Software for research
Discover the essential software, programming languages and virtual environments recommended for your research projects.
- R and RStudio
A programming language and software environment for statistical computing, data manipulation, graphics, coding and debugging. - Revision and version control (GitHub)
Manage changes to documents, computer programs, websites, and code version control. - NVivo
Organise, analyse and find insights in unstructured or qualitative data. - SPSS
Create a variety of statistics, organise outputs and draw models using a drag and drop interface. - Mathematica
Computational software for engineering, science, mathematics and other technical computing.
To find out what else is available, explore:
Software for Viking
Viking is our high-performance computing facility. It comes with a library of pre-installed software.
To see what's available, follow our Viking documentation.
You can also download, build, and run software as long as it’s compatible with Viking. If you're interested in using a small or simple program, you might prefer to download and build the software yourself.
If you'd like to request something specific, please contact us (part of IT Services).
Virtual environments
Virtual environments enable you to maintain separate sets of libraries and dependencies for different projects, ensuring that updates or changes in one environment do not affect others. This is particularly important in research, where reproducibility and consistency are key.
- Venv (Python)
Create isolated Python environments, ensuring that each project can have its own dependencies, free from interference with others. - Conda (multi-language)
A versatile package and environment manager that supports multiple programming languages, including Python, R, and Java. Conda is ideal for complex projects requiring diverse dependencies and cross-platform compatibility.
Research Software Engineers can help advise you on which might be best for your project. They can also get more involved, helping you to develop programmes and troubleshoot errors in code.
To learn more about coding languages such as Python, browse our list of training resources.
Training and support
If you’re interested in Research IT resources but unsure what you need, we’re here to help.
Research IT support is for every member of staff and student who needs it. Find out about our one-to-one support, training and networking opportunities.
