Tools for the Doctoral Journey – Writing

Computer: Macbook Pro

I had this computer since 2013 and it worked really well. It is probably because I maxed out the specs at the time. I didn’t see the need to buy anything new for this.

Word Processor and Outliner: Scrivener

I created content in sections that could be managed and moved around independently. Each section had an area for notes. I was able to put the assignment template and rubric here so I could reference it as I was writing.
I assembled sections like notecards on a storyboard. I could keep thought fragments as stand-alone items until I could either find a place for them to be added, or save them for something else. I could then build paragraphs and pages from these fragments.
I was able to keep reference material available in the same environment. I had 40 documents in Word, Powerpoint, and PDF that I used to build my dissertation proposal. This kept it all in one place and kept me from having to open up multiple tables in multiple programs. I was able to search through key words to find words and phrases I needed to put into the main document.
This was one of the last pieces of software I installed, and I wish I had done it earlier. I used this to put my dissertation proposal together, but I could have used it to put a lot of my other assignments together too.
$41.65 one time
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

Grammar and Spell Checker: Grammarly Premium

This was so much more that just that. It was more like an AI writing assistant. I tended to get repetitive and bleary-eyed when writing under deadline. This app checked for grammar, tense, clarity and made appropriate recommendations. You can use this as a standalone product or as an add-on to Word. I usually write in Word first and then check and use Grammarly there before transferring it all to Scrivener.
$11.66 / month
https://www.grammarly.com/plans

Tablet: iPad Pro and Apple Pencil

This was the first model that had the Apple Pencil. It was about 3 years old and it also worked well.

Note Taking: Notability for the iPad

This program was great for taking notes and it felt like I was writing on paper. It saved me from using too much paper.
It had a wide array of options to use colored pens and markers
I would merely take a picture of the presentation on my screen and annotate it using the program
If I took notes on paper, I would just take a picture of it and include it in the program
$8.99
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notability/id360593530

Pocket Notepads: Ampad Mini Notepad, Narrow Ruled, 50 Sheets, White, 3″ x 5″