Academic Writing Software
Currently, there is no software specifically designed for academic writing, but software that was designed for fiction writing can work well.
Writing software is typically designed for long-form writing--books and articles, but it can be used for papers or any writing.
Why writing software has grown in popularity:
- helps break down a substantial piece of writing into more manageable pieces
- provides a variety of options for organizing and managing writing
- provides sophisticated outlining features
*The software described on this guide does not currently utilize AI.
Scrivener
Scrivener was originally developed for fiction writing. Increasingly it is the most popular writing software among academics.
Scrivener must be purchased and has a modest academic discount. Because Scrivener is downloaded and not web-based, your writing has greater privacy and security. Your writing will not be accessible by AI (unless you choose to share it outside of Scrivener). Try it before you buy it! Scrivener-produced files can be stored in the Cloud.
Olin Library offers workshops periodically. (Cornell graduate students, contact me if you would like a customized Scrivener workshop offered for your department/group). I'm available to Cornellians for one-on-one meetings to help with Scrivener, or for workflow & productivity consultations, or if you have questions about alternatives to Scrivener. (Sorry Cornellians only!)
Recommended resources for teaching yourself Scrivener:
- highly recommended: Tutorials from Literature and Latte
- Scrivener's YouTube channel
- Extensive interactive tutorials and a PDF user's manual are included as part of the download of Scrivener
- Scrivener for Dummies by Gwen Hernandez
- Cornell’s subscription to LinkedIn Learning includes tutorials on Scrivener
- Tips: Scrivener with Zotero
