Using Technologies
Many modern research techniques use specific software programs to support the process of analysis. Some of these are listed in the table below along with examples of software commonly used in different parts of the research cycle.
This table is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive or exemplary. There are many hundreds of software options available to researchers, and different packages can appeal for different reasons (such as licensing, relevant to task, user interface, versatility, etc.)
Purpose Categories Examples
Search & Discovery Search Engines Duck Duck Go
Firefox
Google
Google Scholar Alerts
Internet Explorer
RSS
Bibliographic Search Google Scholar
Subject-specific databases
(e.g. EBSCO, JSTOR, etc.)
Data Collection Google Forms
SurveyMonkey
Data Analysis Statistical Microsoft Excel
SPSS
Stata
R
Qualitative Data Analysis
(CAQDAS)
ATLAS.ti
Coding Analysis Toolkit (CAT)
Dedoose
MAXQDA
NVivo
qcoder
Data Visualization Blender
Datawrapper
QGIS
Shiny
Tableau
Reference Management Endnote
Mendeley
RefWorks
Zotero
Manuscript Preparation Word processor Google Docs
LateX
Libre Office
Microsoft Word
OpenOffice
Dissemination Academic Social Networks Academia.edu
Google Scholar
Mendeley
ResearchGate
Presentations Google Slides
Microsoft PowerPoint
Prezi
Figure 7. Examples of software used in parts of the research lifecycle
Having to learn how to use new software can be intimidating, and time may need to be set aside for this. Sometimes it’s worth undertaking some formal training in the use of software (particularly for data analysis). Effective technology enhanced workflows can make research more efficient as well as enhancing the agency and reach of the researcher.