Rental service for accessing academic papers behind paywalls.
Research Tools Directory
Browse and compare open-science tools by category, cost, and purpose.
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Access & discovery
Directory indexing thousands of open access, peer-reviewed journals.
Open-sourceAcademic search engine for people outside academia.
Open-sourceDigital library for academic journals, books, and primary sources.
Provides institutions in low- and middle-income countries with research access.
Unofficial repository providing free access to paywalled articles.
Free database of open access scholarly articles with API and browser extension.
Open-sourceDashboard to help libraries evaluate and cancel Big Deal journal bundles.
Open-sourceAgriculture & land use
USDA crop data layers and mapping tool.
Open-sourceEuropean soil datasets and maps.
Open-sourceGlobal agro-ecological zones data and analysis tools.
Open-sourceAtlas of soil biodiversity and related datasets.
Open-sourceGlobal soil datasets and resources.
Open-sourceGlobal soil property maps and standards.
Open-sourceAltmetrics & impact
Tracks engagement with research across policy, news, and social media.
Open source of altmetrics data based on Crossref Event Data.
Open-sourceAnnotation
Open-source web annotation for collaborative reading.
Open-sourceBiodiversity & ecology
Information system for amphibian biology and conservation.
Open-sourceAustralia’s biodiversity data portal and tools.
Open-sourceCross-sectoral model intercomparison project, including biodiversity impact projections.
Open-sourceFreshwater biodiversity data and tools.
Open-sourceBirdLife International data on birds, IBAs, and species status.
Comprehensive database of fish species.
Open-sourceGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility data portal and APIs.
Open-sourceTool for publishing biodiversity datasets to GBIF.
Open-sourceData portal for global change biology research.
Open-sourceDatabase of invasive species and impacts.
Open-sourceData portal from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research.
Open-sourceGlobal conservation status assessments for species.
Open-sourceLong Term Ecological Research data portal.
Open-sourceVisualize species distributions and biodiversity layers.
Open-sourceUS ecological data and observatory network.
Open-sourcePhenology data and monitoring tools in the US.
Open-sourceSpecies and ecosystem data explorer for North America.
Paleoecological data repository for fossils and sediments.
Open-sourceNew Zealand freshwater fish distribution database.
Open-sourceVegetation phenology monitoring with networked cameras.
Open-sourceDatabase on how local biodiversity responds to human impacts.
Open-sourceBrazil's national biodiversity data portal — occurrence records, species checklists, and GBIF node for Brazil.
Open-sourceNetwork of biological collections sharing specimen and occurrence data across South America.
Open-sourceCommunity-driven biodiversity informatics platform for India — species pages, citizen observations, and distribution maps.
Open-sourceSouth Africa's GBIF node — species occurrence records and biodiversity datasets across Southern Africa.
Open-sourceAustralian ecosystem data and infrastructure network.
Open-sourcePlant taxonomy database from Missouri Botanical Garden.
Open-sourceGlobal database of plant traits for ecological research.
Open-sourceCitation helper
Suggests correct citations for research software and datasets.
Open-sourceGenerates BibTeX and other citation formats from a DOI.
Open-sourceCitizen science
Global bird observation platform with data access tools.
Open-sourceNASA citizen science app for Earth observations.
Open-sourceCommunity platform for recording biodiversity observations.
Open-sourceDirectory of citizen science projects and tools.
Open-sourcePlatform for crowdsourced research and citizen science projects.
Open-sourceClimate data & modeling
Australian Bureau of Meteorology climate data access.
Open-sourceAnalyze climate and remote sensing data with web tools.
Open-sourceAnalyze and visualize climate time series and indices.
Open-sourceInteractive access to climate reanalysis and time series.
Open-sourceClimate change indicators and datasets from Copernicus.
Open-sourceAccess Copernicus climate datasets, reanalyses, and tools.
Open-sourceAnimated global maps of wind, ocean currents, and weather.
Open-sourceGlobal carbon budgets and emissions datasets.
Open-sourceGlobal fire emissions data products.
Open-sourceAccess NOAA climate and weather datasets and APIs.
Open-sourceClimate data, indicators, and explainers from NOAA.
Open-sourceInteractive weather and climate summaries for locations worldwide.
Global climate layers for ecological and spatial modeling.
Open-sourceComputation & math
Natural-language computational engine for math, stats, and symbolic work.
Data cleaning
Powerful GUI to clean messy tabular data, cluster duplicates, and reshape tables.
Open-sourceData repositories & portals
Data Observation Network for Earth repository and search.
Open-sourceOpen data repository for research datasets.
Open-sourceAutomated downloading and cleaning of ecological datasets.
Open-sourceRepository for environmental and ecological data.
Open-sourceEarth and environmental science data publisher.
Open-sourceGlobal registry of research data repositories across disciplines.
Open-sourceUSGS data catalog and repository.
Open-sourceDesign & illustration
Library of scientific icons for creating publication-ready figures and diagrams.
Open-source vector graphics editor for illustrations and figures.
Open-sourceSimplifies creation of scientific infographics and diagrams.
Specialises in creating infographics and charts.
Digital collections
Free, open-source CMS for online digital collections.
Open-sourceWordPress plugin for maintaining content hubs.
Open-sourceMobile app and community for digitizing archival collections.
Open-sourceManages photographs of physical collections with rich metadata.
Open-sourceEarth observation & remote sensing
Access Sentinel satellite data and products from Copernicus.
Open-sourceSearch, visualize, and analyze satellite imagery from multiple missions.
Showcase of Earth Engine apps and interactive demos.
Cloud platform for planetary-scale geospatial analysis.
Explore Landsat scenes and time series from the browser.
Open-sourceViewer for MODIS land cover products.
Open-sourceAccess MODIS mission data and products.
Open-sourceBrowse and download global satellite imagery data.
Open-sourceSearch and access NASA Earth science datasets.
Open-sourceFire Information for Resource Management System with active fire data.
Open-sourceInteractive global imagery browser for near real-time satellite data.
Open-sourceExplore Sentinel satellite imagery interactively in the browser.
Search and download Landsat, Sentinel, and other geospatial datasets.
Open-sourceEnvironment & land cover
Monitor forests, fires, and land use change with global datasets.
Open-sourceFire alerts and monitoring within Global Forest Watch.
Open-sourceMonitor mangrove extent and change worldwide.
Open-sourceTrack surface water changes globally using satellite-derived maps.
Open-sourceObservational system for wetlands monitoring.
Open-sourceWetlands mapping and monitoring tools.
Open-sourceExperiment design
Open-source platform for building and running behavioral and psychophysics experiments in Python, with a visual Builder and code-based workflows.
Open-sourceGenomics & phylogenetics
Genome browser and comparative genomics resources.
Open-sourceNIH genetic sequence database of publicly available DNA sequences.
Open-sourceWeb-based visualization and annotation of phylogenetic trees.
NCBI genome browser for assemblies and annotations.
Open-sourceReal-time tracking of pathogen evolution.
Open-sourceOpen phylogenetic tree data and APIs.
Open-sourceFree silhouette images for phylogenetic and biology visuals.
Open-sourceRepository of phylogenetic trees and data.
Open-sourceInteractive genome browser for multiple assemblies and tracks.
Open-sourceComprehensive database of protein sequences and functional annotation.
Open-sourceIDE
Python IDE with intelligent code completion and debugging.
Integrated development environment for R with built-in visualization and debugging.
Open-sourceIDE & notebooks
VS Code–style IDE from Posit for R and Python data science, with notebook and terminal support.
Open-sourceIdentifiers
Persistent digital identifier for researchers.
Open-sourceImaging & analysis
Open-source image analysis platform popular in life sciences.
Open-sourceImpact metrics
Analytics platform showing the impact of research software.
Open-sourceResearcher impact profile highlighting open science activities.
Open-sourceLiterature review tool
Visual graph of related papers to explore a topic.
AI research assistant that answers questions and extracts data from papers with citations.
Summarizes dense research papers into concise, understandable summaries.
Builds citation graphs to find important and related papers around a topic.
Open-sourceTracks citation networks to monitor emerging trends and connections.
AI notebook that summarizes your sources and answers questions grounded in them, with audio overviews.
Creates concise summaries of academic papers.
AI-powered paper recommendations tailored to your interests.
Visualizes papers, authors, and topics in exploratory citation graphs.
Breaks down papers into summaries and highlights key points.
Shows citation context to see if a paper is supported or contrasted.
Mapping & GIS
Enterprise-grade platform for spatial analysis, mapping, and geodata.
Cloud GIS for web mapping, analysis, and data sharing.
Desktop application within ArcGIS for creating and analyzing maps.
Create cinematic animations from Google Earth imagery.
Design custom maps and tiles with a visual editor.
Community-built open map of the world.
Open-sourceOpen-source GIS for spatial data visualization and analysis.
Open-sourcePublish QGIS projects as web maps.
Metadata & DOI
DOI registration agency with rich metadata and event data.
Open-sourcePersistent identifiers and metadata for datasets and research outputs.
Open-sourceNotebooks & analysis
Hosted Jupyter notebooks with GPUs, easy sharing, and no install.
Cloud RStudio with tidyverse pre-installed for data analysis.
Ocean & marine
Track global fishing activity and vessel movement.
Open-sourceGlobal Ocean Data Analysis Project datasets.
Open-sourceUS marine spatial data and maps.
Open-sourceCoral reef monitoring tools, products, and virtual reef explorer.
Open-sourceOcean Biogeographic Information System for marine species data.
Open-sourceInteractive ocean data exploration and visualization.
Open-sourceAuthoritative taxonomy of marine species.
Open-sourceOpen data portals
National portal for Australian water data and observations.
Open-sourceNew Zealand Department of Conservation open datasets.
Open-sourceEuropean Environment Agency datasets and maps.
Open-sourceEnvironmental maps and ecosystem services data for the US.
Open-sourceSearchable EPA environmental datasets.
Open-sourceFAO geospatial data catalog and services.
Open-sourceEuropean geospatial data catalog for INSPIRE datasets.
Open-sourceLake Ecosystem Research New Zealand modelling platfom.
Open-sourceNew Zealand geospatial datasets and basemaps.
Open-sourceNew Zealand climate, ocean, and environmental datasets.
Open-sourceCoastal data, tools, and resources for the US.
Open-sourceUSFS datasets on forests, land management, and ecology.
Open-sourceUSGS topographic, elevation, and land cover datasets.
Open-sourceOpen science infrastructure
European open science infrastructure and research graph.
Open-sourcePost-publication review
Platform for anonymous and signed post-publication peer review.
Open-sourcePreprints
Open-access repository of electronic preprints and postprints.
Open-sourceLife sciences preprint server for rapid, open sharing.
Open-sourcePreprint server for social science and humanities research.
Open-sourcePresentations
Automates slide design to create professional-looking presentations.
Offers customizable templates for posters, infographics, and slides.
AI-assisted tools for creating research visuals and slides.
Creates dynamic, interactive presentations with AI assistance.
Tool for creating interactive infographics and charts.
Enables non-linear, dynamic presentation designs.
Versatile tool for creating presentations and infographics.
Tools to create professional charts and visual aids.
Programming
General-purpose programming language for data and automation.
Open-sourceStatistical programming language for data analysis and visualization.
Open-sourceProject management
AI mini-tools that break overwhelming tasks into small, manageable steps.
Organise projects, preregistrations, storage, and collaboration in one place.
Open-sourcePublisher
Publishes Science and related journals across disciplines.
Publisher with 2,800 journals and the ScienceDirect platform.
Open-access journal for life and biomedical sciences with public peer review.
Open-sourceOpen research publishing platform with transparent peer review.
Open-sourceOpen access platform with open peer review for Gates-funded research.
Open-sourceNonprofit open-access publisher of journals across science and medicine.
Open-sourcePublisher of Nature, Springer, and BioMed Central journals.
Publisher with 2,700 journals across disciplines.
Publisher with 1,600 peer-reviewed journals and books.
Publishing & archiving
Curated repository for datasets linked to publications.
Open-sourceShare datasets, posters, and figures with DOIs and rich previews.
Peer-reviewed, open access journal for citable research software.
Open-sourceArchive datasets, code, and papers with DOIs for free.
Open-sourceQualitative analysis
Designed for qualitative and mixed-method data analysis.
Reading
Guides speed reading to help you comprehend academic texts faster.
Simplifies technical language into layman terms for easier understanding.
Reference management
Advanced reference management software for citations and bibliographies.
Reference manager and academic social network.
Annotates and organizes PDFs of research papers.
Manages PDFs with advanced search and discovery features.
Creates first-draft literature reviews with real references.
Collect papers, annotate PDFs, and cite while you write in Word or Google Docs.
Open-sourceReproducible documents
Author reports, articles, and books that mix prose, code, and outputs.
Open-sourceReproducible environments
Turn a Git repo into a runnable Jupyter environment in the cloud.
Open-sourceResearch database
Linked database of publications, grants, patents, and policy documents.
Open catalog of papers, authors, institutions, and concepts.
Open-sourceComprehensive database for biomedical and life sciences literature.
Open-sourceLarge abstract and citation database with analytics.
Citation database with curated indexing and analytics.
Risk & hazards
Open-source platform for seismic risk assessment.
Open-sourceSearch engine
Allen Institute's open agentic AI platform for finding, summarizing, and analyzing scientific literature.
Open-sourceComprehensive scholarly search with citation linking.
AI-powered scholarly search with citation context and highlights.
Open-sourceSocial network
Platform for sharing research, finding collaborators, and asking questions.
Spreadsheets
Versatile tool for managing and analyzing datasets.
Collaborative spreadsheet tool for organizing and analyzing data.
Statistics
User-friendly software for Bayesian and frequentist statistical analysis.
Open-sourceStatistical software for data analysis and quality improvement.
Trusted software for statistical data analysis.
Stats & modeling
R package for visualizing Bayesian models.
Open-sourceOpen-source statistical spreadsheet with R engine.
Open-sourceInteractive diagnostics for Stan Bayesian models.
Open-sourceStudy design & randomization
Generates random assignments, lists, and sequences for experiments and trials.
Version control
Git hosting with issues, pull requests, CI, and pages for docs.
Visualization & BI
Business intelligence tool for data visualization and analysis.
Tool for visualising large datasets in interactive dashboards.
Visualization & dashboards
Open-source geospatial analysis and visualization tool.
Open-sourceOpen-source JavaScript library for interactive maps.
Open-sourceNotebook platform for data visualization and interactive analysis.
Python framework for building analytical web apps.
Open-sourcePlotly charts and dashboards for interactive data storytelling.
Build interactive web apps directly from R.
Open-sourceExamples and templates for Shiny apps.
Open-sourceFree platform to publish Tableau visualizations publicly.
Water & limnology
Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network data and resources.
Open-sourceGlobal database of lakes and wetlands.
Open-sourceGlobal river discharge data repository.
Open-sourceGlobal water quality datasets and indicators.
Open-sourceWriting & collaboration
Online writing platform for real-time collaboration.
Grammar and style checker for polished writing.
Simplifies complex sentences to make writing more readable.
Automates structuring and outlining for academic papers.
Document preparation system for high-quality typesetting.
Open-sourceMarkdown-based note-taking app for linking research notes and ideas.
Collaborative LaTeX editor with versioning, comments, and templates.
Real-time feedback on grammar, clarity, and academic style.
Reviews your paper and points out areas for improvement.
Helps format scientific papers with templates and compliance checks.
Writing tool designed for long documents, perfect for dissertations and theses.
Free online tools for converting, compressing, and editing PDFs, images, and other files.
AI-powered tool for checking grammar, style, and technical consistency.