There are a number of software titles that are available at the organizational level (Enterprise Software). These do not require individual licenses nor purchasing, and many can be found in managed devices under the Software Center (PC) or Self-Service (Mac). There are also software titles that can be purchased at a discounted rate due to academic pricing and/or leveraging the buying power of UNL. Individual departments may provide access to additional software options.
In general, there is a preference that users use tools that are already within existing Enterprise systems (such as Office Suite applications). Should you need software that is not from these sources, you will need to go through a risk review process. In some cases, a program or service you want may have already been reviewed. Check with ITS and Procurement to find out.
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks
Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (sometimes referred to as e-Lab notebooks, or ELNs) replace paper notebooks for research processes and data management. ELNs assist in the documentation and reproduction processes of science, and allow for sharing of information within a team. Some platforms/versions include options for sharing with external collaborators, as well as integrating with other research software. ELNs also support FAIR principles, which are part of data sharing and open science.
UNL does not currently offer any Enterprise versions of ELNs. However, there are UNL researchers using the Community version of RSpace, which also has a paid version with additional features. To learn more about RSpace, this video is a 16 minute demonstration, and the website includes a Getting Started Guide. If you would like to be connected with researchers using RSpace, please email researchdata@unl.edu.
Software Support
The following is information about software at UNL - including the name, a brief description of what it does, and links to support information. These tables are organized by how the software is obtained/accessed.
The following software are available through the Software Request system.
| Software | What it Does | Support information |
| ArcGIS Online | Cloud-based GIS (geographic information system) software for working with maps and geographic information. | https://unl.libguides.com/arcgisonline https://libraries.unl.edu/geographic-information-system/ https://learn.arcgis.com/en/gallery/ UNL Libraries offers trainings on using this software
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| ERDAS | Earth Resources Data Analysis Systems. Image processing software for geospatial and vector data. | https://gisrsstudy.com/learn-gis-software/erdas-imagine/
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| SPSS | SPSS Statistics is a software that provides statistical analysis for data-driven decisions. It offers a range of features, such as data management, modeling, prediction, fraud detection, and research, for users of all levels. | https://www.spss-tutorials.com/basics/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpwZS3XnEZA |
| Mathematica | Technical computing software for neural networks, machine learning, image processing, geometry, visualizations, scientific, engineering, math, and computing. | https://www.wolfram.com/mathematica/resources/ https://math.bme.hu/%7Ejtoth/Mma/Mathematica%20Cookbook.pdf
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| MATLAB | MATLAB software for matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, algorithms, user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages. | https://matlabacademy.mathworks.com/en/?page=1&sort=featured https://www.tutorialspoint.com/matlab/index.htm
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| Tableau Reader | Tableau Reader lets you open and interact with data visualizations built in Tableau and shared locally. | https://www.tableau.com/support/reader |
The following software are offered virtually or elsewhere on campus.
| Software | What it Does | Support information |
| Qualtrics | An online survey platform that UNL users can access with their UNL credentials through Single Sign On (SSO). | https://www.qualtrics.com/training/ https://nusupport.nebraska.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=69 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJIhd5LmlYw |
| REDCap | REDCap is a web-based tool for secure and flexible data collection, created in 2004 at Vanderbilt University. | |
| ORCID | ORCID is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities. UNL Libraries can assist with creating or retrieving an ID. | https://info.orcid.org/researchers/ |
| Fusion | Fusion is an accessibility tool for individuals with any level of vision impairment. It provides the power and speed of JAWS for screen reading functionality, coupled with ZoomText, for screen magnification and visual enhancements for screen viewing ease. | https://nusupport.nebraska.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=78 |
| Globus Connect | A fast and robust file transfer service that allows users to quickly move large amounts of data between computer clusters and even to and from personal workstations. This service has been made available for Swan and Attic within HCC. | https://hcc.unl.edu/docs/handling_data/data_transfer/globus_connect/ |
The following software may be available on managed devices through Software Center (PCs) or Self Service (Mac). Availability may depend on your department or college. Your ITS support can advise on availability.
| Software | What it Does | Support information |
| 7-Zip | 7-Zip is a free and open source software that can pack and unpack various formats, such as 7z, ZIP, RAR, and ISO. It also supports AES-256 encryption, Windows integration, and localizations for 87 languages. | https://7ziphelp.com/how-to-use-7-zip |
| Adobe Acrobat Reader DC | App for viewing, printing, signing, sharing, and annotating PDFs. DC stands for Document Cloud. | https://helpx.adobe.com/reader.html |
| Adobe Creative Cloud | A set of applications and services from Adobe that gives subscribers access to a collection of software used for graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, along with a set of mobile applications and also some optional cloud services. | https://creativecloud.adobe.com/learn |
| Alertus Desktop | An emergency notification system. When installed, issues a full-screen alert when campus emergencies occur. | https://www.alertus.com/safe-in-seconds |
| Audacity | Audacity is a cross-platform, open source software for recording and editing audio. You can import, export, convert, and analyze audio files, and use plugins, themes, and cloud saving features. | |
| Cisco Jabber | Cisco Jabber is an application that delivers instant messaging, voice and video calls, voice messaging, desktop sharing, and conferencing. | https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/jabber/userguide/cjab_b_cisco-jabber-user-guide/cjab_m_getting-started-ug.html |
| DisplayLink Graphics | Software that complements the existing graphics card. | https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/corporate/how |
| Enable Bitlocker | Bitlocker is secure disk encryption, storing all internal files in an encrypted form. | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/data-protection/bitlocker/ |
| FireZilla | FileZilla Server is a free open source FTP (file transfer protocol) and FTPS (file transfer protocol over transport layer security) Server. | https://filezilla-project.org/ https://wiki.filezilla-project.org/FileZilla_Client_Tutorial_(en) |
| Ghostscript | Ghostscript is an interpreter for the PostScript® language and PDF files. | |
| GIMP | The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is a cross-platform image editor. | |
| Google Earth Pro | A version of Google Earth with extra tools and features to import/export GIS data and access historical imagery. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lGl1VZjtg4 https://support.google.com/earth?sjid=2169982392770019626-NC#topic= https://virginiaview.cnre.vt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/smGoogle-Earth-Pro-Manual.pdf |
| Greenshot | Greenshot is a free and open-source screenshot program for Microsoft Windows. | |
| Handbrake | HandBrake is a free and open source tool for converting video from nearly any format to widely supported codecs. | https://handbrake.fr/docs/en/latest/introduction/quick-start.html https://www.rapidseedbox.com/blog/guide-to-mastering-handbrake |
| Inkscape | Inkscape is a software for creating and editing vector graphics, such as logos, diagrams and illustrations. | https://inkscape.org/learn/ https://inkscape.org/learn/tutorials/ |
| IrfanView Plugins | IrfanView is an image viewer, editor, organiser and converter program for Microsoft Windows. | https://www.irfanview.com/faq.htm |
| JMP Pro 17 | JMP Pro is a statistical discovery software and SAS product that performs simple and complex data analysis. | https://www.jmp.com/en_us/events/getting-started-with-jmp.html |
| Mendeley Desktop | Desktop version of the reference manager that allows you to save citations, annotate them, and access your reference library from multiple locations. | https://unl.libguides.com/citations-plugins-setup |
| Mozilla Firefox | A free, open-source web browser. | https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/firefox/get-started |
| Notepad++ | Free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. | https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ https://npp-user-manual.org/ |
| Palo Alto Cortex XDR | Cortex is an extended detection and response app that uses real-time detection to respond to malware and other sophisticated attacks while preventing malicious software from running on devices. | https://nusupport.nebraska.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=52 |
| Palo Alto Global Protect | UNL’s virtual private network (VPN) provides a secure connection to university networks from anywhere. | https://nusupport.nebraska.edu/TDClient/33/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=90 |
| PuTTY | PuTTY is an open source software that allows you to connect to remote servers using SSH or telnet protocols. | |
| R Studio | R is a free software project that provides a wide range of statistical and graphical techniques, similar to the S language and environment. | https://www.r-project.org/about.html https://github.com/unl-statistics/R-workshops https://learn-r.org/ https://www.w3schools.com/r/default.asp |
| SAS | SAS is an integrated software suite for advanced analytics, business intelligence, data management, and predictive analytics. | https://www.sas.com/en_us/learn.html https://hcc.unl.edu/docs/applications/app_specific/running_sas/ |
| VLC media player | VLC is a media player that supports most multimedia files, DVDs, CDs, VCDs and streaming protocols. | |
| VS Code | Visual Studio (VS) Code is a free code editor that redefines coding with GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered feature that helps you write, edit, and chat with your code. | https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/getting-started |
| WinMerge | WinMerge is an Open Source differencing and merging tool for Windows. WinMerge can compare both folders and files, presenting differences in a visual text format that is easy to understand and handle. | |
| WinSCP | WinSCP is an open source software that allows you to transfer files between a local and a remote computer using various protocols. It also offers scripting, file manager, text editor and other features. | https://winscp.net/eng/docs/guides |
| Yuja Software | Yuja is a video content manager, that can securely create, manage, discover, and collaborate video content across any device. | |
| Zotero | Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share research. You can sync your data across devices, collaborate with others, and format your work to match any style guide or publication. | https://unl.libguides.com/zotero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG7Uq_JFDzE https://www.zotero.org/support/quick_start_guide
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