The ultimate goal of all research is knowledge creation and understanding. Research is the only way we know how to understand our environment. It helps us make sense of the world we live in, while solving problems. Therefore, we could say that research also makes our lives better through continuous questioning of phenomenon we may have accepted as “facts.” But research is hard work. It requires years of training and practice. And then more practice.
Part of the training and practice will be spent on learning how to use tools. According to Dr. Solen Feyissa, there are three tools every independent researcher should know about.
Todoist
Research is the one activity that takes a lot of time. If you are a fellow researcher, then you must know the struggle of juggling between personal and professional life. Dr. Solen Feyissa recommends giving Todoist a try. This online tool will allow you to manage all your task and projects while accessing them for different platforms like desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and other portable devices. You could also share your projects while collaborating with other people. Dr. Solen Feyissa’s favorite feature is “Karma” points – give to users if they successfully assign tasks to projects.
Scrivener
As mentioned above, the ultimate goal of all research is knowledge creation and understanding. That means researchers must communicate their research to an audience. Writing is one of the oldest and most common way researchers communicate the findings of their research. To that end, Dr. Solen Feyissa, recommends using Scrivener. Scrivener is more than a writing tool. On capable hands it can be used in all phases of a research project.
EndNote
Searching for relevant information in online databases could take hours with no guaranteed results. EndNote is an online multi-functional research tool that will help you with researching in full texts based on abstracts while it auto-completes all your references. Similar to Todoist, EndNote also allows you to share all your data with your collaborator. Prefer to work alone? You could also do that by managing, saving, and tagging all your research results for improved access. Dr. Solen Feyissa’s favorite features are the bibliography maker, which creates citations in over 6,000 styles along with journal suggestions.
Trello
While most production apps tend to be tailored to the business landscape, Trello has the center stage in the world of academia. It’s a valuable and dynamic visual assistance that can be easily accessed by every member of your research team. Trello helps you in different tasks like Brainstorm different content ideas, writing, research, and publication of different papers. Each task can be moved according to the project’s priority. Tasks can be optimized, and staffing changes can also be accounted for while everyone on your team can see where the project is heading as a whole along with their individual expectations and contributions.
These are the top online research tools recommended by Dr. Solen Feyissa. As an independent researcher himself, he advises that every online learner should be able to utilize online tools to the fullest as mastery over them could allow you to explore your hidden potential.
