5 Essential Apps for Every PhD Student

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TL;DW: Evernote, Zotero, Keynote, Calendar, Microsoft Word.
Downloads for software mentioned:
Evernote: evernote.com
Zotero: www.zotero.org
Mendeley: www.mendeley.com
Endnote: endnote.com
Adobe Illustrator: www.adobe.com/uk/products/ill...
Inkscape: inkscape.org/en/
Microsoft Word: www.microsoft.com/en-gb/downl...
Say the word and I’ll do a follow-up video on the next top five, because I can think of plenty! And do tell me what your top apps are in the comments.
Say hello:
/ lekissick
www.lucykissick.co.uk
Discuss this video:
/ gradschool
About me:
I’m Lucy Kissick and I’m a second year PhD student studying martian geology at the University of Oxford. I secretly love Pluto more than Mars, I have no cats but wish I had ten, and if you’re in Oxford right now then THERE IS A NESTING SWAN IN THE UNIVERSITY PARKS, I’M SO HAPPY.
New video every fortnight or so, please comment if there’s a topic you’d particularly like to see discussed!
Many thanks to Silent Island for use of their song "Dolphin Rush" in the credits! Available here: silentisland.bandcamp.com

[@rafshantik]

She is the Real Life Hermione!

[@gravitydahiya9777]

stop being a simp.

[@TALKmd]

Thank you, Lucy, I think even if you focus on Ph.D. students, many other regular students can benefit from this content I found it to be useful.

[@nilsg9199]

Kicking off my PhD program this month, glad I stumbled across your vid, thanks for the great recommendations!

[@noname89636]

You introduced things to me that I did not know about before. Thank you.

[@TellysMarineTales]

A great video! I'm nearing the end of my PhD - also a technophobe but I agree with all your recommendations! I would only suggest overcoming the Latex learning curve when actually compiling your thesis though - it is so worth not having to struggle through Word when compiling such a large document!

[@teologen]

I am not a mathematician or a physicist. I am a theologian and wrote my master's thesis in LaTeX. It was wonderful.

[@apoorvajoshi9216]

Could you please offer more insight on Latex? This is the first I've heard of it and would certainly like to know more considering our common struggles with Word. I'm taking my comprehensive exams soon and will be doing a lot of dissertation-related writing right after. A non-clunky, reliable software would be VERY helpful. What are Latex's main advantages?

[@ketonazi4656]

@@apoorvajoshi9216 typesetting is easy. Word is okay for small docs, large docs = latex.

[@educationr.noureddine8782]

hello madam, this is my first year of thesis, i don't know where to start yet. can you recommend only one writing software? (which will be useful, and sufficient for me)

[@c.h.7067]

best bit: You can put chapters in different tex documents and import them. saves time on compiling! Also, Overleaf is very nice as you can access your documents from wherever.

[@waldenpoetry]

Thank you so much! Starting my PhD this month and this video is invaluable :)

[@__donez__]

I just binge watched a bunch of your videos. I wish I had found your channel a year ago. Thank you for your videos! (3rd year Physics PhDying student)

[@geetamonpara8116]

So I just started using Evernote after watching this video, it is immensely helpful so far. Way faster than loading a word document and you can still insert snippets of diagrams/tables/figures etc. It has been very helpful in organizing my rather messy brain. :)

[@HaroonKhan-cy1mi]

It's really amazing to see you and your suggested software. They are awesome, I noted the entire mention and going to download for my PhD study. Thanking you....

[@ghosthacktube]

My favorite apps are Grammarly and Easy Bib. Grammarly catches my mistakes in my 20+ page papers, and Easy Bib organizes, and archives complicated reference pages by subject. Also I like that I can switch from APA to MLA or Harvard on the fly. Thank you for sharing!

[@sparklewell]

Ghost Hack Agreed, I found both tools to be easy to use!

[@markbrown6194]

All great information that I will need going forward. I wish I had seen this video earlier in my graduate process, but it is not too late.

[@blushfullyss]

This is brilliant. Thank you so much!

[@eddieflores2852]

Why thank you very much young lady. I always find it amusing to see people talk about apps, but in reality, i will start to use them as you suggested. I just started my PhD and very glad I found your youtube. Thank you for that information.

[@Empzk]

Great video! Thanks for all the good tips :) The illustration you made is stunning!!

[@FitWithHolly]

Thanks for this!!! I’m at the end of my coursework now but still have dissertation so any suggestions are so appreciated!! Thanks Lucy!

[@fd_unger]

Thanks for the advice Dr. Lucy!

[@kishorekumar-pe7mj]

Ya very nice it helped me a lot I too completed my second year in my PhD..thanks for sharing..continue your work all the best

[@pranjalsingh9154]

The keynote recommendation was brilliant, thanks!

[@bonniehoke-scedrov4906]

This is my first time enjoying your KZbin channel. Great work! I’m looking forward to more great content from you. Thank you so much for this informative video! I got so much out of it.

[@aishaabdul-kareem7331]

Hi Lucy, I love your presentation. Very animated, you ooz confidence that is contagious! Thank you.

[@dooshimagbahabo2533]

Thank God its here now, but I needed it yesterday. Thanks Lucy

[@MaunykahArcelin]

I am completely stunned by the beautiful artwork that you created using Keynote and I have access to Illustrator and Affinity Designer! I have completely underestimated the software. Thank you for the suggestion.

[@belevitt1]

Yep! You nailed the top few I used in my PhD... Note taking app (google keep), google calendar, word, zotero. However, I would also throw in a recommendation for a convenient, non specialty data analysis tool like graphpad

[@osamazoubi882]

Thank you for the list Lucy and I hope to talk about writing paper and difference between a review paper and journal paper

[@marinahansen9206]

Finally a short and clear video! Super helpful, thank you so much!

[@pabmedpe]

I will start a PhD programme soon and your videos have been really inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

[@ThePhDiaries]

Very best of luck for your project! I'm really glad you find the videos helpful, thank you for telling me :)

[@alexanderlockwood3318]

Ignore what she had said, LaTeX is the way!

[@alexanderlockwood3318]

Especially for PhDs with a lot of maths. But only use it if you are just starting, I would not recommend learning it to write your thesis in the last 3 months because you do need to actually know how to use it. But graphics will stay where you put them, it looks neater and doesn't start crashing if you have any remotely high resolution graphics in there!

[@alexanderlockwood3318]

Also this appeared like I was attacking the video but I'm just being playful, they're really good and very useful and informative. That being said, LaTeX 4 lyf!

[@pabmedpe]

The PhDiaries quick question: do u use any kind of project manager app??? I’m asking because with all the stuff I’m having to deal at the same time, I’m loosing track of the different projects. Your advice would be really helpful!!!

[@fatimegashi1595]

Hi Lucy, thanks for all your PhD experiences sharing with us - they are honest, and very wise thus helpful tips for all of us in pursuit to PhD degree ... All the best to you :-)

[@neerajachinchalkar3370]

Saw my adviser's citation there! Fellow planetary geologist here! Great video 👍

[@JohananJoysingh]

The fact that your video is less than ten minutes and that you added a TL;DW in your description speaks for your sincerity :) Good video. Thank you. :) For me, - Notes using Google Docs, organized on my drive as folders. Its really good for note taking actually. - Reference Management using Mendeley. For my papers I usually have a bib file which I manually accumulate from Google Scholar. Latex does the formatting work. I am considering Zotero after you said so. - Diagrams using Dia (Linux) and Inkscape for graphics when required. Dia is very easy to use for flowcharts and block diagrams. Sometimes I create something on Dia and color it and add color and effects to it on inkscape. Just checked, and it seems its available for windows too. Maybe you can give it a try. :) - Presentations - Latex Beamer for technical ones. Google slides for the rest. - Microsoft To-Do and Google Calendar for task management. I have tried so many over the last three four years. - Google docs again for word processing. Latex for serious work, publications.

[@m.aminulhaque8744]

i am really impressed in your explanations. many thanks!

[@ByrneBros]

Signed up to Evernote now thank you!

[@julianas.7566]

Thank you very much for this insight!!

[@AlexFinger]

Your Videos are a story of success, humility and fun. Thanks for sharing.

[@JayzleP]

You're so adorable!! Thank you for mentioning a reference manager

[@dbadaddy7386]

I've been enjoying your videos since I started working on a doctorate. I finished my masters before you started or I would watched you then as well. Sometimes I just want to reach through the screen and give you a hug because damn, girl, I feel your pain, and doctoral studies are a series of pains and disappointments. We need thick carpets to soak up those tears of broken dreams.

[@mohamedtellai]

Thank you so much, these apps are really helpful, wish you the best with your PhD)

[@Camerz]

I'm currently doing a science research project for the end of my bachelors and started using endnote, and it is honestly amazing how easy it makes referencing. i used to struggle to reference and hated updating my bibliography every time i made a change, but endnote did all of that automatically. and if i needed to change the style? that happened automatically, too.

[@Naratifan]

this is such a great video, thank you very very very much !!!

[@MrJarastamon]

Thank you!

[@jackeckhart386]

Thanks a lot for Zotero!! Nice choice.

[@Hannah-ox1fi]

Thanks for the tutorial! I'm definitely going to be trying the vector graphics Software. Another great video, thanks Lucy!

[@ThePhDiaries]

Cheers Hannah! Glad to have helped :)

[@sidhath98]

I'm a 19-year-old undergrad who is writing his 1st paper. I found this video to be insanely useful. Thank you.

[@pengfeizhao9528]

Thanks for your sharing. Very very good choices for doing research.

[@jhanielosoriosilva9904]

This is the first video from u that I watch. And... I can really say that your personality is awesome. Really. So interesting to listen to. Hahaha, great apps!

[@seulgihong5605]

Oh I've heard about evernote so many times but didn't know why people use it. I'll download it right now! Thanks

[@dr.delowerhossain2100]

Thank you Lucy! Nice presentation

[@pra1518]

Thank you so much, it's worthy listening to your video.

[@isodoubIet]

"The best bit is it writes your bibliography for you" _Laughs in LaTeX_

[@prjthkmr]

Haha.. Good one. I am also a big fan of latex. Just hate word

[@JesperDramsch]

\begin{laugh} Oh God why have I spent so much time writing my own macro \end{laugh}

[@isodoubIet]

_Overfull \hbox (badness 10000)_

[@spot1401]

textbf{I 100 \% agree}

[@shldz88]

For the love of god, don't write a thesis in Word. Use LaTeX, it's the right tool for the job

[@cptanalatriste]

Great list! And I'll add Grammarly, for the non-native speakers :)

[@stardaggerrihannsu2363]

Or for PhD students from the States!

[@nizuto]

As a non-native speaker that use Grammarly, I STRONGLY recommend it!

[@matpikachu]

But now grammerly is worst than before! Before, when it first came out, they give u alot of checks for being free but now they just give you spell check and if you want to check the rest then you have to pay.

[@connyb515]

yeah, it's my saver!

[@lovelyxtyxty8261]

Grammarly is useless for PhD level

[@mulusewbirhanuayalew9041]

It is wowed !! I love your explanation

[@Bill.R.124]

You're very captivating and cool. Suggestion is slow down, especially saying the name of the product. As I tell my students and colleagues when presenting. Realize that this is the very first time the audience (listener) is hearing your presentation. Speak clearly, articulating every word, and emphasizing words that deserve attention.

[@neelamadhavacademy6921]

Thank you so much sister..

[@grantbeerling4396]

Really helpful, saved me a shit load of time. As a former Ba/MA student I also highly recommend Keynotes, made full animations as well as flat graphics...Yes mac Pages is so much easier and reliable, and I too hate MS word, but I'll take your advice, and get a copy via University

[@rahimnav]

Thanks for the explanation..... its helpful

[@Ali_Ogla]

Thank you for useful information.

[@stevefletcher1506]

As an older PhD, well done on your list. I find, as a Mac User, that Scrivener and iA writer are excellent for authoring, particularly Scrivener thesis length documents, and then export to word for final formatting

[@vulc1]

Scrivener doesn't do images, a major drawback

[@firevr]

Hi Lucy, thank you for such an informative video. I am approaching my MSc dissertation time and eve this far into my MSc I am still honing my workflow. The thought of having to carry on using word for my dissertation is more than depressing. Have you or your colleagues come across and alternative workflows? Synthesis is difficult for me as I tend to hyper focus and then realise I’ve not sign posted anything I have read (ADHD 🙄). I think I have found a way to overcome this with a MindMap workflow. My main issue is finding a reference manager that meets my needs. I really like the idea of using Scrivener but for the life of me I can’t find a ref manager that will work with it. I really need to streamline my workflow and do well as I have an ambition to continue to a PhD. I am also new to academia as I went from GCSE’s to my career then straight to MSc. Gulp!!!

[@akshayuppala9295]

I also typed every reference from google scholar. It was a chore. Wish I had known about this earlier. In the future, I will use a reference manager app.

[@jsaezf1757]

Thanks so much! really really helpful!

[@snk2818]

Thanks for sharing.. i found about Zotero i was looking for an app like this.. thanks

[@madeinengland1296]

I didn’t know about a reference manager. Many thanks

[@saziwald4490]

So extremely helpful!

[@marktwain8668]

Excellent channel. Highly recommended.

[@rajarshimajumder6659]

This is a really helpful video! Thanks Lucy

[@tylerbranston6383]

Google docs is actually a great alternative to word. Easier to use, free, syncs with all devices, works on and offline. And can share, sync edits, and comment exactly like word for what lunch showed. No worries about $ or subscription and can save/export as word docs and can also open/import word docs. I use it for all my paper writing and is amazing when you have an idea for a revision and can just open your phone and do it right away. I've actually constructed major arguments in bed and in the bathroom. 👌

[@sofifledermaus9963]

Tyler Branston totally agree, and combining it with paperpile for managing/inserting citations it's even better. The only downside I see with Google docs (unless google already fixed it) is the lack of a tool to insert subtitles to your figures/tables and the ability to cross reference them across the entire document, so that the numbering gets automatically updated when you insert a new figure.

[@tylerbranston6383]

sofi fledermaus not sure if I fully know what you mean. But you can add numbered footnotes throughout your document. And if you need to add or remove footnotes they automatically adjust the number based on where you add/remove them.

[@ThomasWeeks]

Google docs for centralized, always-current collaboration is priceless.. and an order of magnitude better than the MS stack. We use it exclusively within our university group.

[@vulc1]

Google Docs has some good points - its excellent with simple text and for collaboration. But to use it as the main text editor? No! It is slow and bad with graphics and footnotes/endnotes. Also no way to automatically generate an index

[@peakdavid]

Brilliant!

[@smaximok1]

Thank you. I like Scrivener and STATISTICA.

[@engr.qaisarfarooq5336]

Hii Dr Lucy you exceptionally Cute and the manner in which you are talking and it is truly marvelous to make sense of the things.. Keep it up.. Much Love.

[@insyirah21]

Thank you 💓

[@MrMeraby]

One item to note, you don't quite have to start from scratch if you get Endnote and then move to something else. You can always save your database in a raw file form and the upload it into whatever else you decide to use. Yes, any papers you currently are writing will no longer be connected to the source (so finish your papers before hand and then remove the fields!), but that's true with most any software (or so it was a few years ago before I chose Endnote).

[@paige1635]

THANK YOU!

[@hajerabd3491]

i use the sectograph app instead of an assistant. you put ur schedules on google calender and it makes it easier to view your appointments and tasks. really nice.

[@dreww1818]

Nice video - concise and to the point.

[@kelvinchikezie9370]

superb advice. thanks

[@SamiUllah-xs3tm]

love your energy 😊👍♥️

[@CharliWrites]

I work in Scrivener. Only in the final stage of a paper do I convert it into Word.

[@bezouimad]

Thank you very much for the video, personally I use: - Evernote and "Keep note"/ For notes - LaTeX/ Writing - Dia and PowerPoint/ For vector drawings under LaTeX - Qbserve/ Time monitoring - Zotero/ References manager.

[@JohananJoysingh]

Nice to see another person using Dia. :) Really good for flow charts and block diagrams!

[@c.h.7067]

if you like latex consider using tikz package for small drawings

[@decentralizedfuture]

A few categories of applications that weren't included: Ebook Management: - Calibre ToDo List Application: - Google Keep - SimpleNote (tons of options here) Knowledge Management System - Roam Research ($) - Zettler - Zim-wiki

[@c.h.7067]

Another good thing to do to keep track of To-Dos: Trello

[@1991jwp]

Don't know if I'm being really obvious here but for handling datasets and generating graphs from them, do not use Excel, there's a program called Origin that makes much nicer images and has peak picking features that Excel doesn't, so it's really useful if your work involves any kind of spectroscopy. Made some quite nice IR, UV/Vis and TGA images during my PhD!

[@constancelovejoy7308]

Can u do a keynote/illustrator video on how you made the animation? 😊

[@stephane1623]

Great video, this will definitely help for my PhD in the near-future!

[@vishwasbadheiitbombay4902]

Thanks Lucy.

[@teketela.siyoum5231]

thank you LUCY

[@brettknoss486]

One thing about Inkscape, it's used by Jupyter to export pdfs, so if you code in Julia, R or Python, it will be handy to have for that reason alone.

[@amosigil8]

Just starting my PhD...this helps a lot...thanks...but your eyes are hypnotic..

[@leannekenyon2926]

Just started my PhD yesterday. I have a feeling I'm going to binge watch every one of your videos now!! 🤗

[@faroukmintoiba]

Good luck Leanne

[@medline5140]

Congratulations!!

[@muhammadadeel1150]

May i have your email? I started as well

[@ashokak9764]

Hey, thank you very much. It was a very sweet.

[@scottcoleman5438]

Obsidian is hands down the best app that I am using as a Ph.D. student. It syncs to Zotero and can import annotations into Markdown format.

[@carmenallison3223]

excellent insight thanks!

[@joeblack1847]

You have no idea how SOOTHING your voice sounds to me !!

[@ndaschakladar1]

Thank you for the very helpful video. Can I use this video link for my PhD students? Thanks and regards.

[@ashiqirphank]

Thanks for the TL;DW

[@David-fv2my]

Try scrivener. It seems very useful in managing larger files and can export to Word when you are ready.

[@JM-zh4cr]

This inspired me to try Zotero again and after a bit of fiddling around, oh my God, I get it now.

[@ThePhDiaries]

Yay, I'm so glad! I'm writing a paper right now and am up to the making bibliography bit; *every time* I'm still like "do I really have to download all these papers, are you sure this is easier?" [ten minutes later] "Oh, looks like my bibliography is done..."

[@zerogravity5052]

Hi , thanks for sharing ! i want to collect some parts of previous researches so fast to write litreture review and instead of taking note or copy paste .... what application can help me arrange information soon to paraphrase it and writing a new paper? i appreciate your responses

[@ananddandge7925]

Thank you very much

[@teologen]

I might be an anomaly in my field (theology), but I wrote my master's thesis in LaTeX. It was wonderful.

[@FaisalKhan-jg6kg]

Thanks , it was helpful

[@Adivhaho1]

I have used Evernote for more than 6 years now and I can say I agree with her it is a great app.

[@muneebakhan7237]

hello lucy , i have a suggestion for your next video. please explain the key points to be mentioned of personal statements for applying to doctoral positions in particularly for oxbridge . there are plenty of personal statments for ungrads on youtube but very few to talk about doctoral / masters positions