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The Most Helpful Apps & Tools for Academic Research

By November 1, 2016January 27th, 2023No Comments

Grad students, PhD candidates and academic researchers have a lot on their plates — an average day can jump from group projects, to exams, to meetings and interviews, and even networking opportunities. It can be a lot to handle without the help of technology.

A 2015 study conducted by McGraw-Hill Education showed 77% of students using tablets and smartphones reported that the device helped improve their grades, and 62% said that this technology helps them feel more prepared. With a connected device, and all the incredible apps that you can access with them, it’s simple to take advantage of the combination of technology and productivity tools.

Here’s our list of the best apps that will help give you the framework for streamlining your studies and ongoing research.

Evernote is the digital organizer you’ve been dreaming of. Not only is it great for syncing notes and ideas across all connected devices, it’s also completely free to use, so you don’t have to break the bank. Easily upload files, organize and manage with ease, and quickly search to find all your notes in seconds.

Instapaper was built for research-hoarders and information geeks alike. Save web pages to read later (or even offline), organized just the way you want and optimized for the most clean, clutter-free readability on your screen.

Dropbox is a must-have for any researcher, and it’s absolutely free. The app allows you to upload and share documents, videos, photos, audio recordings, and other files with anyone. You can also use it to access your own saved files anywhere on-the-go.

Wolfram Alpha is a robust, online searching tool that answers factual queries. Rather than pulling up a list of related articles, images and other web pages like Google does, this app directly solves problems using structured data, so you know you’re getting the most technically-correct answers.

TranscribeMe‘s mobile transcription app is ideal for recording lectures, interviews, meetings, personal notes and much more. With a powerful, in-app audio recorder to capture audio and voice recordings anywhere, academic researchers can easily turn audio into accurate searchable, shareable text.


Check out these apps and tell us what you think. Have any other recommendations? Leave a comment below and let us know!