Top Apps for Researchers: Social Science Must-Haves

In a 2012 post on Top Apps for Economists, we noted that the word “app” was becoming integrated into our daily lives. Two years later, I’d say it’s achieved a solid place in contemporary vocabulary. Yet, while you may not think twice about using an app to check a train schedule, buy a movie ticket or peruse Facebook, you still might not be aware of the plethora of great academic and professional apps available as well.

Below we offer a list of various apps that can give you a quick boost in research, writing, studying and keeping your brain active during a long commute or other downtime. Many of these apps have free versions, though for full usage most charge a download fee of at least $0.99.

So as not to overlap with previous posts about apps, including the one mentioned above, as well as one solely focusing on apps for iPhone and iPad, we suggest you check out those posts for tips on where to download and search for new apps, as well as links to international news apps.

Research focused

• If you’re heading to class and realize you didn’t download the right articles beforehand, or would just like to do some research on the go, social science databases such as EBSCOhost, Pubget, SpringerLink andJStor all offer handy apps for iPhones and iPads.
• For the times when you need a quick fact check and don’t want to rely on Wikipedia, the CIA World Factbook and the OECD Factbook both have app versions that offer an array of useful information.
• To access a wide variety of journals (both Open Access and with paid subscription) on either iPad or Android, BrowZine is a great way to go.
• If you’d like to search not only articles but also ebooks and other online publications, ebrary offers a comprehensive app for iPhones, iPads and Androids.
• If you are a student and want to easily access your university’s library on the go, AccessMyLibrary offers an easy way to remain connected on either i products or Android.
• To search libraries around the world, WorldCat mobile allows you access to nearly any title you can think of, while also highlighting top libraries.
• A great resource for free general interest books is Project Gutenberg, which offers over 40,000 titles for download, straight to your mobile device.

Study focused

• For taking notes in lectures or on your own, apps like iAnnotate, Notability and GoodNotes are all great options
• To help keep everything organized, myHomework offers a free and very user-friendly planner specifically for students
• If flashcards are your thing, Smart Flashcards offers a free app for iPhone and iPad, with customizable digital study cards

We hope you found some helpful tips in this list! If you think we missed any important apps, feel free to leave a response in the comments section here or on Facebook. And if you need an app to help you focus on the research you should be doing instead of browsing the internet, take a look at our post on the Top Anti-Procrastination Apps.

Photo credit: Claudia Regina