Your top 3 tools?

Posted by Lawrence Osborn
Feb 28, 2013 at 08:45 AM

Dr Andus wrote:
>What are your top 3 (outliner, PIM, writing, note-taking) tools right now? Do they form a toolchain (fit in
>a workflow)?

Coming late to this: My top three pieces of software more or less mimic the workflow I used to use in pre-PC (paper and pen) days:

(1) For data gathering and preliminary analysis, I use Idealist, an ancient free form textual database that I have been using since the late 1990s. It very effectively mimics the index card (Zettelkasten) systems used by academics to gather research data in the days before personal computers.

(2) For synthesis/outlining, I have recently switched to Freeplane (having previously used the free version of XMind for a number of years).

(3) For writing up, I mainly use Word (not my personal favourite among word processors, but I have to use it for editorial purposes since it is the de facto standard within the publishing industry).

Yours
Lawrence