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Digital Scholarship Centre

If you are interested in incorporating digital methods in your research, the DSC is your one-stop-shop to the many resources available at the University

UFS supported software for research

The following software is supported by UFS ICT Services and can be used for research management, data capture, analysis and visualisation, as well as academic writing.

  • Adobe Acrobat Professional - Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a PDF Editor that allows you to view, create, manipulate, print and manage PDF files. The UFS has a site license for staff members only. Email us to request installation.
  • Afrikaans Skryfgoed
  • Altmetric Explorer - to track your research altmetrics, contact us.
  • ArcGIS - create and share maps, analytics, and data.
  • Atlas.ti - a powerful workbench for the qualitative analysis of large bodies of textual, graphical, audio and video data.
  • Druva
  • EndNote - referencing software. Contact ICT Services for installation.
  • Evasys - request a login
  • Geneious - a user-friendly analysis and management tool that helps unlock the value in sequence data.
  • Gimp
  • Grammarly - Send us an email to request a license.
  • Jaws
  • MATLAB - allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages. Send us an email to request a license.
  • Mendeley
  • Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, Visio, Project
  • Microsoft Power BI desktop - lets you build advanced queries, models, and reports that visualize data. Pro coming soon.
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft To Do - a cloud-based task management application.
  • Mindjet MindManager - the UFS has a site license for staff members only. Email us for installation.
  • NVivo - a qualitative data analysis computer software package, designed for qualitative researchers working with very rich text-based and/or multimedia information, where deep levels of analysis on small or large volumes of data are required.
  • R - R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. It compiles and runs on a wide variety of UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS.
  • REDCap - request a login (useful REDCap training materials)

  • SAS - a statistical software suite developed by SAS Institute for data management, advanced analytics, multivariate analysis, business intelligence, criminal investigation, and predictive analytics.
  • SPSS - a software package used for interactive, or batched, statistical analysis. The UFS has a site license. Email us for installation.
  • Stata 11 - capabilities include data management, statistical analysis, graphics, simulations, regression analysis, and custom programming.
  • Tableau - A visual analytics platform transforming the way people use data to solve problems. Tableau is supported by the UFS with licenses acquired on request. Email us for more information.
  • Turnitin
  • Wolfram Mathematica - Mathematica is a symbolic mathematical computation program, used in scientific, engineering, mathematical, and computing fields. The Wolfram Language is the programming language used in Mathematica. The UFS has limited licenses available for staff members only. Email us to request a license.

If you need assistance with installation of software, contact the ICTS Service Desk. Watch out for installation days at the Digital Scholarship Centre for hands-on assistance.

Statistical Consultation Unit (UFS)

The Statistical Consultation Unit (SCU) at the University of the Free State provides statistical consultation services to research staff and postgraduate students* (excluding the Faculty of Health Sciences, where those services are provided by the Department of Biostatistics). The SCU assists with quantitative studies and can make a contribution throughout the research process, from the planning of the research project, through the analysis of research data, up to the publication of the findings. Start your consultation at the beginning of your project to ensure the best results.

On request, the unit will offer short lectures on analysis of research data, statistical concepts, and research methodology to staff and postgraduate students. 

*Consultation services to postgraduate students (master's and PhD) at the UFS will be provided free.

Contact Sean van der Merwe for more information.

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