Top Tools and Services for Your Academic Research

Mark Twain, a famous American writer, once said, "Supposing is good, but finding out is better." As we all know, research begins with forming questions or hypotheses that result from a researcher's curiosity. Its benefits include:

• Facilitates learning and builds knowledge.
• It helps people to understand issues and to separate lies from the truth.
• Sustains businesses and makes them successful.
• Aids in the development of technology to make people's lives better.

Professional Tools and Services for Research

Different professional research tools and services are available depending on the area of study and projects researchers are working on. Since research begins with formulating a hypothesis, deciding on which tools to use for data collection is crucial. 

Research and data gathering may be conducted through different methods such as interviews, focus groups, observations, and experiments. To further optimize the information researchers have gathered, researchers can purchase tools and services to simplify the arduous task of academic research. Doing so makes the process manageable and time- and cost-efficient, which allows them to deliver accurate and productive results. Before making a decision, they should examine the advantages and disadvantages of the tools and services they are looking to use. Here are some helpful academic research tools and services that they may utilize.

Software tools and services for organizing, storage, and data sharing

• Notion - Notion is a project management software that helps users create schedules to coordinate deadlines, organize and manage projects and objectives, and take notes for better work efficiency and productivity. Like building a Lego structure, Notion provides the researcher with the building blocks to create their styles or designs to plan their projects and accomplish as much work as possible.

        Notion works on many platforms such as Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and the Web.

• Evernote - Evernote is a note-taking app designed to create and organize notes while allowing users to sync them across different devices. The notes are stored in virtual "notebooks" making it work as a digital filing cabinet. Researchers may use this app to make it easier to organize their notes, schedules, to-do lists, or even journal entries. It also allows for easy access and allocation of their research findings to team members and colleagues involved in the research much more efficiently.

       Same as Notion, this app runs on Android, iOS, macOS, and Microsoft Windows platforms.

• Google Drive - Google Drive is a free cloud-based storage and synchronization service developed by Google that allows users to store and access files online. Researchers may use this service to sync and store documents and photos of their research findings across their colleagues' devices, including smartphones, tablets, and PCs.
• Dropbox - Dropbox is a personal cloud storage service where a team's content comes together. Researchers may use this service primarily for file sharing and collaboration with other researchers. This is also available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux operating systems.

Tools for grammar-checking

• Grammarly - Grammarly is a third-party tool that researchers may use to proofread and revise their academic writing. This tool can also help them create academic and research papers with better spelling and grammar accuracy. Grammarly provides sound suggestions to replace wordy and complicated sentences, transforming them into more structured and coherent ones; plus it also detects plagiarism when scanning texts and documents.
• Trinka AI - Trinka is an AI-powered English grammar writing assistant specifically designed for technical and academic writing. This website can assist researchers in correcting spelling errors and grammar mistakes on their research papers while also giving real-time writing recommendations.

 Tools for conducting online or virtual interviews and focus groups

• Zoom - Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing app that allows users to set up video and audio conferencing meetings, webinars, live chats, and screen-sharing. Researchers may utilize this platform conveniently when they want to share and discuss their research findings and documentation with their colleagues while working remotely.
• CCam focus -  CCam focus is a portable 360° HD recording and streaming solution that can simultaneously capture widely spaced groups while also focusing on active speakers. It also offers integrated video insights tools to simplify your research. Researchers may use CCam within their focus group facility, office conference room, hotel setting, or in-home ethnography.

Tools for transcriptions

• TranscriptionWing - TranscriptionWing is a transcription service provider specializing in delivering accurate audio and video transcriptions with flexible turnaround options. Since research studies may include private client information, researchers may opt to hire this service since TranscriptionWing is guaranteed to be GDPR and HIPAA compliant. They operate in a culture of confidentiality to ensure project security as they create academic research transcriptions.
• Sonix - Sonix is a website that automatically transcribes audio and video files in over 40 languages. The service offers fast delivery that's very affordable, which is perfect for researchers with tight budget spending and for studies that may require a quick transcription turnaround.