Tools

In my last blog post (not the letters), I shared how writing may be hard but can as well be fun. I also promised to share writing tools that can be used to make academic writing less hard.

Let me point out here that there are a lot of writing tools out there which can be overwhelming to try them all out. Sometimes, you might end up trying a new writing tool all the time and never actually write something.

I suggest that once, you try one and you are comfortable with it, stick to it. If you try something new and it does not work for you, there is no crime in dropping it and going back to what worked for you. I use various writing tools for different purposes which I will be sharing and why.

The basic tools needed to make academic writing seamless are;

• Word processors: These are packages that allow you to write your thesis. Examples are Microsoft Word, Latex, Microsoft OneNote, Google doc, Evernote etc. I prefer to use Microsoft word to write my these because of the Mendeley plugin which enables me to cite articles as I write. I use Onenote to draft write up I want to post like this blog post. Although, I prefer google docs when I am working with people on an article.

• Word and Grammar Checker: These are that keep you in check in terms of sentence structure for the whole write up. Examples are; Grammarly, Thesaurus, Microsoft Spelling & Grammar.

• Referencing tools: For academic write up, you know citation is very important and that is why these tools come in handy. My favourite is Mendeley. It has offline feature, it synchronises across all devices and it is FREE! Education is expensive, as a PhD there are a lot of things to do with money. This is one less thing I don’t need money for.