → gap)
Apps
  • Obsidian / Notion for knowledge bases
  • OneNote / Evernote for quick notes
  • PDF readers: Zotero, Mendeley

Writing & Grammar

Drafting
  • Word / Google Docs for collaboration
  • LaTeX (Overleaf) for tech fields
  • Templates: thesis/journal styles
Quality Checks
  • Grammar/style checkers
  • Plagiarism awareness & citation checks
  • Readability & consistency passes

Data, Statistics & Visualisation

Analysis Software
  • R / Python, SPSS / STATA / SAS
  • MATLAB / EViews (time series)
  • NVivo / ATLAS.ti (qualitative)
Visualisation
  • ggplot2 / matplotlib / seaborn
  • Tableau / Power BI
  • Diagram tools: draw.io, Mermaid

Collaboration & Project Management

Project Flow
  • Kanban boards (Notion/Trello)
  • Version control (Git/GitHub)
  • Meeting notes & decisions log
Sharing & Backups
  • Cloud storage (Drive/OneDrive)
  • Folder naming conventions
  • Automated backups & snapshots
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Quick Checklists

Starter Stack (Solo)
  • Google Scholar + 1 discipline DB
  • Zotero + browser connector
  • Obsidian/Notion for literature notes
  • Docs + Drive for drafting & backup
Team Stack (Lab/Group)
  • Scopus/Web of Science for coverage
  • Shared Zotero/EndNote library
  • Kanban board + meeting notes
  • Git for code + structured storage
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Frequently Asked Questions

STEM often uses Scopus/Web of Science and discipline DBs (e.g., PubMed, IEEE Xplore). Social sciences use Scopus, PsycINFO, ERIC; humanities may rely on JSTOR/Project MUSE. Use at least one broad and one specialist index.

Great for quick discovery, but results can be noisy. Pair it with a curated database and track your exact search strings/dates for transparency.

Zotero is an excellent default (free, extensible). EndNote suits power users; Mendeley is convenient for PDF handling. Choose based on collaboration and word processor needs.

Use literature notes with consistent templates (citation, summary, key findings, critique, tags). Link notes by theme to build outlines quickly.

Use institutional tools if available. More important is correct citation and genuine paraphrasing. Always follow your university’s policies.

Pick tools with solid offline modes (Zotero, Obsidian, Overleaf’s local compilers) and enable background sync when online. Keep backups.

Maintain a theme/style file (fonts, colours, sizes). Reuse plotting scripts and build a “figure cookbook” with code snippets and examples.

Use shared Docs for comments or Overleaf for LaTeX. Track changes, assign sections in a Kanban, and set decision logs after meetings.

R excels in statistical packages and reporting (R Markdown/Quarto); Python is versatile for data science and automation. Pick what your lab or course supports.

Yes we configure your manager, note system, templates, and collaboration workflow, plus brief training for your team.