research and writing tools for ubuntu

Academic Writing Tools on GNU/Linux - Free Software Only

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LibreOffice

Gimp and g'mic, fcitx and mozc, simple scan, orca and magnifier, specific tools.

GNU Octave : equal to MATLAB , a mathematical simulator. But if you need Simulink alternative, use Scilab .
GNU PSPP : equal to IBM SPSS , a statistical tool.
GNU R : equal to IBM S language, for statistical programming.
GNU Health : a medical and hospital information system tool.
FreeGLUT : library to help you create (implement) OpenGL-based graphical programs e.g. video game or computer graphic projects.
QGIS : equal to ArcGIS , a geographical information system.
gEDA and KiCAD : equal to Multisim and EAGLE , a set of electronics design and simulation tools. See excellent example in real-life by Purism Librem project.
GNU Parallel : a parallel processing tool. See amazing example in huge data processing (25TB) here .
Mesa 3D : the free software OpenGL implementation on GNU/Linux.
GNS3 : equal to Cisco Packet Tracer, a computer network simulation tool.
Wireshark : wiretapper tool to analyze how computer network works.
https://linuxrig.com/tag/linux-academics
https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-0500-4-434
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3091616
https://opensource.com/article/20/1/teach-physics-open-source
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266883914_Open_source_software_in_teaching_physics_A_case_study_on_vector_algebra_and_visual_representations
GNU Parallel https://www.biostars.org/p/63816
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OCR
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenGL_Programming

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12 Open Source Tools for Writers

The open-source community produces a large amount of software for different uses. Writers are no exception here. Let me highlight some of the best open-source tools to help authors be creative and productive.

Why Open-Source tools for Writers?

When we think of the software we use to write, most people think of programs written by big corporations, like Microsoft Word or Scrivener . These programs cost money and are built by large teams of programmers.

However, these companies and products could disappear and be unavailable at any time , leaving you stranded in between your work.

Moreover, the commercial/proprietary tools may have many features you do not need . Not to forget, they could also introduce changes that you never wanted .

Open-source programs are a little different. The vast majority are free . The code used to create them is freely available and provides transparency with privacy practices. And, it is here to stay with the help of the community forks, even if the developer quits.

Furthermore, the open-source options may not include as much bloat as the proprietary options . And they respect the user preferences more than anyone else.

All things considered, using open-source software has plenty of benefits. So, let us take a look at some of the best open-source tools for writers.

Bibisco is an application designed to help you write stories, mainly novels , and where it shines is in character creation.

Bibisco asks you a series of questions about each character in your story. The questions help you create a solid idea of what your character looks like, their motives, and their background. It also has a place to store images that help you create a mental picture of your characters.

It also comes with an interesting analysis feature that allows you to see at a glance what characters and locations appeared in different chapters. Likewise, it includes a decent looking text editor that has basic formatting features.

Bibisco is released under GPL. It is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac . You can explore more about it on its official website or GitHub page .

2. LanguageTool

Are text editors enough to help you get a flawless writing experience?

If you want to avoid silly errors and make sure that your writing is as perfect as possible, you might want to try LanguageTool .

It is an open-source spell and grammar checker that can also work offline. It provides you with browser extensions, and add-ons for popular apps like Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, etc., and you also get a desktop app if needed.

You can refer to our LanguageTool review if you are keen on exploring more about it.

5. STARC (KIT Scenarist Successor)

a screenshot of the starc screenwriting software

If you’re into screenwriting (or scriptwriting), KIT Scenarist used to be the full-fledged solution for casual and professional use that one could opt for.

However, KIT Scenarist has since been replaced by STARC , short for “Story Architect”.

STARC offers many features that include the ability to create/manage cards , get statistics about your project , and organize all your research materials to comfortably work on your script with an easy-to-use GUI (Graphical User Interface).

It is distributed under the “ Open Core ” model, with some parts of the source code being closed and distributed under a commercial license.

6. ghostwriter

Ghostwriter is a personal favorite of mine. (I used to do all my writing in it). The project is now under KDE's umbrella. So, it can be an exciting option to use.

This application allows you to use the Markdown language to create documents. It is a distraction-free markdown editor by design. It can export to HTML , Word , ODT , PDF , EPUB , and more.

One nice feature that I like is that it will convert headings to chapters if you export to EPUB. It also provides different light and dark themes to help you get comfortable writing or editing.

Ghostwriter is licensed under GPL v3. It can run on Linux and Windows.

Scribus is a free and open-source desktop publishing application. While it’s not designed to help you write the next big novel, you can use Scribus for the layout or work on publishing a print-ready magazine .

It has support for powerful vector drawing tools , a huge number of file types via import/export filters, emulation of color blindness , and the rendering of markup languages like LaTeX or Lilypond .

Scribus can run on a wide variety of systems such as Linux , FreeBSD , PC-BSD , NetBSD , OpenBSD , Solaris , Windows and more. It is released under GPL.

8. Markdown

Markdown is more than a tool, it is a formatting syntax . This means that you can write your stories in a plain text editor and then convert it to any document format, or use it to convert text to HTML.

This is great because it prevents you from being locked into one program or file format only to see it die. To use Markdown, you typically need to use a text editor that supports Markdown.

You may refer to our list of the best Markdown editors for a head start.

Ghostwriter, as mentioned above, is one such useful editor for it. Markdown is released under a custom license .

9. AsciiDoc

AsciiDoc is yet another document formatting syntax. AsciiDoc has support for several options, such as footnotes, tables, cross-references, embedded YouTube videos, and more.

It can be used to create notes, documentation, articles, books, e-books, slideshows, web pages, man pages, and blogs.

AsciiDoc files can be converted to HTML , PDF , EPUB , and man pages . It is released under GPL v2.

AsciiDocFX is a useful editor that supports AsciiDoc. In either case, you might refer to one of our existing guides on getting started with AsciiDoc .

10. Manuskript

Manuskript is another novel creation tool . This application focuses on outlining, and by looking at the detailed outline tool, you can see each chapter's stage and the characters involved. You can also easily rearrange chapters. It uses the snowflake method to help you build your novel.

Manuskript includes a frequency analyzer to see which words or phrases you repeat and how often. It also includes a distraction-free writing mode and is released under GPL v3.

Even though it has been in development for a while, it is still in its early stages. So, you can expect a few hiccups your way. It worked fine in my case, but you should keep that in mind and go through its GitHub page if needed.

It is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac .

LaTeX is a human-readable document preparation system. While this system was created for scientific papers, it can be used to create beautifully formatted books .

You use a series of markup cues to set the structure of your document and also add citations and cross-references. The end product can be converted into several file formats.

There are many LaTeX editors for Linux and other platforms that you can use. Just to test LaTeX, I suggest you give Lyx a spin.

LaTeX is released under the LaTeX Project Public License .

12. novelWriter

novelWriter is a markdown-like text editor specially crafted to help you write novels and work with larger projects.

You get a wide range of features to organize what you write, export them, use focus mode, enable dark theme, and many other useful things.

It supports Linux, Windows, and macOS. To explore more, head over to its GitHub page .

Honorable Mentions that have been Discontinued

Continue the discussion.

If you’re curious, you should also read how to create ebooks in Linux with Calibre .

💬 Have you ever used one of the tools on this list? What is your favorite open-source tool as a writer? Please let us know in the comments below.

Also, if you found this article interesting, please take a minute to share it with fellow writers and authors!

John Paul Wohlscheid

My name is John Paul Wohlscheid. I'm an aspiring mystery writer who loves to play with technology, especially Linux. You can catch up with me at: http://johnpaulwohlscheid.work/

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Essential software tools for the working scientist

The scientist's linux toolbox.

© Lead Image © KrishnaKumar Sivaraman, 123RF

Linux and science are a natural fit. These are a handful of essential software packages both for getting work done and presenting it to others.

Although Linux still occupies a small niche on the desktop among the population at large, it is much more popular among scientists from all disciplines.

It's tempting to say that's just because scientists are smart! But it's easy for me to understand Linux's appeal for scientists when I remember the problems caused by the use of proprietary operating systems (OSs and software in labs where I've worked).

For one particular piece of software, we had a site license that only permitted a certain number of people to use the program at a time. It would actually spy on the network and count up how many instances of the program were running. If I needed to run it and it refused, I had to run around the lab to find out if someone had just forgotten to exit the program.

People couldn't read each other's documents if they were made with the wrong version of Word. Programs would stop working after upgrading the OS, and, if they had been abandoned, you were out of luck without the source. Standard open source tools might not compile, because the OS vendor included outdated or even misnamed versions of standard libraries (Apple was notorious for this). Customizing the desktop was difficult and options were limited.

This is just the tip of the closed-source computing iceberg. When I was able to switch entirely to Linux, all these problems disappeared. I've been doing my work exclusively with Linux for years and could not imagine going back to the hostile world of proprietary software.

Another reason for the relative popularity of Linux among some scientists is that it is the OS of choice for such things as wiring together supercomputing clusters. There is a certain convenience in having a consistent environment shared between the remote compute resource and the box on your desk.

In the rest of this article, I survey some widely used free software. Except for some of the more specialized packages nearer the end of the article, I use all of this software myself and recommend it to the scientist switching to Linux who wants to get started with a set of powerful and reliable tools. (For those switching to Linux, see also the "Which Distribution?" box.)

Which Distribution?

All the software described here will work on any Linux distribution, so your best strategy is simply to use the distribution that is known to work well on your hardware. Since, as a scientist, you will probably wind up doing some serious calculations, you don't want to waste memory or cycles on inessentials. Because you will generally be working from the command line, regardless of your distribution, you should consider uninstalling or disabling any heavy desktop environment and replacing it with a lightweight window manager such as dwm [1] .

Every piece of software I mention in this article is free and open source. All are available for Linux, most can also run on other free OSs, and some will even work on Apple and Windows machines.

Writing Papers

A scientist in any field will be writing papers, so this section is the most widely applicable. I recommend two nearly indispensable software packages.

The first is the TeX Live [2] distribution of LaTeX. This is a huge package that will install everything you need to typeset any kind of document, including a complete set of fonts, all the engines based on TeX (LuaTeX, pdfTeX, XeTeX, etc.), software for drawing diagrams, and much more. Do not install this from your distribution's package manager, because it will almost certainly be out of date.

It takes some time and effort to learn how to use TeX, but, especially if you are in a field where your papers will contain a lot of equations, it is really the only choice. Many journals accept TeX source, and some have their own templates that they require you to use. A convenient side effect is that you can use the same source to create a beautiful preprint.

Even if your papers never contain math, the LaTeX system is still a major convenience for the academic, because it handles references automatically, and it can generate bibliographies in any format.

The typical usage of the TeX system is to edit your source in the editor of your choice, embed the TeX markup, and process it through one of the engines (the modern choices are either LuaTeX or XeTeX) to create a PDF. However, you won't do it this way, because you will also install the second indispensable package: pandoc [3] .

Pandoc is a "Swiss army knife" document conversion program. You write your papers in an extended version of Markdown, an intuitive markup that resembles the way people normally add emphasis and so on to text documents such as emails (i.e., *italic* ). Pandoc can convert this markup to many formats, including HTML, as well as document formats such as ODT, DOCX, and TEX, which you can run through XeTeX or another TeX engine to produce a PDF. To include math or other elements that Markdown can't handle, just do it, and pandoc will know how to handle it. Pandoc is extremely useful for the working scientist, because some publications require a format other than TEX, and because it allows you to write one source for your paper and automatically create versions for preprints, the web, presentation slides, and more. Pandoc is also extensible [4] with user filters.

Figure 1 is a screenshot from my laptop showing this article as I write it in the Vim editor, on the left. On the right are three transformations of the article: as a PDF, processed through pandoc to XeTeX (top); the HTML version, directly from pandoc and rendered in a web browser (middle); and an ODT file, again directly from pandoc, viewed in LibreOffice (bottom). I'll include an equation to make it interesting (I am not including the part of the article with the command to include the screenshot, to avoid the creation of a spacetime singularity):

Making Graphs and Diagrams

There are many choices here; what you install and learn to use will be determined partly by your specialty. If you are a mathematician whose papers are full of things like commutative diagrams, you already have the best software for those purposes, because it comes with TeX Live: Learning how to use the TikZ drawing language, in which you can directly embed drawing instructions into the source for your paper, will be invaluable.

Many popular programming languages come with their own plotting systems, and using those may be a good choice if you are sure that you will always use the same language. However, if you want a portable solution that runs anywhere and is fast and stable when dealing with enormous datasets, consider gnuplot [5] . You will find a fairly recent version in your distribution's package manager, but for the very latest features, download and compile the source.

Gnuplot is an early open source program that predates Linux, but it is still actively developed, with new features [6] appearing regularly. It is the best choice for creating automated graphing pipelines that can work with simulations or data from any programming language or source. Gnuplot excels at automation because it is controlled through text scripts rather than with a GUI. It can create any type of output: PNG, SVG, dumb terminal, sixel, and many more, plus minimally interactive graphs for the web or using Qt, X11, and other GUI toolkits.

Gnuplot can create any type of visualization that a scientist might need, and the output is customizable to the last detail. Figure 2 is a screenshot from my laptop, showing a script in my editor on the left and the resulting graphs on the right.

Linux has well-established, state-of-the-art compilers for C and Fortran: GCC and GFortran, respectively. The are both available in all package repositories. GCC is used to compile much system software, including the Linux kernel itself. GFortran is a capable compiler for Fortran simulation code and able to parallelize array expressions. For Fortran, there are many commercial compilers available as well and a surprising newcomer: the open source LFortran [7] compiler, which is based on LLVM and provides the user with an interactive REPL.

If you are involved with legacy simulation code, there is a good chance that you will find yourself using one of these tools. But if you are beginning a new project, my advice is to use neither C nor Fortran, but to head straight to the Julia website [8] and download this free, open source language for technical computing.

I wrote an article [9] about Julia about two years ago, introducing the syntax and use of the language. Since then, interest in this relatively new language has exploded among computational scientists in every field. This is due not only to its speed and ease of development, but to the ease [10] with which a scientist can mix and match different libraries to create new functionalities.

Up to here, I've treated subjects of general interest to most scientists. I'd like to turn now to a brief rundown of some software that is specific to several fields. There isn't space to survey the vast landscape of science, of course. But even if your field is not one of these few, this may give you an idea of the range and character of Linux tools focused on particular disciplines.

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Top Linux tools for writers

Opensource.com

If you've read my article about how I switched to Linux , then you know that I’m a superuser. I also stated that I’m not an “expert” on anything. That’s still fair to say. But I have learned many helpful things over the last several years, and I'd like to pass these tips along to other new Linux users.

Today, I’m going to discuss the tools I use when I write. I based my choices on three criteria:

My main writing tool must be compatible for any publisher when I submit stories or articles.
The software must be quick and simple to use.
Free is good.

There are some wonderful all-in-one free solutions, such as:

However, I tend to get lost and lose my train of thought when I'm trying to find information, so I opted to go with multiple applications that suit my needs. Also, I don’t want to be reliant on the internet in case service goes down. I set these programs up on my monitor so I can see them all at once.

Consider the following tools suggestions—everyone works differently, and you might find some other app that better fits the way you work. These tools are current to this writing:

Word processor

LibreOffice 6.0.1 . Until recently, I used WPS , but font-rendering problems (Times New Roman was always in bold format) nixed it. The newest version of LibreOffice adapts to Microsoft Office very nicely, and the fact that it's open source ticks the box for me.

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Artha gives you synonyms, antonyms, derivatives, and more. It’s clean-looking and fast. Type the word "fast," for example, and you'll get the dictionary definition as well as the other options listed above. Artha is a huge gift to the open source community, and more people should try it as it seems to be one of those obscure little programs. If you’re using Linux, install this application now. You won’t regret it.

Note-taking

Zim touts itself as a desktop wiki, but it’s also the easiest multi-level note-taking app you’ll find anywhere. There are other, prettier note-taking programs available, but Zim is exactly what I need to manage my characters, locations, plots, and sub-plots.

Submission tracking

I once used a proprietary piece of software called FileMaker Pro , and it spoiled me. There are plenty of database applications out there, but in my opinion the easiest one to use is Glom . It suits my needs graphically, letting me enter information in a form rather than a table. In Glom, you create the form you need so you can see relevant information instantly (for me, digging through a spreadsheet table to find information is like dragging my eyeballs over shards of glass). Although Glom no longer appears to be in development, it remains relevant.

I’ve begun using StartPage.com as my default search engine. Sure, Google can be one of your best friends when you're writing. But I don't like how Google tracks me every time I want to learn about a specific person/place/thing. So I use StartPage.com instead; it's fast and does not track your searches. I also use DuckDuckGo.com as an alternative to Google.

Other tools

Chromium Browser is an open source version of Google Chrome , with privacy plugins.

Though Thunderbird , from Mozilla , is a great program, I find Geary a much quicker and lighter email app. For more on open source email apps, read Jason Baker 's excellent article, Top 6 open source desktop email clients .

As you might have noticed, my taste in apps tends to merge the best of Windows, MacOS, and the open source Linux alternatives mentioned here. I hope these suggestions help you discover helpful new ways to compose (thank you, Artha!) and track your written works.

Happy writing!

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19 Academic Writing Tools (that are completely free!)

A selection of tools for academic writing – from collaborating, time-tracking and project management to finding the perfect phrase or translation. We are continuously updating this list (latest update: April 2023).

I often get asked about my favourite academic writing tools. That’s why I compiled this scientific tools list for you with 19 great tools to support your academic writing. You can use all these scientific research tools for free and some of them have paid versions with additional features.

Just one word of caution: Exploring new academic writing tools can be a time-suck and distract you from getting your actual writing done. If you are one of those people who spend hours signing up for new software for academic writing and getting it set up, only to abandon the tool a few days or weeks later – then be careful reading this scientific tools list, and don’t get overenthusiastic. 😉

By the way, I don’t have any affiliation with any of the academic writing tools listed below, and none of these are affiliated links.

Here, we go, 19 tools for academic writing and scientific research I recommend in no particular order:

ACADEMIC Writing tools

1. writefull.

This proof-reading tool for scientific texts is powered by AI and big data. You can integrate the Writefull app into Word or Overleaf for free. A reader of the blog brought my attention to this tool (thank you so much!) and I’ve only recently started using it, so I can’t give you a full-blown review just yet but so far the results are promising. Writefull is owned by Digital Science, a company that has released several Open Science apps, such as figshare, Overleaf and Altmetric.

2. Phrasebank

Created by Dr John Morley from “The University Language Center” of Manchester University, the Phrasebank is a database of common phrases used in papers, dissertations and grant proposals – a real goldmine!

The phrases are organised both by the common sections in a paper such as the Introduction, Methods, Results or Discussion section. For example, in the tab for the Introduction section, one can find entries for “establishing the importance of the topic for the world or society” or “identifying a knowledge gap in the field of study”. If you click on the latter, you can find among others the following suggested phrases: “It is still unclear whether…”, “However, the behaviour of X has not yet been investigated” and “Causal factors leading to X remain speculative”.

You can also look for phrases by choosing a general language function. Some of the choices are “being cautious”, “describing trends”, “signalling transition”.

The Phrasebank is very useful to get inspiration for new wording but I do not endorse all entries. Sometimes you find language that is a bit clunky or overly complicated so do use your own judgement when you browse this academic writing tool. PS: You can also download the Academic Phrasebank as PDF or Kindle file.

3. Thesaurus.com

If you’re looking for synonyms, thesaurus.com is the best online thesaurus I’ve found so far. It divides the synonyms based on different meanings of the word and indicates the relevance of the synonym by using three shades of orange.

Just one word of caution: Don’t fall into the trap of using too many synonyms in your academic writing. Being precise is so much more important than varying the words you are using in your writing. In particular for field-specific terminology, I advise against using synonyms .

This is a hot tip for researchers who need to transcribe interviews (hello, social scientists!), who like to record research ideas or those who like to write by dictating text into their phone. Otter is an AI-based transcription tool that works for English language recordings. The quality of the transcriptions is comparable to other transcription services using AI, meaning they are often not accurate and can give nonsensical, even comical results — especially when the recorded voice has a strong or unusual accent. Still, the automated and quick transcriptions (real time transcriptions are available too!) can be a good starting point and are a huge time saver. What’s cool about Otter compared to its competitors is that they give you 300 minutes of transcriptions per month for free!

There are many online dictionaries but Linguee is my favourite for academic writing. It suggests a translation on the basis of previous translations published on the internet. Therefore, this dictionary is especially great if you’re looking to not only translate a word but a certain turn of phrase or idiom. Linguee translates to and from English in over 20 languages. An essential academic writing tool for all non-native English speakers!

ACADEMIC WRITING TOOLS FOR Collaboration AND CO-WRITING

6. authorea.

The magazine “ TechCrunch ” describes Authorea as “a Google Docs for scientists”. On the academic writing platform, you can write, edit, and insert citations, figures and data. And it’s great for collaborative writing: Co-authors can access the same text at the same time, track the changes they made, insert comments and even live-chat during writing sessions. Documents can be imported from LaTeX and Word and exported as LaTeX, Word and PDF documents. You can also submit your article as a bioRxiv preprint straight from the Authorea platform. This software for academic writing is free for up to ten documents with limited sharing options.

7. Overleaf

Overleaf is to LaTeX users, what Authorea (see tool #6) is to Word users: an online editor that allows you to access and collaborate on your writing projects from anywhere. You can, for example, invite others to comment on your work. Overleaf offers some other neat collaborative writing features, such as a track-changes function, but – unfortunately – only on the paid plan. LaTeX may seem a bit intimidating at first but you actually get the hang of it quite fast (and feel like a coder 😎). Also, in my experience, you save a lot of time formatting your text (and feel smug about it when you talk to Word users 😁).

Slack is a chat tool that you can use in your lab or with your collaborators. Used in the right way, it allows you to save time by cutting down on emails and create a group atmosphere even if the members are not working in the same location. You can easily add files to the chats and create different channels for subgroups or certain topics. There also exist virtual communities on Slack you can join, such as the New PI Slack community for Assistant professors around the world.

Loom is a great scientific research tool when you want to share a quick video with a colleague, student or collaborator. This could be a recorded presentation or lecture, your comments on the paper of a co-author, or a tutorial on using a piece of software. You can record your screen, camera and microphone. The neat thing is that after you’re done recording, Loom auto-generates a link you can share.

Academic writing tools for Productivity and project management

Toggl is a time-tracking app that you can install on your phone and computer. There’s only one way of knowing how long certain writing tasks typically take you, and that is by tracking the time they took you to complete . Time-tracking has another great advantage: You can identify time-sucks in your day. And these may be less obvious than you think.

I like to use Toggl for time-tracking because it’s quick to use and integrates with various other scientific research tools I am using. You just need to click the big red power button to start or stop a recording and assign tracked times to different projects. This scientific research tool has paid plans but for most people the free basic plan will be sufficient.

Are you easily tempted to check your phone when you really should be writing? This app called Forest may be just right for you then. Once installed on your phone, you can start planting a virtual tree whenever you want to focus. It grows from a little plant to a full-grown tree. When you pick up your phone and leave the app, the tree dies. This way, you can build your forest representing the time you have spent on focused work (or quality time with your family and friends…). I’m not using Forest myself, but I’ve heard that it works really as an academic writing tool well for some people. Give it a go!

12. Focusmate

As Forest (see tool #11), Focusmate is an app to help you stay focused. Instead of gamification, the concept of Focusmate is based on social accountability. Here is how it works: You schedule a 50-minute virtual co-writing session with another Focusmate member, turn on your webcam when your session starts, greet your temporary co-worker and then get to work silently.

Even though being filmed while working is a little strange in the beginning, co-writing sessions work really well for a lot of researchers. This is why we offer co-writing sessions as part of our academic writing program, the Researchers’ Writing Academy, as well.

13. Cold Turkey

If Forest (tool #11) or Focusmate (#12) don’t get you to focus on your writing, you may need to go Cold Turkey . This software for academic writing blocks any other application and turns your computer into a typewriter. You can choose whether you want Cold Turkey to prevent you from digital distractions for a certain amount of time or until you’ve hit a certain word count. With the paid version, you can even access integrated productivity soundtracks and text formatting.

Free writing training by the author of the blog post about free writing tools

Not an app exactly, but free as well: Click the orange button below to have me walk you through my step-by-step system to write clear & concise papers for your target journals in a timely manner . This free academic writing training is perfect for you if you’re reading this blog post because you are procrastinating on writing your paper.

Trello is an excellent project management tool for your academic writing, which you can use for managing each of your writing projects, for creating a publication pipeline and as a daily and weekly to-do list. Trello is a great introduction into project management because it’s a lot easier to learn and use than most other project management software. For each project called a “Board”, you can create different “lists”, which are vertical collection of “cards”, which you can move between lists. You can add due dates, checklist lists, links, files and text to each card. To work collaboratively, you can leave comments on cards and assign them to members on your team. You can also use Trello as a brainstorming tool, using the cards just as you would use post-it notes.

Members of my online course, the Researchers’ Writing Academy , get access to Trello templates I created to easily manage their publication pipeline, the writing process for each of their scientific papers and all of their other daily, weekly and monthly tasks and projects.

15. Todoist

Todoist is an alternative to Trello (see tool #16) or can be used in addition. It’s an online to-do list organiser and project management tool that comes as an app and browser version. You can organise your tasks in projects and schedule them for a certain day. This academic writing tool shows you today’s tasks as well as those for the next seven days. It also tracks your productivity, i.e. how many tasks you have completed.

academic writing Tools for finding and reading the literature

Feedly is a neat RSS feed manager that helps you stay up to date with the scientific literature. Instead of getting email alerts from journals (because who wants to get more emails…) you can view and organise the literature you are interested in by following journals’ RSS feeds. You can not only use this for scientific literature but also subscribe to blogs, for example the one you’re reading right now, by simply putting the URL in the Feedly search: https://annaclemens.com/blog .

Are you a mindmapper? Then you need Xmind , a free mindmapping and brain-storming tool. It’s intuitive, looks good and does exactly what you want a mindmapping tool to do. The free version allows for embedding of hyperlinks, images, attachments, so you can really use it however you like! That’s all I can really say about it as I’m not using mindmapping myself. But I know scientists who swear by it!

18. Audemic

Audio formats have become so popular (I’m a big podcast lover myself!) so it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that there now is an audio tool available for the scientific literature too: Audemic . This tool — completely free to use for individual researchers — creates summaries for you (that go beyond the abstract), lets you skip sections, highlight text and take notes while listening.

There are a few reference managers for your academic writing to choose from, some of which cost money. Zotero is free, open-source and doesn’t lack in functionality. You can easily save references from your browser, organise them in folders and with tags and create bibliographies with the right style. You can also create a citation library with your co-authors or share your library with others.

That’s it: 19 academic writing apps and scientific research tools to support your writing for free! However, the best academic writing software won’t make you more productive if you don’t rely on a streamlined writing process and if you aren’t using your writing sessions effectively. If you want to get your hands on a template to write scientific papers in a systematic fashion, sign up for this 1-hour writing training now. It’s free too!

Free writing training that goes beyond writing tools

Photography by Alice Dix

SUDOBITS Blog

Free Softwares, Linux, Ubuntu, Web Development

5 Best writing software for Ubuntu / Linux

Everything you need for writing was already included in your computer’s Operating System, right? On most Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, you’ll find some text editor installed by default. On Windows, you even have options – between both Notepad and Wordpad! Hurrah! Life is good!

Well, sorry to be the pessimist in the room, but it could be better.

Theoretically, text editing is a simple affair: you press keys on the keyboard, and characters appear on the screen. Extra options in the editors allow you to style parts of your text differently, bold, italicize them, use different fonts, etc. Practically, though, that’s merely fundamental functionality. When dealing with text, the possibilities are vast. In fact, the tools dealing with the process are even split into sub-genres.

That’s why, for this list, I decided to look at all aspects of writing and present you with a spherical selection of tools. I believe my choices cover all bases, no matter what type of writing hat you’re wearing. Still, I’ve also included a secondary list of other tools you should check. They might be a better match for your needs, wants, and demands.

I should also note that although I’m using those solutions on Ubuntu, all of them are also available on other operating systems. So, you could use them even if you’re on Windows or Mac OS.

Choose Your Weapon

I believe the following five choices are the very first apps you should look into if you’re serious about your writing. I must stress that they might not be the best for everyone, but most people will find what they want for all their word-crafting needs in one of them.

LibreOffice Writer

https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/writer/

Back in the Dark Ages of computing, OpenOffice provided to the world of Open Source and Linux a worthy alternative to Microsoft’s Office. Since then, its path split, and now the most popular version of Linux’s prominent office suite is known as LibreOffice. As a full office suite, it comes with spreadsheet, database, and presentation solutions, but Writer was always its main protagonist.

An equivalent to Microsoft’s Word, Writer is a word processor with which many CVs, blog posts, and ebooks have been written. It’s an ultra-versatile solution that provides a comprehensive set of tools to the writer. Tools that can assist in every stage of the writing process, from initial draft to published “final.”

LibreOffice Writer is primarily focused on the writing part, providing everything needed to put words on digital paper. A spellchecker and thesaurus combo can eliminate typos and impress the world with your rich vocabulary. Templates and support for AutoCorrect and predictive text can optimize the actual typing process.

As every self-respecting word processing application, LibreOffice Writer allows you to style your text using bold, italics, headers, lists, etc. It can also create indexes and tables and supports hyperlinks and images.

However, Writer can also work as a basic DTP application if all you want is to produce a relatively simple leaflet or a mini ebook. You can use LibreOffice Writer to set up text frames in a document’s pages, controlling how text flows. You can insert existing graphics or use Writer’s drawing tool to create some from scratch. When you’re done, you can export your masterpiece to multiple, widespread formats, from RTF to PDF.

What LibreOffice Writer lacks compared to many alternatives is a snazzy modern interface and some “smart” features which can make other word processors more enticing. Features like AI-assisted predictive text, as found in Google Docs and Microsoft’s free online Word app, or the ability to visually rearrange parts of a large document, like in Scrivener and Manuskript.

Plume Creator

https://sourceforge.net/projects/plume-creator/

Designed for novelists, Plume Creator is a multi-talented tool that doesn’t deal only with the writing process itself. It enriches the writing experience by offering useful tools with which you can control the grand narrative. Functions you can use to organize, edit, and improve your work through constant planning and iterations.

At its heart, you’ll find a rich text editor with all the features you’d expect from a typical word processing app. Plume Creator respects how a writer might prefer being left alone with their words and offers a distraction-free fullscreen writing mode. When used purely for writing, it’s no different from any other similar app. It’s before and after the writing process that Plume Creator shows its teeth.

As with apps like Scrivener and Manuskript, Plume Creator enables you to define characters, chapters, and scenes, apart from an outline of your story. And you can also jot down notes. All this extra “data” can assist with continuity and help you stay on track and tell the story you originally envisioned.

Plume Creator allows you to see your novel’s structure with different visualizations, from a linear presentation to a spreadsheet outliner. The different viewpoints can help you pinpoint where you might need to apply tweaks to improve the story’s flow.

Unfortunately, the problem with the much-promising Plume Creator is that it’s stuck at the “much-promising” stage for close to five years now. It feels like it has stopped evolving, and alternatives like Manuskript have caught up with it. Still, it’s worth checking out, for you might prefer its interface and more extensive word counts.

http://www.theologeek.ch/manuskript/

Manuskript is designed primarily for working with longer documents, split into multiple chapters and scenes. “Documents” like books and plays. However, I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret of mine: I’ve been using it to write blog posts and articles instead. That’s because Manuskript offers something I haven’t found in any other alternative: combined support for multiple word targets and color-coding of my progress. If that sounded a bit alien, allow me to explain.

Like Plume Creator and Scrivener, Manuskript is designed from the get-go as a multi-tool for novel writers. Like those apps, it allows you to jot down descriptions about every character and place in your story, flesh-out its world, and create a rich universe. Who knows, you might need to refer to those entries after you meet huge success and Hollywood demands you write six more sequels.

You can then create an outline for your novel and flesh-out scenes and chapters. You are also free to move those around to “remix” your story – useful when you realize you revealed “who did it” in the prologue. Finally, you can either work on each part to assemble your story piece-by-piece or on everything at once. As expected, you can also do “this writing thing” in a distraction-free mode, as is the norm nowadays.

I’m using it for shorter articles because it helps me keep myself in check when I have to deal with specific word counts. Creating an article structure from the very beginning, with clear word targets – no matter how small, helped me stop writing more than I should. Or, rather, much more, for this article was also supposed to stay under the 2K words mark.

FocusWriter

https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/

There are two distinct approaches as far as the interface of writing-related applications goes. One school of thought prefers having everything and the kitchen sink on the screen—a plethora of options a mere fifty pixels away from their copy. Then, there are the fans of a typewriter’s simplicity, a clean desktop, and zen habits, who believe all those extras are useless fluff. They prefer a clean editing environment without distractions, leaving them alone with their words.

FocusWriter sits smack in the middle, walking the fine line between both approaches.

It achieves this by hiding its interface while you’re writing, working as a proper distraction-free editor. The interface re-appears when the cursor touches the edges of the screen.

Thanks to this dual approach, using FocusWriter feels as if you’re switching between the writer and the editor’s roles. Everyone who writes already does that, anyway. Still, with FocusWriter, the distinction between the two functions is even more apparent thanks to each having its dedicated interface. Or, rather, one of them lacking an interface altogether.

FocusWriter supports the popular TXT, RTF, and ODT file formats. To enhance the writing experience, it comes with different visual themes and optional typewriter sound effects. It supports spell-checking and can present statistics about your progress.

Since many writers tend to be disorganized and somewhat chaotic, FocusWriter stays true to its name by including support for daily goals, timers, and alarms. Setting your mind to dedicate the next X minutes to writing while working towards a goal can boost your productivity and help you stay focused.

If it weren’t for those features, I believe FocusWriter would be a somewhat unremarkable app. Thanks to those, though, it’s one of the best tools for every writer.

Obsidian.md

https://obsidian.md/

Some might argue that Obsidian isn’t a piece of software for writers, just like Google Keep and Evernote aren’t. I understand the point of view, but respectfully disagree, because really, what is writing?

Writing doesn’t have to happen in a word processor, nor a distraction-free environment. Some people prefer researching what they’ll write about, collecting bits and pieces of information. Then, they create relations between everything. They connect the dots like a detective in a crime drama, but instead of the final location on a map, they see their story taking shape. While writing, they continue referring to those snippets of info, jumping between different documents and, many times, tools. If this sounds like your writing process, you’ll love Obsidian.

On the surface, Obsidian’s a note-taking tool that supports Markdown for styling your notes. When diving deeper, you realize it’s a smartly designed application that allows you to build relations between different snippets of information. Then you can check out a graph of those relations to see new ones emerging.

On top of that, it’s got a fluid interface, unlike any other note-taking app. Thanks to this interface, you can open multiple notes in parallel and juggle them on the screen, changing their arrangement however you wish.

All the while, dozens of included or third-party plugins extend Obsidian’s functionality. Among them, you’ll find calendars, Pomodoro timers, automatic footnotes, and the list keeps expanding every day.

But yeah, it’s not an alternative to Word, if that’s what you’re seeking.

Not What You Expected?

As I said, there are many facets to writing and countless tools for every need. If the ones in my primary list aren’t what you’re seeking, maybe one of the following alternatives will do.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener

One of the most popular writing tools on the planet, and justifiably so, Scrivener was one of the first applications to offer a logical workflow for the whole process of writing a novel or scenario. Although you can dive right in and start writing, Scrivener is best for those who prefer planning ahead. For fiction, you’d want to set up characters, scenes, and bit by bit, start building the world where your novel will take place. For non-fiction, you’d probably keep and organize a massive number of notes and then try to make sense of them and create a logical structure for your work.

With Scrivener, you can do both and more. As it proclaims on its official site, it’s used by all kinds of writers, from students to screenwriters and from lawyers to translators. Unfortunately, I can’t go into all its details since I want this to be a blog post, not a book. The sole reason Scrivener isn’t among my top 5 selections is that it’s a commercial closed-source app in a world of free alternatives – like Manuskript.

https://bibisco.com/

Bibisco specializes in writing novels, too. It comes with a range of features that assist in the actual writing and the research and world-building process.

As with other tools specializing in novel writing, with bibisco, you can create entries for characters, locations, and objects, to refer to while writing. You can keep notes, create a structure for your novel, and set up narrative strands and settings.

Then, start writing, organizing your work in chapters and scenes, which you can analyze with integrated tools for length, character distribution, etc. Finally, export your masterpiece in PDF, DOCX, or EPUB format.

https://typora.io/

A favorite Markdown editor, Typora became ultra-popular thanks to its unique interface that others are still trying to clone. It pulled this off by combining the editor and preview panes of other editors into one so that you can see the results of markdown syntax styled in real-time.

In action, the current piece of text you’re working is presented as if in any other markdown editor, with all markdown syntax visible. At the same time, Typora renders everything else in the rest of the page as final output.

When your work is complete, you can save it in native markdown format or export it as a PDF. Alternatively, you can take advantage of Typora’s support of the open-source pandoc converter to gain access to other popular formats like DOCX.

Google Docs

https://docs.google.com

One word: voicetyping. OK, that was two words, and Google Docs can help with that, too. Google’s online, in-browser, better-in-Google’s-own-Chrome writing solution is far from perfect. Its interface somehow manages to feel both too complicated for a simple word processor and too limited where it shouldn’t be. It ends up like a weird Wordpad with advanced plugins tucked-on but hidden away.

Still, voice typing combined with its Artificial Intelligence-backed predictive text support, that can learn patterns from the way you write, make a killer combination. What’s better than dictating instead of writing, then choosing from smartly pre-selected words when doing final edits on your work?

https://www.grammarly.com/

Typos can make your writing look unprofessional – except if you’re doing it only for your journal. An editor can help you refine your writing and correct some of your typos, but the problem’s that editors cost money. Actually, so does Grammarly, but thankfully it also offers a free plan.

At its simplest, Grammarly is a spellchecker that can ensure your work is typo-free. As you use it, though, you realize why Grammarly is considered the best solution of its kind: it’s not merely an alternative to free options like GNU Aspell. With Grammarly, you can select from a group of goals, different voices, and intends. This way, you can ensure your writing not only is typo-free but also carries the message you want, the way you desire. Would you like to make your pottery tutorials sound friendlier and your CV more authoritative? Grammarly can check your text’s tone and suggest tweaks to find your authentic voice.

If you go for the Premium option, you’ll get more advanced checks, including for plagiarism. Grammarly also offers the option to have your work checked by a human editor. Although this carries an extra cost, it’s much cheaper than hiring an editor on your own. No matter your primary tool for writing, I’m pretty sure you’ll also add Grammarly to your arsenal – at least, the free option.

I believe that the programs I chose are the best in their field, and at least one of them will crawl its way into your list of favorite writing tools if it’s not already there. Still, there are even more options that many people swear by, which I skipped for the majority of users would bring out the pitchforks.

Yes, you can write a whole book with Vim or write your blog updates with Emacs. Nano is ultra-quick and produces generic TXT files that you can edit even on your smart fridge. Evernote is even more popular than Obsidian for managing and organizing notes if that’s how you’re going to use it.

Still, I regard those as even more specialized solutions. They might look too arcane and “geeky” to the average user. Or they might deal with “writing stuff” but not offer enough to stand out from their peers. The truth is that although I use them for other reasons, I don’t find them as useful as the programs in this list for my actual writing.

Are you using the same tools I do, or are you relying on other solutions for your writing needs, and which?

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11 Best Reference Manager and Bibliography Tools for Linux

The reference manager software aims to help research students and professionals with accurate and efficient citations. These tools can be used for one-time report work or long-term projects.

The reference manager tools can serve more than academic purposes, such as business presentations, reports, etc. These tools connect large teams through the cloud server and provide full access to many trusted articles and resources.

The users often get file storage and sharing along with various document-making tools inside the reference management tools. It allows the user to save the resources and find them later without any struggle. Before selecting the best reference manager tool, you must look for some pre-specific criteria, which are:

It must support various citation formats.
Should work on the various product materials such as journals, books, websites, etc.
Organize the resource information

Best Linux Reference Managers

As there are many Linux bibliography tools or reference managers available online, it can be difficult for users to choose the best one. That’s why I am here to provide an expert opinion and list the 11 best Linux reference manager tools. Let’s get started.

1. Mendeley

Mendeley is a popular reference manager for Linux, offering free storage space and the ability to create a group network. It comes with an inbuilt PDF viewer and is designed to help users gather and organize PDFs while citing them accurately in their writing.

Mendeley can generate citations and bibliographies in LaTeX , LibreOffice, and Microsoft Word. It also allows users to connect with colleagues, share notes, papers, and annotations, and capture webpages to create a record.

Get Mendeley

Zotero is an incredibly powerful software designed to help you easily manage all your references. It allows you to create bibliographies or references instantly for any text file, including Google Docs, LibreOffice, and Word.

With Zotero, you can format your projects according to the style of any publication or guide. The software is open source and designed to be publicly accessible.

It can run offline and as a web service on your device, making it incredibly convenient and easy to use. Zotero helps you store and format bibliographic information and allows you to tag, organize, and search for information hassle-free.

Additionally, it can find and merge duplicate bibliography entries using the “Find Duplicate” function in the menu.

The software also provides a “document preview” panel displaying online and local resources. Moreover, it allows users to enter a preamble defining how the text should be formatted.

Get KBibTeX

JabRef has many features, such as automatic citation export, file synchronization, auto-completion of the bibliography, automatic file renaming, and grouping of entries. JabRef is a desktop software that can also be used as a Firefox add-on, easily retrieving and linking full-text articles.

It searches across scientific resources such as zbMATH, arXiv, Springer, Medline, MathSciNet, Google Scholar, and more. Additionally, JabRef offers an option to import more than 15 reference formats.

It can extract metadata from PDFs, making it a useful tool for anyone who needs to manage references or bibliographic information.

Managing bibliographies can be daunting, but with WIKINDX, an online virtual bibliography manager, it’s a breeze. It can be used for individual and collaborative purposes, and although it falls under the reference manager category, it is also suitable for writing papers and taking notes.

One of its most attractive features is its ability to support non-English character sets, making it a great choice for users worldwide. In addition, it offers comprehensive search functionality, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.

WIKINDX is also user-friendly and allows you to export your bibliography in many styles, including IEEE, APA, and Chicago. Furthermore, it enables you to store quotes, ideas, and paraphrases with the reference.

Its modular and customizable architecture includes plug-ins such as WYSIWYG word processor, PubMed import, Amazon import, and more.

Get WIKINDX

6. Pybliographer

Pybliographer is an efficient bibliography tool for Linux that allows users to search, edit, view, and reformat bibliographies. The software is written in Python and is widely used by researchers, students, and teachers worldwide.

It supports various bibliography formats such as Ovid, ISI, Medline, Refer, BibTeX, and more. Additionally, it generates HTML pages based on the bibliography searches and seamlessly integrates new features with the software’s usual interface.

Get Pybliographer

This software captures the references efficiently and provides the user with an organized and formatted bibliography in BibTeX format.

With the help of Cb2Bib, you can easily cite the references, search the pinned references, write short notes on the related references, and insert bibliography metadata into the documents.

Cb2Bib can capture single references from non-standard and unformatted sources and deliver them in BibTeX format. It also allows you to link and rename article files easily and edit and browse citing references, BibTeX files, and more.

Refbase is a multi-user interface that enables scientific citation and literature management. With Refbase, you can import and export scientific references in various formats, including MODS XML, BibTeX, OpenOffice, and Endnote.

It can also produce a formatted list of citations and provide powerful search results, RSS, and rich metadata. Refbase offers multiple search options, including robust SQL and advanced, quick, and straightforward search options.

Its search function helps refine the search query. Moreover, Refbase allows you to export records to BibTeX, RIS, EndNote, XML, and MODS. It uses dynamic or static links for linking records.

Get Refbase

The best part is that you don’t have to create an account to share with your colleagues. Importing documents is easy. Papis also allows you to export your document in various formats, such as yaml, BibTeX, and more.

Moreover, it creates custom scripts or uses existing ones to help you manage your bibliography. You can even import existing or saved documents from Zotero or other reference managers. Finally, Papis lets you download paper information directly from DOI via Crossref.

Managing references can be a daunting task, but Pubs has got you covered. Pubs is a user-friendly, free tool that helps you organize your bibliography documents and associated data.

It provides command-line access for basic and advanced library manipulation, making it easy to manage your references. Everything is stored in plain text, which means you can manually edit anything with ease.

Moreover, Pubs attaches the document to the reference and automatically opens it from the command line. It uses unique citation keys for the bibliography and keeps the bibliographic data separate from the metadata, making your work more efficient and organized.

11. Wizdom.ai

Wizdom.ai is a comprehensive and free reference manager designed for Linux users, especially students, teachers, and researchers. This software enables you to add, search, and manage publications in the Wizdom.ai library and instantly cite them in your research paper.

You can access the library on the go, and it efficiently syncs across the Wizdom.ai web and desktop platforms.

Wizdom.ai supports many publisher websites, including IEEE, ArXiv, PubMed, CrossRef, Google Scholar, and Taylor & Francis.

It collects data references from over 100 million papers from the top publishers and generates a bibliography in more than 7,000 citation styles. Wizdom.ai makes research easier for Linux users by providing a seamless and user-friendly experience.

Get Wizdom.ai

Final Thought

Choosing the right reference manager software is crucial for research students and professionals. It can help them with accurate and efficient citations, organize resource information, and provide file storage and sharing.

The Linux bibliography tools or reference managers discussed in this article are some of the best online options. Each software has unique features and functionalities that cater to different needs.

From Mendeley to Pybliographer, each reference manager has something to offer. So, take your time, evaluate your requirements, and select the one that aligns with your needs.

With the right reference manager software, you can streamline your research process and make it more productive and efficient.

At this time (January, 2023), Mendeley does not work properly with LibreOffice. Zotero however does.

In Mendeley there is no option for the URL date. Thus, it does not create the urldate-field in the .bib file. Just for those of you who need that information in your bibliography!

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Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

How can I highlight or annotate PDFs?

Currently I need to highlight certain sections in PDFs, or add annotations (comments/notes). These modifications would need to be saved.

What tools are out there to do this on Ubuntu?

software-recommendation

1 Have you looked at PDF edit from USC? – Mitch Commented May 23, 2012 at 16:54
3 Have just tried pdfedit, ugly gui, no highlighting tools. It is not what i wanted. (if you are sure, give me instructions about how to do that with that pdfedit) – Anwar Commented May 23, 2012 at 18:03
2 I tried it, too. It has such tools in the toolbar above the text, but it didn't work as expected: When I tried to highlight text in a pdf I made with LibreOffice the area above the text became highlighted ... But than saving it the highlighting also is visible with Evince for example, although at the wrong place. → Not really a solution. – Jakob Commented May 23, 2012 at 18:09
1 Google docs. I know it sounds like a cop-out at first, but it works and it will definitely be cross-platform. You can even download the result as a PDF containing the annotations you made – cxrodgers Commented Jun 25, 2013 at 10:07
6 ** UPDATE **: Native Foxit Reader now enables highlighting foxitsoftware.com/downloads – Orion Commented Dec 7, 2015 at 15:12

28 Answers 28

Okular supports PDF annotations.

To save the highlighting/annotations directly in the PDF document, choose File > Save as... and create a new PDF which will contain your edits.

How to edit in Okular

You can choose Tools > Reviews to get other options like adding

pop-up notes
inline notes
freehand line drawing
highlighter

Edit: Inkscape supports PDF editing (one page at a time) and most people seem not to be aware of this so I'm adding it to the answer.

54 Okular stores annotations and highlights outside of the edited document (it seems to be a Poppler limitation!) okular.kde.org/faq.php#addedannotationsinpdf This means that changes are only visible from Okular, on the machine they were created. – MarkovCh1 Commented Aug 22, 2011 at 23:10
1 Well actually Inkscape is only able to import pdfs one page at a time and then you can edit the pdf. Annotation would not require any editing of the items in the pdf. – To Do Commented Jan 28, 2012 at 20:47
3 Inkscape allowed me to highlight text as well as 'redact' some personal information from a PDF by drawing opaque boxes over the text. Excellent solution, took ~30 seconds to install, about the same amount of time to edit my one page PDF. Thanks Li Lo! – OpensourceFool Commented Jan 6, 2013 at 22:48
32 Okular can now save annotations to PDFs, see askubuntu.com/questions/1529/how-can-i-highlight-pdfs/… – Thomas Arildsen Commented May 14, 2013 at 9:29
9 @OpensourceFool Drawing opaque boxes over the text does not remove it, it only hides it and your box can easily be removed to reveal the text underneath (assuming you are saving to the PDF format). More about that here: apple.stackexchange.com/questions/22683/… – erb Commented Nov 25, 2015 at 11:53

Recently a new version of Foxit Reader is released for Linux. It has the highlighting and annotating support. It has more annotation options than Okular, including inline notes with transparent background, drawing of various shapes etc.

How to install Foxit Reader in Ubuntu is explained in this AskUbuntu answer: Install FoxitReader

3 Great! It is fast, lots of options, saves everything to a single file, thus suitable for annotation. After downloading, make sure the .run file is executable. Also, you might wanted to edit mime types ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list after installation. – VRR Commented Oct 24, 2015 at 15:42
can you add more steps how to install this? I can't find it after installation. – an offer can't refuse Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 2:16
Please check this answer. It provides the necessary steps to install the software. askubuntu.com/a/679213/421047 – Gobinath Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 4:38
8 This should be upvoted more. The new version works quite well, with much more annotation options than Okular. – xji Commented May 1, 2016 at 5:26
1 Foxit unfortunately doesn't work well on 4K displays and annotation in Linux seems half done. – Shital Shah Commented Dec 12, 2019 at 2:16

Actually, none of these solutions work half as well as anything on Windows or Mac OS. Mendeley only supports yellow highlighting and importing pdfs into Inkscape or OpenOffice is pretty inconvenient if you want to read a paper and simply make some annotations.

Fortunately, there are some free pdf viewers for Windows that work flawlessly with wine (If you find wine too complicated, use PlayOnLinux - a great front end for wine configuration). One of the best of those viewers is the PDF-XChange Viewer by Tracker Software. There is a free version that comes with a ton of annotation features, session saving etc. Grab it here:

http://www.tracker-software.com/product/downloads

And check out this screenshot:

http://www.tracker-software.com/image/Viewer1%28684%29_300x0.jpg

I really wish there was a working open source Linux alternative (xournal is good but too limited). But for the time being, I am happy with using wine.

9 I'm sure Inkscape, pdfedit, or okular work at least half as well as some packages on MacOS or Windows. – belacqua Commented Mar 20, 2011 at 22:27
3 +1: This is, so far, the only good option. It works great in Wine, mod some Unity-specific bugs that are getting fixed, and supports a wide collection of document markup options. – MarkovCh1 Commented Aug 22, 2011 at 23:08
1 I normally use Foxit_PDF_Editor on Wine – blvdeer Commented Jan 11, 2013 at 18:44
8 Okular can now store the annotations in the pdf itself – Hashken Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 23:16
3 @Sadi: I have found the portable versions of PDF-XChange Viewer to work well with any WINE version I tested it (including 1.7.8 x64). So that's an option as well. And although your statement is true, it won't help if you have several modified but unsaved documents opened. – onse Commented Dec 10, 2013 at 21:26

xournal is also some software which you use for this task.

12 xournal only saves the highlights in a xournal-specific format (basically converts the PDF to images, and highlights there) – MarkovCh1 Commented Aug 22, 2011 at 22:10
3 I just used Xournal for annotating a PDF file, and exported the annotated version to PDF, and it worked perfectly. – Erel Segal-Halevi Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 10:28
4 @ErelSegalHalevi Please disregard my last comment. Recent revisions of Xournal do not rasterize the PDF. Both text and scalable vector elements are preserved. This make Xournal the best choice for PDF annotation by far. – Glutanimate Commented Apr 21, 2013 at 19:22
2 One of the nicest little features in xournal is that you can use pressure-sensitive pen input, and even these scribbled annotations will be saved as vector graphics, not images. Means, small file size all around. – tanius Commented Oct 28, 2015 at 11:36
3 WOW what a hidden gem! It is an amazing application. Lightweight, user friendly with functionality you don't find in other pdf programs. – apanagio Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 15:02

Future version of Evince will support PDF annotation and highlight. Here you can see a video of the first partial implementation , made by Carlos Garcia Campos

If you want to try I think you need to have at least evince 2.32 and recompile yourself latest version of Poppler cloning from the git repository:

Here the launchpad bug of this missing feature from evince (poppler packaged for Maverick isn't enough updated).

21 april 2011 - Update Evince in Natty now support by default annotations (not highlighting). Evince in Natty is 2.32, poppler is 0.16.4.

08 March 2017 Update Evince in Ubuntu 16.04 supports highlighting.

2 I have 12.04, evince 3.4.0, poppler 0.18.4, and I can't find the annotation feature in the menus... – Erel Segal-Halevi Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 9:29
2 It can be do in the side pane now. (I have not tried with 12.04.) help.gnome.org/users/evince/stable/annotations.html.en – Arpad Horvath Commented Jul 29, 2014 at 6:26
1 It's not really highlighting but more adding notes to the documents – shaneonabike Commented Sep 20, 2014 at 20:43
Indeed, in 14.04 you can also access Annotations in the side-pane, and add comments/notes. You can then save a copy, and it shall be compatible with Adobe Reader. A bitten hidden from the user, but nifty stuff. – landroni Commented Jan 24, 2015 at 18:36
4 Evince supports highlighting, annotating and saving to pdf after upgrade to 16.04. Yay! – Valentas Commented Aug 4, 2016 at 12:35

The evince package which is built-in in Ubuntu and is called Document Viewer can add annotations to PDFs.

Evince 3.18.2 from the Ubuntu 16.04 default repositories has support for highlight annotations and moving annotation icons to a different position on the page.

If you do not have a visible side pane on the left side of the opened document's window, click View -> Side Pane or press F9 to make the side pane visible. At the top of this side pane, there is a dropdown menu with options like Thumbnails , Index and Annotation s (some of which may be dimmed for some documents).

To create an annotation

Select Annotations from the dropdown menu. You should now see List and Add tabs under the dropdown menu.

In Ubuntu 16.04 and later, click the toolbar icon that looks like a notepad. A new toolbar will appear under the toolbar with two icons for adding text annotations and adding highlight annotations.

Select the Add tab.

Click on the icon to add an annotation.

In Ubuntu 16.04 and later, the icon for adding a text annotation looks like piece of paper with a + in the upper right corner (marked by a diagonal yellow arrow in the below screenshot), and the icon for adding a highlight annotation looks like a piece of paper with three black blocks on it.

Click on the spot in the document window you would like to add the annotation to, preferably a blank spot where the annotation will not cover anything else in the document. Your annotation window will open.

Type your text into the annotation window. You can resize the note by clicking and holding the left mouse button on one of the bottom corners of the note, and moving it around.

Close the note by clicking on the x in the top corner of the note. You might need to hover over the x with the mouse to make it visible.

When you want to go an annotation click on the icon for it. If you can't see the annotation icons, then unfold the little black arrows to the left of the page numbers in the side pane to show them. The text annotation icon looks like a piece of paper with a pencil over it in Ubuntu 14.04 and it looks like a pencil in Ubuntu 16.04. The highlight annotation icon looks like a piece of paper in Ubuntu 16.04.

When you close the document you will be asked if you want to save the changes you made to it.

To create a highlight

The evince snap package makes the highlight text feature available to all currently supported versions of Ubuntu, otherwise the evince apt package in 18.04 and later also has the highlight text feature.

Click the pencil icon in the upper left corner. In some versions of Evince there is a small notebook icon instead of a pencil icon in the upper left corner.

Click the Highlight text button in the upper left corner.

Select some text with the mouse and it will be highlighted.

The highlight feature of evince can also be obtained in Ubuntu 16.04 by installing the evince snap package:

1 I use evince for many years, just found out this button today. – Eduardo Santana Commented Mar 11, 2017 at 15:58
but how you will highlight things? Also, is there a way to see the notes alongside pdf in the viewer? You can do that in Mendeley! – Anu Commented Jan 13, 2019 at 15:30
The highlight feature will not be available in evince from the default Ubuntu 19.04 repositories. When evince 3.31 or later lands in the default Ubuntu repositories, I will add the instructions for using its highlight feature to my answer. – karel Commented Jan 13, 2019 at 15:37
1 Evince works great for my annotation needs on Ubuntu 18, has dark mode (inverted colors) and is built-in. Foxit Reader on the other hand is half done and not even usable on 4K displays. – Shital Shah Commented Dec 12, 2019 at 6:52
3 In April 2021, evince still has only "save as" and not save. Which means you systematically get a file chooser to open and then an overwrite warning. This tiny annoyance rapidly gets irritating as I save after every annotation (sadly, Ubuntu crashes often). – Arnaud Commented Apr 18, 2021 at 19:28

-------------- EDIT March 2018 --------------

Having used multiple pdf viewers editors, and after 6 years (!) of asking this question, I settled in two different tools for different purposes:

Mendeley Desktop is an excellent reference managers and it works flawlessly in most Ubuntu versions. It is ideal for papers and academic writing and supports notes and highlights synchronization.

Evince (or Document Viewer) , the default pdf viewer as of Ubuntu 18.04 also supports highlighting and annotations. To show the annotations menu bar, you must click on the red circle (see below). The annotation options appear and you can annotate or highlight as seen in the blue circle in the image below.

--------------------------------------------------------

For me the best solution was PDF X-Change Viewer .

It just installs and works flawlessly under Wine. (Source)

The only issue is that sometimes when you scroll fast it shows some white spaces over the text, that clear when you click or select a line in the document.

There is an option in the Edit menu under Preferences\Performance\Threads Usage: "Use synchronous mode of page rendering" which prevents those white spaces in mine.

1 Yes, PDF X-Change with Wine is the best solution, but that is what user11305 had already replied. – mivk Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 9:52
1 PDF-XChange Editor still in 2020 working flawlessly in Wine 5.2. Tested and used every day under Ubuntu 18.04 and PDF-XChange Editor v8.0 b335. – f0nzie Commented Feb 26, 2020 at 15:59
In April 2021, evince still has only "save as" and not save. Which means you systematically get a file chooser to open and then an overwrite warning. This tiny annoyance rapidly gets irritating as I save after every annotation (sadly, Ubuntu crashes often). – Arnaud Commented Apr 18, 2021 at 19:25

There is a package called pdfedit that can do this.

7 Note that pdfedit has been dropped from Ubuntu as of 12.10 – Dustin Kirkland Commented Dec 17, 2012 at 22:22
4 Also, on 12.04 there are some errors, such as, when trying to change the color or font. Also, pdfedit has no undo, which can be very frustrating, especially since the highlighing does not work as expected (highlights a full line instead of a single word). – Erel Segal-Halevi Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 9:27

The PDF viewer in Mendeley allows you to highlight and annotate PDFs. To save the modifications you need to File > Export PDF with Annotations .

However Mendeley is not open-source, and it forces you to use an account... But otherwise the functionality is excellent.

You can download from here .

4 While Mendelay has a nice interface, the annotation abilities are limited (can only add sticky notes; no drawing or text boxes), and annotations and highlighting aren't saved in the document. – MarkovCh1 Commented Aug 22, 2011 at 23:06
@MarkovCh1 In my experience they are, if you Export PDF with annotations . – landroni Commented Jan 24, 2015 at 18:38
What I love about Mendeley is its ability to export a page in the end of the PDF, listing all the annotations. Pretty cool. I hate though that it's not open-source, and that it forces you to use an account... – landroni Commented Jan 24, 2015 at 23:42
Mendeley does not currently support adding/deleting bookmarks – titus Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 16:15
I like Mendeley too. Despite its limitations, the fact that it can sync changes is incredibly useful. You can highlight/add sticky notes using the desktop application, Android or iOS app, and also from the Mendeley website. However, as others have noted, you have to look elsewhere if you need to do anything other than highlight or add sticky notes – Hee Jin Commented May 2, 2018 at 23:20

Now you can actually export annotations to PDFs in Okular (this was not possible until recently): http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/kdegraphics/okular/annotations.html

It seems Okular has to be built with Poppler at least version 0.20. It works with Ubuntu 13.04.

There's a plugin for OpenOffice.org that does this.

http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/pdfimport

Xournal++ has not been suggested yet. It allows to use a PDF document as a background to draw and put text objects and even LaTeXed formulas on top.

Xournal++ does not modify the background PDF document, but stores all drawings in a separate file. It is possible to export the combined result as a single PDF.

Xournal++ does not allow to select text or other objects in the background PDF, but it can be used in conjunction with Evince or Okular, where Evince or Okular is used to highlight or underline text in the underlying PDF, and Xournal++ is used to draw on top. However, the are issues with printing or "flattening" certain annotations created in Evince and in Okular.

1 Add some installation instruction, and possibly a screenshot – Archisman Panigrahi Commented Oct 31, 2020 at 14:41
2 this is the best in here by 2022 – imbr Commented Sep 16, 2022 at 12:58
By September 2022, Xournal++ allows to select text from the background PDF, and copy or highlight it. Source: I installed it yesterday and it can do that. – user171780 Commented Sep 17, 2022 at 10:09
@user171780, could you specify the version and the tool used to select text, please? I could not do it in version 1.1.1. – Alexey Commented Sep 17, 2022 at 18:31
1 @Alexey it is version 1.1.1+dev , built on Feb 12 2022, 10:39:46 . The tool can be found in Tools → Select linear text . I wasn't aware I have the development version, maybe it will soon be available in the regular version too. – user171780 Commented Sep 18, 2022 at 8:04

Master PDF Editor is a good software for annotating PDFs. There is a free version for non-commercial use.

Adding images to PDF
Adding/editing bookmarks
Opening PDFs in tabs
Adding sticky notes to PDFs
Adding Ellipse, Rectangle, Lines
Highlighting, striking out, underlining texts

I think it works just like Foxit reader for windows. Advantages over okular:

In Master PDF Editor you can save PDF in a normal way without the need to saving PDF using "save as".
In okular as far as I know you can't add or edit bookmarks but in Master PDF Editor you can easily do that.
In okular you can't add images to pdf, But in Master PDF Editor you can.

Disadvantage over okular: It uses too much RAM.

1 +1 but if others are interested in this, the commenting functions are much less powerful than, say, Foxit or PDF-XChange Viewer. It's very powerful in other ways (e.g. editing the pdf itself), but not as saving comments per se. You can add shapes and text directly to the pdf, but these won't save as the comment layer. Changing the format of the highlights, etc. is also very fiddly (need to open up setting every time). – Sparhawk Commented Apr 18, 2016 at 12:48
Great tool, worked with a LaTeX PDF that LibreOffice Draw, Xournal, etc. would not handle correctly – qwr Commented Jan 30, 2017 at 6:03
btw version 4 is more capable than version 5 which also has an ugly watermark. see linuxuprising.com/2019/04/… – qwr Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 7:26

I was searching for exactly the same. For me, qpdfview works like a charm, is simple to use and lightweight. Its annotations and text highlighting is recognised in Adobe Reader (Linux version 9, Windows. iOS). Editing done on the aforementioned platforms are recognised by qpdfview as well. It allows you to delete annotations and highlighting too, and stores annotations in the PDF.

It is free, the source code can be found on launchpad . You find it in the Ubuntu Software Center and there is a ppa for a more recent version: ppa:b-eltzner/qpdfview

1 In qpdfview 0.4.16, annotations can be created using CTRL+a. Then, one creates a rectangle and chooses "Add text" or "Add highlight". This is very different from Acrobat Professional 8.1, where I can select text and then choose whether I want to add a comment, delete the text, add text or replace the text. – koppor Commented May 8, 2016 at 14:06
Yes, true. The reader is using Poppler which has the "Investigate better (that is, normal) text selection" as a ToDo now for a long time: cgit.freedesktop.org/poppler/poppler/tree/TODO – Marcus Commented May 9, 2016 at 12:49

I have got a workaround to this problem, but it is too localized. Using okular for reading a pdf file and then annotate by pressing F6 to bring Highlighting toolbar.

After annotating, you can save the file as document archive , which preserve the annotation. From File -> Export as -> Document Archive .

Note This file can only be opened by Okular.

Installing Okular : To install okular, issue this command in terminal : sudo apt-get install okular

1 You can just do Save As now in Ubuntu 13.04 :) – shaneonabike Commented Sep 20, 2014 at 20:44
It was an answer to another specific question merged here. I now use Evince and/or Foxit Reader. – Anwar Commented Aug 24, 2016 at 11:29
The okalur developer should enabeble Hightlighting toolbar by default. Struggling for days and your comment did save me. Thank you – Vu Gia Truong Commented Jul 24, 2018 at 1:12

Jarnal is a good software that allows you to highlight

I've tested PDF X-Change viewer and I experienced the same white space problem while scrolling. I'm currently using Foxit Reader 4.3 which works really flawlessly. Foxit 5 crashes with wine 1.3 but works fine with wine 1.4 and 1.5. The only minor bug is that when you add a text annotation, it will ask you if you want to download the dictionary. You simple click cancel and keep working. It will keep asking you just once every time you open Foxit.

I managed to make Foxit reader 4 my default pdf viewer but can open files by double clicking a pdf file only if Foxit is not open. With Foxit 5 this issue is solved too. See this thread: How do I set a wine program (ex. Foxit Reader for Windows) as the default program?

Hope the pdf annotation feature in evince improves to avoid using wine.

The latest version of Ubuntu's default PDF viewer Evince has a built-in highlighter. It is very efficient. And unlike other softwares, the highlighted text is also detected when we open it using other softwares like Adobe PDF Viewer. The version number is 3.17.4 and you can download it using the link below:

https://github.com/GNOME/evince/releases

Please note that you have to first remove the old version of Evince before you install the new one. Also, the program crashed few times on my first day of install but it is totally fine for a month now.

I use an old version of Foxit Reader (the latest 4.x version from oldapps.com), and it works very well under Wine.

At the moment, there is no good native highlighting solution!

PDF Studio is, probably, the best solution. It is not free, but you can install it using the Ubuntu Software Center.

LibreOffice Draw works reasonably well for PDFs. It can not only annotate but do all the features of Draw such as drawing lines, shapes, etc. It saves as its own file format .odg but can export as PDF.

I think that Xournal is the tool you're looking for. What you should do is exporting in PDF, and the changes will be saved in pdf.

Maybe xournal (app to add annotations to pdf's files)

Click to install xournal

And okular save the hightlighting separetly then if you want to save the hightlighting you have to save the pdf like new file to save the hightlighting.

I have tried saving as new file. Did you try that ? – Anwar Commented May 23, 2012 at 17:31
1 This saves the highlighting to be part of the PDF in a way that can't be edited in other PDF editors, if I am correct. – MarkovCh1 Commented May 23, 2012 at 17:31
I really like Xournal but when you export Xournal annotations as PDF it saves an image of every page with the annotation. So when you send that pdf to someone else, they will not be able to search through it. Other than this main limitation, Xournal is pretty cool. – Aras Commented Aug 5, 2012 at 7:55
I just used Xournal, and the file were saved as a searchable PDF. Excellent. – Erel Segal-Halevi Commented Mar 20, 2013 at 10:29
This is duplicate of the other answer – Archisman Panigrahi Commented Dec 5, 2020 at 15:08

I had the same question but unfortunately I didn't arrive to any satisfactory answer, being okular the closest one (but as you say, it does not save the changes in the same file, which is a problem).

I finally decided to use "PDF-Xchange Viewer": that piece of program makes exactly what I wanted to do and does it well, but it has two problems: it is free but not opensource and there's no linux version, although it can be used in ubuntu via wine. I wish there were better ways to annotate PDFs and so on.

Maybe you could open an issue at okular developers so hopefully they can implement that feature in the nearly future.

You should also try PDF Buddy , an online PDF editor that supports highlighting, annotation, and other common editing features. It's a fast and easy solution that works in any modern browser.

(Full disclosure: I'm a co-founder of PDF Buddy)

Is it open source? – Archisman Panigrahi Commented Nov 10, 2020 at 13:46

I got good results when annotating and editing PDFs online using PDFescape . There's a limitation on file size (10MB) and number of pages (100) though.

Update: looks like Microsoft Edge has a Linux version. I haven't tried it but if it's like the Windows version, I'll personally prefer it over the Adobe Acrobat browser extension because the latter sometimes slows my browser down.

Old Answer: Like almost anything else you can use a browser extension. You can open your pdf files in the browser where you have the extension installed and annotate them. I'm currently using the Adobe Acrobat Chrome extension . I think in the past I used Weava instead and I don't remember having an issue with that.

If you choose to do this, change the default app for opening pdf files to Chrome (or Firefox if you're using a Firefox extension) so that you don't have to go through the "right-click -> open with other application" thing all the time.

Recent versions of Firefox allow to add highlights, notes and even freehand drawings on a pdf. If you save a copy of the pdf with the highlights it will be readable with the highlights from any PDF reader.

A big upside for me is that I don't need to use more software since I already use Firefox in my workflow. Only downside I see is that once the pdf is saved with the highlights they can't then be modified or removed without using an external PDF editor.

Link to the official Firefox page which includes all the features included in the PDF editor.

Bot sure this adds anything as this was answered and accepted 14 years ago. – David DE Commented Aug 15 at 13:36
@DavidDE do you think only the author of the post reads the answers? This was the first result I got from googling how to edit pdfs and was adding information that wasn't included – fullmontis Commented Aug 16 at 14:05

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The 5 Best Linux Distributions for Science

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6 Reasons Why Your Next Laptop Should Be a Chromebook

This hidden score shows you how well your pc runs windows, 10 microsoft edge settings i changed to enhance my browsing experience.

While most Linux distributions are general-purpose, some specialized distros are bundled with certain types of research software. After all, the history of Linux began in research labs, and today Linux powers the servers and workstations of the world's biggest research organizations.

You can transform your regular Linux system into a scientific distro by installing the same apps, but the point of such distributions is to avoid hunting for individual applications.

Instead, they provide a quick way to deploy Linux in research facilities, educational institutions, on students’ and science-curious users' computers. If you're among the latter, here are five great scientific distros to consider.

1. CAELinux

The clue is in the name: CAE stands for Computer-Aided Engineering, and this scientific distro is perfect for anyone who works with CAD, modeling, prototyping, 3D printing, and physics simulations. Developed in Switzerland, it is maintained by Joël Cugnoni and was last updated in 2020.

Even though there have been no new releases for this distro, the developers wholeheartedly support the existing releases.

The latest version of CAELinux is based on Xubuntu 18.04 LTS and requires a 64-bit system along with 4GB RAM. In case you intend to use it for professional uses, you would need 8GB RAM or more, to get the most out of this distro.

It doesn't offer any desktop flavors apart from Xfce, but its software selection is impressive. Rest assured, along with the specific applications, it comes bundled with the usual pre-installed applications, which are native to Xfce. Since this is a science-related distro, it's best to install some additional apps which you will use regularly.

Related: Reasons Why You Should Try the Lightweight Xfce Desktop

Some excellent applications include:

SALOME : 3D CAD and meshing
Gmsh : Geometric modeling
Scilab : Mathematical programming
ParaView : 3D visualization
ImageJ : Image processing and analysis
Elmer : Complex physical models

CAELinux is available as a live ISO image for free. You can also order a physical copy at an affordable price.

Download : CAELinux

2. Fedora Scientific

This Fedora spin represents the middle ground between a highly specialized and an ordinary Linux distribution. As such, it's great for researchers and students of all scientific backgrounds, although it slightly leans in favor of numerical-based research.

The default desktop environment is KDE, and Fedora Scientific is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. It was developed by Amit Saha with the support of Fedora Science and Technology SIG. The detailed online documentation will introduce you to Fedora Scientific and guide you through its software selection.

Some noteworthy software include:

Maxima : A complete algebra suite
LaTeX : Creating documents and presentations
Mayavi : 3D data visualization and the version control
Trifecta : git, Mercurial, and Subversion

You can download Fedora Scientific Live DVD either via direct download or as a torrent.

Download : Fedora Scientific

3. Lin4Neuro

Lin4Neuro (L4N) is the open-source answer to sophisticated biotechnological computation. This Ubuntu-based distro gives you access to a diverse suite of neuroimaging analysis software. Kiyotaka Nemoto created this distro; he is a member of the Faculty of Medicine in Tsukuba, Japan.

The most significant advantage of Lin4Neuro is that you can avail yourself of a fully open-source toolchain. 3D Slicer helps with image analysis algorithms for functional magnetic resonance, tensor imaging, visually-guided therapy, etc.

Some other applications include the likes of AFNI, which helps with processing and displaying MRI data. Connectome analyzer and viewer assists with DSI, while DTI and QBall connectomes are useful for multi-modal, multi-scale neuroimaging and Python-based visualization.

Some of Lin4Neuro’s tools, such as Virtual MRI and MITK make L4N ideal for studying and researching neurosciences. The distro aids in medical imagery upscaling and conversion with MRIConvert.

On Lin4Neuro, MRIConvert is available within the NeuroDebian repository. The distro has recently gained tremendous traction as a free platform for data analytics and medical science imagery processing.

Lin4Neuro is redistributed as a neuroscience-oriented framework with its BSD license. It acts as a portable live distribution and you can run it via USB to set up a neuroscience forensics center anywhere.

Download : Lin4Neuro

Learn More: Why Is Python Popular for Data Science?

4. Fedora Astronomy Suite

Fedora Astronomy Suite desktop interface

Did you know that stargazing has gone open-source? The Fedora Astronomy Suite caters to professionals and amateurs alike, especially for meeting their astronomical computing needs. The distro sets you up with a Python-based KDE ecosystem. Fedora Astronomy Suite places a host of powerful astronomical data analytics and visualization tools at your disposal.

You can utilize Python’s community libraries like AstroPy, powerful graphical editing apps like Siril and GIMP, astro-simulation software like Celestia, astronomical instrument automation, and controller software like INDI. Astronomy Suite’s substantial documentation makes it easy for budding astronomers to study any location on Earth and beyond.

Controlling instruments like telescopes and cameras with automation ensures that you can capture high-resolution astrophotography at any time.

Nonetheless, the highlight of the bundled software packages is the AstrOmatic repository for advanced astronomical software development. Simplify even the most advanced cosmic imagery's color correction with tools like Redshift on the Astronomy Suite.

Download : Fedora Astronomy Suite

5. Fedora Robotics Suite

Fedora Robotics Suite gives you a fully stocked development environment for software and hardware programming. It identifies as a spin on the Fedora Linux distro and comes replete with software packages to aid robotics simulation environments.

Fedora Robotics Suite is a live, portable distro that you can use as a custom framework for robotics projects. Users can look forward to some of the most notable upstream programming applications and frameworks, including the likes of Fawkes, Player/Stage, RoboCup 3D Soccer Server, Gazebo, SimSpark, and more. Fedora even packs the Eclipse IDE for multi-language robotics script development.

Practice streamlined programming, simulation, and operations with the Robotics Suite's integrated libraries, such as the MRPT, PCL, OpenCV, and more. Hardware accessory libraries are bundled with the Robotics Suite for popular robotics devices, like the Hokuyo Laser Scanners and Katana Robotic Arm.

Robotics Suite comes with extensive documentation that expedites onboarding time for robotics novices.

Download : Fedora Robotics Suite

Related: What You Need to Build Your Own Autonomous Robot

Choosing the Best Scientific Linux Distro for Yourself

Regardless of which scientific field you're interested in, you should be able to pick a suitable distribution from this list. Each of the distros listed above tops in its category and offers unparalleled software, applications, and services to the end-users.

Linux Distro
Geeky Science

Project Note
Open access
Published: 22 October 2011

Preparing a scientific manuscript in Linux: Today's possibilities and limitations

Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili 1 &
Jan D Schmitto 2

BMC Research Notes volume 4 , Article number: 434 ( 2011 ) Cite this article

8697 Accesses

6 Citations

Metrics details

Increasing number of scientists are enthusiastic about using free, open source software for their research purposes. Authors' specific goal was to examine whether a Linux-based operating system with open source software packages would allow to prepare a submission-ready scientific manuscript without the need to use the proprietary software.

Preparation and editing of scientific manuscripts is possible using Linux and open source software. This letter to the editor describes key steps for preparation of a publication-ready scientific manuscript in a Linux-based operating system, as well as discusses the necessary software components. This manuscript was created using Linux and open source programs for Linux.

Introduction

Today's science is experiencing an increasingly merciless competition between the proprietary and open concepts. Free, open access scientific literature is not merely a proven concept, but its popularity is increasing dramatically. Each year we are witnessing a significant growth of free, open source computer software. It is becoming more widely accepted in science, pushing the limits of free science further and further, to previously unimaginable horizons.

Increasing number of scientists are now enthusiastic about using free, open source software for their research purposes [ 1 ]. From this standpoint, a question emerges if it possible to use a free, open-source operating system as a platform to create scientific work in a free, open source environment? Although preparing and editing scientific manuscripts is only a small part of this tremendous work, it still requires a variety of computer software, and is obviously related to financial costs. Authors' specific goal was to examine if a Linux-based operating system with its free, open source software packages would suffice to prepare a submission-ready manuscript, without the need to use a proprietary computer software.

Linux-based operating systems

Linux, in simplest terms, is a most widely used free, open source operating system [ 2 ]. Linux-based operating systems are used on various types of hardware ranging form servers (Google [ 3 ], Wikipedia [ 4 ]) to cell phones (Android [ 5 ]). Most of the world's supercomputers run Linux [ 6 ]. For use in personal computers, Linux is packaged as part of a various distributions which, in addition to the operating system, also includes desktop environment and a large collection of software applications. The result is a fully functional, free, open source operating system natively supporting various types of software - a necessity for preparing and editing scientific manuscripts in a free, open source environment.

Most popular Linux distributions include Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, etc.[ 7 ]. Notably, there is a dedicated Linux distribution for scientific laboratories called Scientific Linux (Scientific Linux, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois, and the European Organization for Nuclear Research - CERN, Geneva, Switzerland), packaged with various free, open source scientific software [ 8 ]. Modern-day Linux-based operating systems for desktop computers and laptops are very powerful and stable, fully functional [ 9 ], suitable for scientific work [ 10 ].

Types of software needed for preparation and editing scientific manuscripts

Following software types are required to produce a publication-ready scientific manuscript (also see Table 1 ):

Word processor

A fully functional word processor is a mainstay for manuscript preparation. The most commonly used program for this purpose remains Microsoft Word (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) largely due to its widely used proprietary format Word Document (DOC), nowadays the most often requested format for manuscript submissions. Microsoft Word is natively available only for Windows and Mac operating systems. On Linux operating systems, it can be installed as Microsoft Office for Windows if special compatibility layers are used, like WINE [ 11 ] (Wine Is Not an Emulator, a recursive backronym - developed online) or CrossOver Impersonator [ 12 ] (Codeweavers, Saint Paul, Minnesota). Linux natively supports OpenOffice.org [ 13 ] (Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, California) and its derivative LibreOffice [ 14 ] (The Document Foundation, an online organization). Both are compete, full office suites and include word processors capable to produce complex text documents with tables and graphs. Like Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice suites also include other components from the office family similar to Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel. In addition, there are smaller (and often less powerful) standalone open source programs which are not part of specific office application suites.

Writers of OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice can can read and save files in DOC format (however, some formatting alterations can be observed if opened with Microsoft Word). Other common formats, like for example RTF, are also supported. Since PDF format is now an open standard, open-source text editors can natively export documents as PDF. The native, open standard format for open source text editors is ODT which unfortunately is not widely accepted by the journals.

It should be mentioned that newer versions of Microsoft Office (2007 and above) also support PDF and ODT formats. According to the Microsoft Office website, some formatting issues may occur when opening ODT files [ 15 ]. Other open standard formats supported by Microsoft Office are Webpage (HTML), Rich Text Format (RTF) and plain text (TXT). DOCX (Word Microsoft Office Open XML Format Document) is a native format for Microsoft Office 2007 and newer versions. Similar to ODT, DOCX is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) - based file format, but unlike ODT it is not a true open standard yet [ 16 ].

A notably popular open standard formats appears to be TeX. TeX, a typesetting program, along with TeX-derived macro language LaTeX, is widely accepted in basic science journals (Table 2 ). It is especially useful for displaying complex mathematical formulas, hence its popularity in mathematics, statistics, physics, etc. There are several text editors for TeX/LaTeX [ 17 ]. Most common TeX/LaTeX output formats are TEX, DVI, and PDF. Of note, ODT format can be converted to TeX using an open source converter [ 18 ].

Statistical software

Statistical software is necessary to perform data analysis and visualization, which is an important part of creating a manuscript. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences - IBM, Armonk, New York), SAS (Statistical Analysis System - SAS Institute Inc, Cary, North Carolina), Matlab (Matrix Laboratory - MathWorks Inc, Natick, Massachusetts) are among the most widely used proprietary statistical programs. In an open-source world, a most widely used statistical software is R: A language and environment for statistical computing [ 19 ] (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). R is capable of producing most complex calculations as well as some of the most sophisticated diagrams. It is a command-line program and has a steep learning curve which can be considered as a downside by some users. Fortunately, there are several graphical front-ends for R providing significant part of its functionality in a graphical environment [ 20 ].

Graphical editor

Nowadays, post-processing of images acquired by cameras, microscopes, and various diagnostic equipment is becoming increasingly important. The most widely accepted raster graphics editor used by the scientists appears to be Adobe PhotoShop (Adobe Systems, San Jose, California), possessing all required functionalities for preparing publication quality images. An open source raster graphics editor that also meets these requirements is GNU Image Manipulation Program [ 21 ] (GIMP - developed online). GIMP's functionality can be further extended with various plugins [ 22 ].

Sometimes, there may be a need for a vector drawing software, like Corel Draw (Corel Corporation, Ottawa, Ontario). A fully functional open source vector graphics editor is Inkscape [ 23 ] (developed online), natively supported on Linux.

Video editor

Motion images are commonly used to supplements the manuscripts. As a result, video editors are needed to edit (shorten, cut, crop, etc.) original video files, or create a motion image from image series (like DICOM - Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine - a standard format for medical imaging). For Windows operating system, various free and non-free software is available that can perform some or all of these tasks. In Linux, an open source video encoding, decoding, and filtering tool called Mencoder [ 24 ] (developed online) offers all of these these functions. Mencoder is a companion software of a powerful media player Mplayer [ 25 ]. Both Mplayer and Mencoder are command-line tools, however various graphical front-ends also exist [ 26 ].

Reference management software

Last but not least, "a must have" program for almost every scientist is a reference management software capable of reference searching and downloading from various databases (like MEDLINE in case of biomedical sciences). Another important requirement is an easy integration into the word processor of choice. The most widely used reference management software for Windows operating system is EndNote (Thomson Reuters, New York City, New York), which seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Word. An acceptable reference management software in Linux should not only meet these requirements, but it should also have the ability to share the databases with EndNote users. Currently, there are two such open-source programs available: Bibus [ 27 ] (developed online) and Zotero [ 28 ] (Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia). Both can integrate with OpenOffice, LibreOffice, as well as with Microsoft Office. Zotero is an add-on to the web-browser Mozilla Firefox (Mozilla Corporation, Mountain View, California) and thus also provides additional web-browser integration.

Table 1 summarizes the program categories with specific examples discussed above.

Required file formats by journals for manuscript submission

Required formats of the submitted manuscripts were examined for 11 leading general science, biomedical, and clinical medical journals (Table 2 ). It appears that DOC is the most universally accepted file format for manuscript submission. Notably, almost every journal does accept alternative formats. As we see, this often includes TeX/LaTeX [ 29 – 33 ], a widely accepted open standard. Some journals accept the manuscripts in PDF [ 34 , 35 ], which also is an open standard file format. ODT, a standard format for open source word processors, was not found to be accepted by any of the journals examined.

This manuscript was prepared using OpenOffice.org 3.3.1 with Zotero 2.0.9 extension for Firefox 3.6.15, and Zotero OpenOffice Integration Plugin 3.0b3. Ubuntu Linux 9.10 - Karmic Koala (Canonical Ltd, Douglas, Isle of Man) was used as an operating system. We were able to demonstrate that preparation and editing of a scientific manuscript in Linux is, in fact, possible. This manuscript was prepared as a DOC file (Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP format) since it appears to be the most widely accepted format by the journals in various fields (from basic science to clinical).

Preparation of this manuscript was quite easy since it did not involve use of software other than a word processor and a reference management program. Despite this, it proves the concept that Linux-based open source software can serve as a reasonable alternative to widely accepted proprietary programs for creating scientific manuscripts.

No cost, freedom from restrictions, and customizability, among others, are the advantages we start to appreciate when using the open source software. Despite this, switching from one program to another (especially replacing an entire operating system) can be related to many problems and inconveniences. The learning curve is not always as fast as we would like it to be. This may impact the productivity, and become a source of frustration. However, it has to be mentioned that none of this is inherent to Linux or, more generally, an open source software - we think that if used from the beginning as a primary environment (instead of switched to it), the issues discussed above should largely not be encountered. In addition, most of the open source programs mentioned above are cross-platform, thus compatible with Windows and/or Mac. This means that individual programs can be substituted as needed. In fact, there is a long spectrum to chose from, and readers should not think of it as a dichotomy of using proprietary software only vs. becoming completely "open source".

When creating the files in proprietary formats (like Word Document), some incompatibility still persists with the "gold standard" proprietary software [ 36 ]. We consider this a disadvantage, however this is not inherent either to Linux or to a specific open source program. These issues with incompatibility should decrease and ultimately disappear with more widespread use of open source software.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the Open Access Publication Project of the German Research Foundation for covering the financial costs related to the publicaton of this article.

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Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Division of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

Jan D Schmitto

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Publication costs were covered by the German Research Foundation. Authors have no other funding to disclose.

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VT conceived the report, performed literature and internet search, performed key steps of this report on his personal computer. JDS was involved in drafting the manuscript and is responsible revising it critically. Both authors have read and approve the final manuscript.

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Tchantchaleishvili, V., Schmitto, J.D. Preparing a scientific manuscript in Linux: Today's possibilities and limitations. BMC Res Notes 4 , 434 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-4-434

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The Top 5 Best Text Editors for Ubuntu 22.04

Hello friend! As an experienced Linux user, you know that having a good text editor is essential for efficiently writing and modifying code or markup. The default Ubuntu 22.04 repositories contain several great text editing options, but which ones are the best? In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through the top 5 text editors available for Ubuntu 22.04 and explain the key strengths of each one. By the end, you‘ll have all the information you need to pick the right editor for your needs. Let‘s dive in!

What Are Text Editors and Why Do You Need One?

Before we look at specific programs, let‘s briefly go over what text editors are and why they are so important for developers and sysadmins.

A text editor is a software application used to create and modify plain text files. This includes source code for programming languages like Python, JavaScript, C++, etc. as well as markup languages like HTML, CSS, and Markdown.

Compared to word processors like Microsoft Word that add complex formatting, text editors are designed to efficiently work with plain, unformatted text. They provide tools to enter, manipulate, and save text quickly.

For developers, having an optimal text editing experience is crucial for productivity. The right editor makes programming faster and less frustrating. Key features like syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and customization options are must-haves for most devs.

Even for non-programmers, text editors are useful for writing Markdown, taking notes, editing configuration files, and countless other plain text tasks in Linux. That‘s why having a quality editor installed is essential for all Ubuntu users.

Evaluating the Best Text Editors

There are many text editors available for Linux, so how do you pick the best ones? Here are some key criteria to evaluate:

Features : What useful features does the editor provide? Things like syntax highlighting, templates/snippets, customizable layouts, plugins, and built-in terminal access are important.
Ease of Use : Is the editor simple enough for beginners but also powerful for advanced users? Balance is key.
Customizability : Can the editor be tailored to your preferences and workflow through themes, keyboard shortcuts, config options, etc?
Speed : Does editing feel fast and responsive? Laggy software leads to frustration.
Community : Is there an active community around the editor providing support and additional plugins/themes?
Price : Is the editor open source and free, or does it require a paid license for full functionality?

There are tradeoffs around these criteria, but the 5 editors below score highly across the board. I‘ve chosen them after extensive personal experience using each one for programming and markup writing. Let‘s look at each in more detail!

1. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open source text editor created by Microsoft. It combines a streamlined interface with powerful functionality for an optimal editing experience.

Key Features

Excellent support and integration for many programming languages and frameworks via extensions
Lightweight yet fully-featured editor with syntax highlighting, smart code completion, customizable keyboard shortcuts, and more
Built-in terminal and debugger for convenient workflow
Intuitive interface and ample GUI extensions
Remote development capabilities via SSH
Broad extension ecosystem to customize look and add functionality
Very active community support and development
Highly customizable without complexity
Responsive performance even on large files
Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux
Requires installing many extensions for optimal experience
Lacks advanced Vim or Emacs-style modal editing

Overall, I recommend VS Code as the best option for most developers on Ubuntu. With a little customization, it offers the ideal blend of usability and capabilities. Installation is easy:

To get started with VS Code, check out the official documentation .

Vim is one of the most venerable and powerful text editors, with roots going back to the classic vi editor first released in 1976. It remains a popular choice among developers today.

Modal editing with different modes for navigation vs text manipulation
Strong regular expression and text search capabilities
Extensive customization via .vimrc configuration
Rich plugin ecosystem adding functionality via Vimscript
Available both in terminal and as GUI application (Gvim)
Very efficient, low resource usage
Enables advanced text manipulation via composable commands
Can integrate with shells like Bash
Standardized behavior across systems
Steep learning curve with difficult modal concept
Configuration can become complex
Limited UI and graphical capabilities

Vim is an excellent choice if you want raw editing power with maximum customizability. But be prepared to invest time mastering the modal concepts. To install:

See the Vim documentation to learn more.

Along with Vim, Emacs is one of the grandfathers of advanced text editing, first released in 1976. It uses an idiosyncratic control scheme but rewards you with unparalleled customizability.

Fully programmable editor based on Lisp scripts
Modal editing with dual Command/Insert modes
Unmatched extensibility via Emacs Lisp packages
Advanced built-in tools like debugger, file manager, email client, etc
GUI support via separate XEmacs fork
Incredibly customizable via Emacs Lisp
Available on every Linux system by default
Huge library of packaged extensions
Integrated tools reduce context switching
Complex, convoluted controls and concepts
Primarily keyboard-driven interface
Steep learning curve akin to Vim

Emacs offers unmatched long-term customizability for power users willing to invest time mastering it. Install with:

See the Emacs manual for guidance.

Geany provides a nice lightweight GUI-based editor optimized for programmers. It is free and open source.

Intuitive GTK-based GUI with tabbed interface
Syntax highlighting for over 50 programming languages
Code navigation shortcuts (jump to definition, find usage, etc)
Build system integration (compile/run/debug) for many languages
Plugin ecosystem via simple text plugins
Easy to use out of the box
Responsive for large files and projects
Handy tools like bookmarking and session management
Thorough programming language integration
Fairly basic overall features
Weak Markdown editing capabilities
Limited ability to customize shortcuts/layout

Geany is great for developers who want a hassle-free editor without dealing with complex configuration. Install via:

See the Geany Manual for tips getting started.

Created by GitHub, Atom is another modern open-source text editor with both simplicity and depth. It is based on web technologies.

Streamlined markdown-centric design
Extensive cross-language syntax highlighting
Highly tweakable via style sheets and themes
Packages expand functionality (linting, Git/GitHub integration, etc)
Built-in package manager keeps addons up to date
Intuitive markdown and GitHub integration
Easy customization of style and layout
Huge library of open source packages
Good for beginner and intermediate users
Performance suffers on extremely large files
Limited terminal integration
Weaker programming language support than VS Code

Atom offers a user-friendly editor optimized for writing in Markdown and working with Git/GitHub. Install with:

See the Atom Flight Manual for documentation.

Comparison Table

Here is a quick reference table comparing the key differences between these text editors:

Editor	Type	Interface	Customization	Learning Curve
VS Code	General	GUI	High	Low
Vim	Modal	Terminal/GUI	Extreme	High
Emacs	Modal	Terminal/GUI	Extreme	High
Geany	General	GUI	Low	Low
Atom	General	GUI	High	Low

Recommendations by Use Case

With many great options available, which editor(s) should you use for common scenarios?

Programming : VS Code offers the best overall programming experience, but Vim and Emacs have advantages for certain languages. Try VS Code first.
Sysadmin/DevOps : Vim lets you quickly edit files over SSH. Also consider Emacs and VS Code with Remote SSH.
Markdown/Writing : Atom provides the smoothest Markdown authoring workflow.
Simple editing : Geany for a friendly GUI editor. Nano if you need a lightweight terminal-based option.

In the end, there is no single "best" text editor for everyone. I recommend trying multiple options to see which one best matches your style and needs. All five of these editors are quality choices on Ubuntu 22.04.

Text editors are a vital tool for Ubuntu users who write code, edit system configurations, or simply work with plain text. This guide covered five of the top editors available: VS Code, Vim, Emacs, Geany, and Atom.

While there is no unanimous winner, VS Code stands out as the best overall choice for most developers. But power users, especially those willing to invest time customizing, may prefer Vim or Emacs. Geany and Atom also have advantages for particular use cases.

The most important thing is picking an editor aligned with your goals and preferences, then taking time to customize it. An optimal text editing experience will make you more productive on Ubuntu 22.04.

I hope this overview of the top text editor options was helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy editing!

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Macbuntu - A transformation pack for making your desktop look like a macOS.

Desktop Icon Packs

DataGrip - DataGrip is a cross-platform IDE that is aimed at DBAs and developers working with SQL databases. It has built-in drivers that support DB2, Derby, H2, HSQLDB, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Sqlite and Sybase.
GoLand - GoLand is the codename for a new commercial IDE by JetBrains aimed at providing an ergonomic environment for Go development.
Eclipse - Eclipse is famous for our Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE), but can also download packages to support C/C++ IDE and PHP IDE.
Webstorm - Powerful IDE for modern JavaScript development, made by JetBrains.

Microcomputer and Embedded Devices

Multiple languages support.

PHPStorm - Lightning-smart and powerful PHP IDE from Jetbrain.

Supporting Tools

GitKraken - The downright luxurious Git GUI client for Windows, Mac & Linux.
Insomnia - A simple, beautiful, and free REST API client.
Mockingbot - Mockingbot is an easy-to-use prototyping tool.
Postman - Postman, allows a user to develop and test APIs quickly.
Foxit - Foxit Reader 8.0—Award-winning PDF Reader.
Lucidor - Lucidor is a computer program for reading and handling e-books. Lucidor supports e-books in the EPUB file format, and catalogs in the OPDS format.
MasterPDF editor - Master PDF Editor a convenient and smart PDF editor for Linux.
PDF Studio - An easy to use, full-featured PDF editing software that is a reliable alternative to Adobe Acrobat and provides all PDF functions needed at a fraction of the cost. PDF Studio maintains full compatibility with the PDF Standard.
Sublime - A very capable text editor with advanced search capabilities, and many powerful plugins to improve its functionality.
Google Earth - Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program.
KDE Edu Suite - Free Educational Software based on the KDE technologies.
Mendeley - Mendeley is a program for managing and sharing research papers, finding research data and collaborating online.
Mailspring - A beautiful, fast and maintained fork of Nylas Mail ( dead ) by one of the original authors.

Turn Based Strategy

HedgeWars - 2D game where teams compete in the style of the popular Worms games.
Tanks of Freedom - Pixel-art military strategy implemented in Godot game engine.

City Building Simulation

Dwarf Fortress - A famously complex simulation of a High Fantasy Dwarf Fortress, fight goblins, and slay massive legendary beasts. Strike the earth!
Urban Terror - A "Hollywood" tactical shooter - realism based, but the motto is "fun over realism".
Ryzom - Free and open-source 3D MMORPG with unique features and deep lore. The official servers allow free accounts as well as paid subscriptions with extra features.

Command Line

Miscellaneous.

OhMyGiraffe - A delightful game of survival. A game about a giraffe eating fruit while being chased by lions.

Engine Re-creations (require the actual game)

Gaming applications.

Steam - Gaming store, which opens the gates to many games.

Machine Emulators

Graphic creation.

Gravit - Gravit Designer is a full featured free vector design app right at your fingertip.
Heron Animation - A free stop animation making program.
Vectr - Vectr is a free graphics software used to create vector graphics easily and intuitively. It's a simple yet powerful web and desktop cross-platform tool to bring your designs into reality.
yEd Graph Editor - yEd is a powerful desktop application that can be used to quickly and effectively generate high-quality diagrams. Create diagrams manually, or import your external data for analysis. Our automatic layout algorithms arrange even large data sets with just the press of a button.
3DHousePlanner - 3D House Planner is a professional home design web application that allows users to design houses and apartments.

Image Editor

Image management, psd, sketch inspection, screen recorder, video editor.

Chrome - A popular Web Browser with a lot of plugins/apps.
Opera - Opera browser is everything you need to do more on the web.
Vivaldi - A new and rising browser with a lot of customizations.
Yandex - Fast and convenient browser.

Supportive Tool

Clipgrab - A friendly downloader for YouTube and other sites.

Web Service Client

Office suites.

WPS office - A popular office suite in China, but is fully translated and functions well in English.
Typora - A Minimal markdown editor.

Novel Writing

Local search.

f.lux - A program that reddens your display to help you sleep better.

Note Taking

Simplenote - A Cross platform notetaking app and Evernote competitor.

Time and Task

Taskade - Real-time organization and collaboration tool for getting things done. Taskade is a unified workspace for team tasks, notes, with integrated video chat available cross-platform and free to use.

Widget and Indicator

Boot integrity, compartmentalization, password manager.

Enpass - Enpass makes your life easy by securely managing your passwords and important information.
LastPass - LastPass is a crossplatform freemium password management service that stores encrypted passwords in private accounts.
CrossFTP - CrossFTP makes it extremely simple to manage the FTP related tasks.
D-lan - A free LAN file sharing software.
Dropbox - Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily.
Flareget - Full featured, multi-threaded download manager and accelerator.
PushBullet - Pushbullet connects your devices, making them feel like one.
Quazaa - A cross platform multi-network peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing client.
SpiderOak - Real-time collaboration for teams and businesses that care about privacy.
Teamviewer - PC remote control/remote access software, free for personal use.
Tixati - Freeware, advanced featured torrent client, a web user interface is included.
Termius - cross-platform terminal with built-in SSH and Telnet.

Disk Utilities

System maintenance, system monitoring.

GD map - A tool to visualize disk usage.
PlexyDesk - Plexydesk supports multiple widget workspaces/desktops on Linux.
TLP - An application that can help optimize battery life on Linux.
USB network gate - Allows you to share USB ports over a Network on Linux.
SVP - SVP allows you to watch any video on your desktop computer using frame interpolation as it is available on high-end TVs and projectors.
Top 10 command line tools
wicd-curses - Command line WiFi connection manager.

Display manager

Window managers, linux news, apps, and more:.

DistroWatch
GamingOnLinux
How-To Geek
Lemmy c/Linux
LinuxHandbook
Linux official
LinuxSmartphones
Linux Timeline
Make use of
Nixcraft forum
Open Source
Ubuntu Geek
UbuntuHandbook
Linux Kernel
Linux Gaming

Thanks to All of Github contributors for making this list possible and Everyone @ reddit.com/r/linux & reddit.com/r/ubuntu & vozforums.com & other forums for many suggestions and compliments ...

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Guidelines to contribute

Simply put the name of the application in the list. Link to its homepage or a guide on how to install it. Also write a short description for the application + add icon . Make sure it is put under the appropriate topic . If the application doesn't fit in any existing topic , make a new one for it. Ensure everything is alphabetically sorted .

Unsure how to contribute?

How to Use Github
How to Git from the Command Line
What is Markdown? - Markdown is the writing method used to create this list, if you want to know how to format properly, it's best that you learn how to use Github Markdown.
Alternative Markdown Guide:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .

Python 100.0%

The Slant team built an AI & it’s awesome

Find the best product instantly, what is the best linux writing software for novelists, 13 options considered.

Price	Platforms	License
FOSS	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS	MIT
Free	-	-
FREE	Linux, Mac, Windows	GPL 3.0
Free	Windows, Linux, Mac, Android	-
0	Windows, Linux, Mac	GPL v3

My Rec ommendation for Joplin

My recommendation for joplin.

Cross-platform

Offline access

Supports markdown, open source.

Dropbox support

External editor.

Web clipper

Supports file attachments, supports tags for notes, optional cli interface, focuswriter, my rec ommendation for focuswriter, my recommendation for focuswriter.

Customizable

No vim keys.

Cross platform including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X

Open source and free with or without donation, can save as odt, rtf, docx and txt, distraction-free, document navigation.

Customizable themes

Novelwriter, my rec ommendation for novelwriter, my recommendation for novelwriter.

Free Software (GPLv3)

Cross-references

Sets up nice chapter, scene structures for writing, structure for plot development, outline window, structure for defining characters, structure for worlds, reference tags, stats on writing, my rec ommendation for turtl, my recommendation for turtl, my rec ommendation for zettlr, my recommendation for zettlr, citation support.

Focuses on writers

Almost perfect, my rec ommendation for manuskript, my recommendation for manuskript, free and open source.

Many export formats

Internal reference system to keep track of everything

Markdown syntax, cross platform, my rec ommendation for novelist, my recommendation for novelist, only a web app is available for linux users, my rec ommendation for remnote, my recommendation for remnote, libreoffice writer, my rec ommendation for libreoffice writer, my recommendation for libreoffice writer, no mobile apps, familiar interface, easy to use, mouse-friendly interface, my rec ommendation for dramaqueen, my recommendation for dramaqueen, my rec ommendation for bibisco, my recommendation for bibisco, not for raspberry pi, works on windows, linux and mac.

Not trully "pay what you want"

Free and open source, large file size, great organizational tools, powerful character building tools, my rec ommendation for dabble, my recommendation for dabble, dabble uses cloud storage so your work is always safe, subscription plan rather than outright purchase.

Dabble has a clean, uncluttered, and modern looking GUI interface

If you are already heavily invested in scrivener, dabble may not be for you, dabble is easy to use from the start, with little to no learning curve, unlike scrivener, dabble is less mature than scrivener, so there are still a few small bugs, as a web-based app, it doesn't matter if you're using windows, macos, or linux to write your masterpiece, word grinder, my rec ommendation for word grinder, my recommendation for word grinder, no mouse required, spell check not included in other languages, simple learning curve, lightweight, don't see your favorite option add it., writemonkey, my rec ommendation for writemonkey, my recommendation for writemonkey, my rec ommendation for scrivener, my recommendation for scrivener.

Built By the Slant team

Are you sure that you want to abandon your hard work?

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

AI Tools and Resources

What is AI?
Using AI in Academic Work

Ethical Use

-- apa style, -- mla style, -- chicago style.

Other AI Tools for Research
Copyright and Data Privacy
Further Reading

Familiarize yourself with UP's policies on using AI . If you use a generative AI tool for writing, be transparent with your professors. Acknowledge your uses of the tool (such as editing your writing or translating words) within your paper, in a note, or in another suitable location like an appendix.

Ethical Question:

Should generative AIs be credited the same way as human authors? Citations are used to credit the work of other people and give readers a path to the sources used. A reader can then find and look at those sources to make their judgment on things like authority and accuracy. AI tools generate text in human language but may not accurately identify specific sources used. However, they can fabricate convincing citations to sources that don't exist.

What can you do?

Cite a generative AI tool when you paraphrase, quote, or incorporate other content (e.g., text, images, data) from it into your own work.
Providing a record of chat prompts and responses can also be helpful for someone assessing your work. Take screenshots or provide share links (now available for ChatGPT and Gemini ).
When it comes to finding reliable sources, use search tools and resources featured in our library guides . They are still the most effective way to find and connect to real published sources.

Guidance for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools is emerging while continuing to be debated ( more from APA ).

Author. (Year). Name of model (Version) (Description). URL

Reference List Example:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author, Year)

Example: (OpenAI, 2023)

In-Text Quote:

Provide the prompt you used and any portion of the relevant text that was generated in the text of your paper:

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

Guidance for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools is emerging while continuing to be debated ( more from MLA ).

"Prompt." Tool Name, Version, Producer, Date, URL.

Works Cited List Example:

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT , 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

"What is Carrie Mae Weems' most influential work and what are its themes?" prompt. Gemini . 8 Feb. 2024 version, Google, 16 Feb. 2024, https://gemini.google.com/app.

In-Text Citation Example:

(Shortened version of prompt)

Examples: ("Describe the symbolism")

("What is Carrie")

Guidance for citing ChatGPT and similar AI tools is emerging while continuing to be debated ( more from Chicago ).

For student papers or research articles, cite the AI language tool as a footnote. Don't cite AI tools in a bibliography or reference list unless you can provide a public link to the conversation.

Footnote example (if information about the prompt has been included within the text of your paper):

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 7, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

Footnote example (including information about the prompt):

1. ChatGPT, response to "Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients," March 7, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com/chat.

2. Gemini, response to "What is Carrie Mae Weems' most influential work and what are its themes?," February 16, 2024 https://gemini.google.com/app.

<< Previous: Using AI in Academic Work
Next: Other AI Tools for Research >>
Last Updated: Sep 4, 2024 3:49 PM
URL: https://libguides.up.edu/ai

Databases A-Z
Book a Study Room

Working with AI in Research and Writing

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About this event

In this series of learning sessions, we will respond to your questions and concerns about using generative AI in research and writing. Topics may include the use of AI in library systems (catalog/databases), AI tools for research/writing, new developments, how to modify research-focused assignments, and more!

Sessions will be held in person in Thrift 002 and online via Zoom. Recordings will be posted on the Working with AI in Research and Writing guide .

Please register to receive a reminder email 1 day prior to the event.

The Zoom link is provided on the CLTE Learning Series schedule .

Libraries & Cultural Resources

Research guides, generative ai tools for research.

Workshop Chapters

Session Description

This workshop will explore the emerging role of generative AI tools in identifying relevant literature for academic projects. Participants will gain insights into various AI powered platforms designed to support research and academic writing and learn to identify the appropriate tools to fit their needs.

This session will cover:

Identifying and evaluating generative AI tools relevant to literature searching and understanding how to incorporate them into the research process
Selecting appropriate tools for research needs
Critically assessing the limitations and ethical implications of AI-powered tools in academic work

For more workshops visit the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, Literacy and Integrity (CAIELI) at the University of Calgary.

See this guide for more information about Artificial Intelligence in research, teaching and learning .

The workshop is organized into 9 video chapters below - choose to start at whichever topic is of interest!

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

CHAPTER 2: MISINFORMATION AND GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

CHAPTER 3: HOW CAN GENERATIVE AI TOOLS HELP IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS

CHAPTER 4: MICROSOFT COPILOT AND SCITE.AI

CHAPTER 5: SCOPUS AI

CHAPTER 6: HOW SHOULD GENERATIVE AI TOOLS NOT BE USED IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS

CHAPTER 7: LIMITATIONS OF GENERATIVE AI TOOLS (FOR STUDENTS!)

CHAPTER 8: USE THE ROBOT TEST TO ASSESS A GENERATIVE AI TOOL

CHAPTER 9: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WORKSHOPS, AND CONCLUSION

Last Updated: Sep 7, 2024 9:20 AM
URL: https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/genairesearchtools

Libraries & Cultural Resources

403.220.8895

Training videos | Faqs

Popular Writing Tools and Software for Authors and Researchers

Overview | Writing Software | Reference Management Software | Research Tools | Grammar Checking Tools

Whether you are writing an article, research paper, essay, blog, and dissertation or PhD thesis, it is important to choose an appropriate writing software tool for your work. The choice of writing software comes down to your personal taste. Everyday users are happy to shed a few dollars to purchase a well-known writing tool such as MS Word. Tech savvies welcome open source projects such as OpenOffice and LibreOffice. Whereas, research community is much more adventurous and have embraced the type-setting system, Latex as their writing medium. Blog writers and journalists use online writing tools such as GoogleDocs and DropBox Paper as they find these tools perfect for collaborating with others. Novel writers use more fancy writing tools such as Scrivener to organize their ideas and create a storyboard to help them write. In this blog, we review some of the common writing tools and software used by writers.

1. Microsoft Word

MS Word is the most widely used tool in the writing community. It comes with great features and keeps evolving with each version. Some of the popular features include: Grammar and spell checker, Thesaurus, text formatting and aligning, bullets and numbering, inserting watermarks, page numbers headers and footers, readymade templates and mail merge. You can install plenty of third-party plugins and apps to enhance your experience. A good choice of plugins can save you a lot of time and effort with your writing.

You can use office online for free and save your documents in the cloud; all you need is a Microsoft account. If you need a desktop version, then you have to purchase a copy. Some universities offer free copies to students. Office 365 offers a subscription model that allows you to install the latest version of MS office on up to 5 computers. You will also have access to the online version of MS Office and up to 1TB cloud storage.

Useful Links:

Features of MS Word
Advantages and disadvantages of MS Word
Plugins and apps for MS Word
About MS Office 365

LaTeX is a typesetting system for the communication and publication of scientific documents. It is free software. The writer writes in plain text and then adds markup tags to stylise text. Latex is widely used for publishing scientific papers, thesis, and books in many fields. Latex offers a wide variety of features including cross-referencing tables and figures, bibliography management, page layout, chapter and section headings, and numbering. It has a steep learning curve, and beginners will take some time to build up expertise in Latex. People who have no or very little experience in programming will take a while to get used to Latex since it is similar to learning a new scripting language. Most publishers make a Latex template available alongside MS Word template as a part of the author submission instructions.

Complex equations can be beautifully formatted in Latex by inserting relevant tags. Latex produces a .tex file which in turn can be converted into a wide variety of output formats such as PDF, HTML, etc. using TEX distribution packages such as MikTex. The major disadvantages of using Latex is that it does not come with an inbuilt spell checker or graphical user interface. Latex comes with several templates – book, report, article, letter or beamer. You should define the document class in your .tex file so that Latex can include all the necessary packages to produce the final output. One of the biggest advantages of using LateX is that you can concentrate on the writing and leave the formatting to Latex. You don’t have to worry about figures getting out of place because you hit a key by mistake. Everything is taken care of in the backend. One of the powerful features of Latex is bibliography management. Essentially the whole process of referencing and generating bibliography is automated using BibTeX or BibLaTeX.

Latex tutorial
Benefits of Latex
Advantages and disadvantages of using Latex
BibTex tutorial

3. Open Office

OpenOffice is an open-source product that mimics MS Office. It is completely free, and the suite of products it offers includes Writer (Word), Calc (Excel), Impress (Powerpoint) and Base (Access), plus a vector graphics editor, Draw (Visio). The default file format of OpenOffice is OpenDocument Format (ODF). However, you can open and save documents with DOC and DOCX extensions. OpenOffice is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, and the tool is distributed under Apache License. Many paid features of MS Word such as PDF export are available for free in OpenOffice. There are no hidden charges for add-ins and upgrades. The tool supports over 40 languages and includes Grammar and spell checker.

OpenOffice might exhibit some formatting issues while working with DOC/DOCX files. These issues might be apparent while working with word files with a lot of pictures, columns, headers and fancy text alignments. OpenOffice remains quite popular as it is downloaded approximately 100,000 times a day. Another important advantage is that it is open source and you can customize the tool to your requirements. It is ideal for small businesses and startups if they are not so keen on shedding money for buying the MS Office site licenses.

OpenOffice vs. MS Office
Benefits of using OpenOffice
OpenOffice Writing tips
OpenOffice Writing training and ideas

4. LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free open office suite that is similar to OpenOffice. LibreOffice project branched out from the OpenOffice project in 2010 and is maintained by ‘The Document Foundation’. You might notice some minor differences in features between OpenOffice and LibreOffice. However they are broadly similar regarding layout and functionality. Both projects are well-maintained. LibreOffice team tends to release very frequent updates with minor feature increments, but OpenOffice project tends to release new versions with major feature updates. LibreOffice enjoys a better recognition among the Linux community as it comes packaged with Linux, whereas you must download and install OpenOffice manually.

LibreOffice review
OpenOffice vs LibreOffice
OpenOffice and LibreOffice feature comparison
Should you switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice?

5. Scrivener

Scrivener is a writing tool that allows you write and manage a long document such as a Ph.D. Thesis or a novel with a lot of chapters, sections, and subsections. Scrivener is available for both Windows and Mac. One of the great features of Scrivener is that you can split your writing into small chunks or snippets. You can move these chunks around easily and reorganize your content. You can visualize your document using different views. One of the views displays a short message summarising each chapter as a sticky note stuck on a board. You can create folders and subfolders to store documents, images, PDFs, audio, video, and web pages that you need for your writing. You simply drag and drop these into your writing easily in a single click. After finishing the text, the user can export the project into a wide variety of formats. Scrivener is not a free software tool; you can get a copy for approximately $45.

Scrivener for Dummies book
Reasons for switching to Scrivener
Benefits of Scrivener
Scrivener online course and help

7. Google Docs

Google Docs is a web-based writing software offered by Google. The suite includes Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides which are simplified versions of MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint respectively. You can create and edit files online. One of the powerful features of the Google docs is the ability to collaborate with other users online. The changes made by multiple users on the same documents are highlighted with a user-specific color. Google docs are extensively used in the publishing industry where the articles predominantly contain text and pictures with minimum formatting. This Google project is actively maintained, and there are frequent product updates.

There is a limit on the size of the documents you can create on the Google Docs. The documents cannot be larger than 50MB, spreadsheets have a limit of 2 million cells, and presentation cannot be larger than 100MB. The images in the documents and presentation slides cannot be larger than 50MB. Users can load and export documents in a wide variety of formats such as DOC, DOCX, TXT and ODF file formats. You can upload documents to Google Drive cloud storage. You can either download Google Drive App to your desktop or use the online interface to import and export documents. There are handy research tools that allow you to search for academic papers and quickly insert the appropriate footnotes or citations in a variety of citation formats to Google Docs. You can install third-party add-ons. Some of the popular add-ons include easy bibliography creator, diagramming tool, and table of contents generator.

How to use Google Docs?
Tips and tricks for Google Docs
How to use Google drive?
Google drive tips and tricks

8. DropBox Paper

Dropbox Paper, or simply Paper, is a web based document-editing service developed by Dropbox. Paper is broadly similar to Google Docs in functionality. It has a very lightweight interface and is capable of supporting a wide variety of content including images, Google spreadsheets, data from Github, YouTube videos, Spotify playlists, and plain old code. This makes DropBox Paper easy to customise for a wide variety of projects. Documents can be easily shared with others. Documents can be shared individually or added to a folder with group access. You can also invite people to edit (or view) a file via email or with a specific URL. It is so easy to create tables and image galleries in Dropbox Paper document. You can create a table by simply clicking on an icon and specifying the number of rows and columns. Image galleries can be created by simply dragging and dropping images. DropBox paper also offers plenty of shortcuts that will save you a lot of time. For example, typing # followed by space will create an H1 header, and typing a hyphen followed by a space will start an unordered list. DropBox will notify the changes made to the DropBox paper documents via the bell icon in the top left-hand corner. The version control system is very good. You can see all the changes that have been made to the documents and who made the changes. It is easy to navigate to various sections of the paper as the headings are listed as links in the left-hand panel. One of the downsides of using DropBox paper is that DOCX and MD (markdown ) are the only file formats available for exporting documents at the moment. Also, DropBox Paper does not currently support spreadsheet and presentation formats. Hopefully, this will be included in the future updates.

Google Docs vs. DropBox paper
Reasons for choosing Dropbox paper
Features of DropBox paper
Tips and Tricks for using DropBox paper

Plagiarism Checker and Plagiarism Detector Tools – A Review of Free and Paid Tools

In this blog, we review the most popular plagiarism checking tools available in the market from the perspective of cost and ease of use.

Top Research Tools and Software for Academics and Research Students

In this blog, we review some of the useful tools for research that researchers can use to be more productive.

Academic Writing Tools and Research Software – A Comprehensive Guide

In this blog, we review writing tools, referencing tools, research tools and grammar checking tools that students, academics and researchers can benefit from.

Scholarly Paraphrasing Tool and Essay Rewriter for Rewording Academic Papers

In the blog, we focus on academic and scientific paraphrasing software tools that help students to rewrite their essay into an academically acceptable format.

Top Referencing Tools and Reference Management Software for Academic Writing

In this blog, we have reviewed some of the popular referencing tools used by the scientific community from an academic writing perspective.

Top English Grammar Checkers and Sentence Correction Tools

In this blog, grammar checking software, grammar correction apps and online grammar checking sites are reviewed along with the discussion about various features.

Given that the intro mentions all sorts of academic writing, there’s a severe lack of any mention of how these tools interact with referencing softwares. Mendeley, endnote, papers3, and many more I’m failing to mention…

Plugins are available almost exclusively for word and libreoffice, and little else. As beautiful as scrivener looks, and as much as I like the way it structures documents and lets you focus on the writing, without an easy way to cite-as-you-write and automatically generate a bibliography, it’s simply never going to make any huge in-roads as far as academia is concerned.

Timothy, For the purpose of an integrated software suite that incorporates every component of academic writing — research, writing, and citation management –you should look into Nota Bene (www.notabene.com). I note that I have no financial interest in the company.

most people use scrivener or scribus

In the Spirit of Ubuntu: Stories of Teaching and Research (First Pages)

2009, In the Spirit of Ubuntu: Stories of Teaching and Research

"It is not, ‘I think therefore I am.’ It says rather: ‘I am human because I belong. I participate, I share.’ A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed, or treated as if they were less than who they are." (Desmond Tutu, 1999, No Future without Forgiveness, p.31) In the Spirit of Ubuntu: Stories of Teaching and Research offers a collection of stories to encourage teachers and researchers to embrace the spirit of Ubuntu, which can guide our work. These authors seek to bridge their academic work with community engagement, well-being and transformation. Many of the book’s contributors demonstrate a research commitment to working collaboratively with underrepresented communities, who are viewed not as “objects” to be studied or rescued, but as partners in a shared project. Others demonstrate how self-reflection informs and transforms their teaching practice. Overall the writers show through their stories, how an ethic of care, respect and reciprocity applies to teachers as well as researchers and works toward the decolonization and humanization of schooling and the academy. From the Foreword by Ngugi wa Thiong’o: "The stories here are united in a common quest for Ubuntu but in the process they become an important contribution to that common quest…They should be read as an expression of the common quest for a more humane world."

Related Papers

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Much of the pedagogical work with which I have been involved over the last three decades in higher education directly concerns my relations with students and vice a versa. More recently (Waghid, 2019), I have given some thought to my pedagogical relations vis-à-vis the virtue of caring in an attempt to make sense of my encounters with students in higher education. This article reflects a closer look at pedagogical encounters between students and myself (as a university educator). In a way, I firstly reflect on my teaching and learning in a university context by making a connection between what it means to engage in pedagogical encounters through the act of caring. Secondly, I show how pedagogical encounters constituted by care could enhance both teacher and student autonomy, before, thirdly, tackling the notion that caring in pedagogical encounters cannot be remiss of deliberative iterations. Finally, I argue why caring pedagogical encounters are inextricably connected to an enactme...

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Sapientia Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Development Studies, (Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)

Benson P E T E R Irabor , ayodele Quadri

In this research, we examine the suitability of Ubuntu, a concept of the indigenous Value system in Africa, in the light of the quest for a better and contemporary education that is founded and grounded in African values. This becomes pertinent since the idea of decolonization and articulation of new ideas that will improve the existential condition of contemporary Africans have become urgent due to sustained development challenges that education could help dissolve. Through the method of philosophical speculation, analysis and prescription, this study argues that an authentic African contemporary education can be built on value a system that is nurtured by Ubuntu. From this orient, this study strongly argues that the spirit of community, togetherness, interdependence, mutuality, caring and inclusion, which are deeply enshrined as indigenous values and admitted by Ubuntu, can serve as a philosophical basis upon which a new contemporary curriculum and pedagogy can function. This study, therefore, submits that the quest for a developed and improved Africa can only be attained if authentic cultural measures are integrated into an educational system consisting in indigenous existential ideas that are built on African ideas.

International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478)

Loyiso Jita

School curriculum in post-colonial societies has been castigated, not only as alien and irrelevant, but as dehumanizing and marginalizing to the indigenous people. This study gleans insights into how Ubuntu (humanness) – a strand of indigenous African knowledge - is being implemented in Zimbabwe’s New Curriculum Framework 2015-2022. This qualitative desktop study, couched within the Southern Theory framework, teases the enactment of Ubuntu (or lack of it) in classroom practice. Critical discourse analysis was adopted as the research design in reviewing 15 studies published between 2016 and 2021 on the implementation of Ubuntu in Zimbabwean primary and secondary schools. Findings indicate that, while Ubuntu is espoused as the overarching reform philosophy, not much has been done to nurture classroom practice that promotes collective participation, communitarianism, humility, and love for humanity – the key principles of Ubuntu. This critical discourse shows that most teachers, becaus...

Alecia Blackwood

The pursuit of this ethnographic study was inspired by my lived experiences as an urban school teacher for 18 years, as well as, the experiences of a group of other urban teachers. The study explored the following question: Does knowledge and practice of Ubuntu pedagogy help to improve teachers\u27 cultural competencies in an urban school? The research documents how knowledge and practice of the three pillars of Ubuntu pedagogy help to transform the perspective of urban teachers. The three pillars are (1) Humanism and Ubuntu Competency, (2) Collaboration and Partnership, and (3) Relationship and Learning Community. Data were collected using multiple techniques, which included semi-structured interviews, book study, reflective digital journal notes, observations and a focus group. Seven participants, who were interviewed, were selected using convenience sampling (Creswell, 2013). Transformative learning and Ubuntu pedagogy are constructs in the conceptual framework that guided the pr...

Devi Mucina

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Enhancing ESL Writing Skills through Generative AI Tools: A Study on Students' Perceptions and Performance

English Language Centre

Research output : Unpublished conference presentation (presented paper, abstract, poster) › Abstract › Academic research

Original language	English
Publication status	Not published / presented only - 15 Jun 2024
Event	- Duration: 14 Jun 2024 → 15 Jun 2024

Conference	Sheffield Literacies and Language Conference 2024
Period	14/06/24 → 15/06/24

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Writing Skills Keyphrases 100%
Student Perceptions Keyphrases 100%
Student Performance Keyphrases 100%
Generative Artificial Intelligence Keyphrases 100%
Artificial Intelligence Tools Keyphrases 100%
ESL Writing Keyphrases 100%
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T1 - Enhancing ESL Writing Skills through Generative AI Tools: A Study on Students' Perceptions and Performance

AU - Lee, Pui Ling

PY - 2024/6/15

Y1 - 2024/6/15

N2 - This presentation will share whether the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools can enhance the English writing performance of three groups of third-year Engineering students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Utilizing a questionnaire survey, the research explored the students' perceptions of their English writing skills before and after adopting generative AI tools. The majority initially reported their writing skills as average to poor, with grammar being the primary challenge. After implementing AI tools, a significant portion of the students observed improvements in their writing qualities, with notable improvements in grammar confidence and vocabulary use. However, some students expressed concerns about an over-reliance on the technology and its potential impact on the editing process. Despite these concerns, more than half of the participants believed that AI tools had a positive effect on their grades and writing processes, while just under half reported that their grades either remained the same or deteriorated. This indicates a need for further investigation into the relationship between the use of AI tools and traditional ESL learning methods.

AB - This presentation will share whether the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools can enhance the English writing performance of three groups of third-year Engineering students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Utilizing a questionnaire survey, the research explored the students' perceptions of their English writing skills before and after adopting generative AI tools. The majority initially reported their writing skills as average to poor, with grammar being the primary challenge. After implementing AI tools, a significant portion of the students observed improvements in their writing qualities, with notable improvements in grammar confidence and vocabulary use. However, some students expressed concerns about an over-reliance on the technology and its potential impact on the editing process. Despite these concerns, more than half of the participants believed that AI tools had a positive effect on their grades and writing processes, while just under half reported that their grades either remained the same or deteriorated. This indicates a need for further investigation into the relationship between the use of AI tools and traditional ESL learning methods.

M3 - Abstract

T2 - Sheffield Literacies and Language Conference 2024

Y2 - 14 June 2024 through 15 June 2024

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Academic Writing Tools on GNU/Linux
LibreOffice. Tool for writing all text documents. On other OS, this is equal to MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with abilities to write math equations, draw diagrams and flowchart, plus make database, plus many more extensions. Zotero bibliography tool, for example, helps you creating citations and bibliographies easily on LibreOffice Writer.
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Consider the following tools suggestions—everyone works differently, and you might find some other app that better fits the way you work. These tools are current to this writing: Word processor. LibreOffice 6.0.1. Until recently, I used WPS, but font-rendering problems (Times New Roman was always in bold format) nixed it. The newest version ...
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LaTeX is just a typesetting program. It uses your text, with some markup, as input, and produces a high quality print-ready pdf as output. But you need a text editor (you can use any editor you like) to write your text first. Scrivener seems to be a tool to help and organize the creative writing process.
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19 Academic Writing Tools (that are completely free!)
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It uses unique citation keys for the bibliography and keeps the bibliographic data separate from the metadata, making your work more efficient and organized. Get Pubs. 11. Wizdom.ai. Wizdom.ai is a comprehensive and free reference manager designed for Linux users, especially students, teachers, and researchers.
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Dropbox support. Can sync using Dropbox. Encryption. External editor. Write using your preferred text manipulation software. Web clipper. Browser extension saves full pages, clean content, or screen selections to new notes. Supports file attachments. Supports tags for notes.
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Seeing how personal narratives combined individual insights with national aspirations for independence from British colonialism led me to see the power of autobiographical narrative as a methodological tool, as research data, and as a contribution toward educational policy in peace building (Barash & Webel, 2002).
Enhancing ESL Writing Skills through Generative AI Tools: A Study on
This presentation will share whether the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools can enhance the English writing performance of three groups of third-year Engineering students who are learning English as a Second Language (ESL). Utilizing a questionnaire survey, the research explored the students' perceptions of their English ...

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